Inverness Campus has taken a major step toward its next chapter after Highlands and Islands Enterprise secured planning permission in principle for the second and final phase of development at the landmark site.
The approval, granted by The Highland Council and now awaiting completion of a Section 75 agreement, paves the way for significant new investment across business, academic and hotel space, as well as further infrastructure, landscaping and green public areas.
Inverness Campus covers 215 acres, with 89 already developed over the past decade.
Of the remaining land, 27 acres sit within the Inverness and Cromarty Green Freeport zone, giving eligible companies access to a suite of tax incentives and positioning the Campus to support rapidly expanding industries including renewable energy alongside its established strengths in life sciences.
HIE has led the growth of Inverness Campus since 2007, with construction beginning in 2013 after an initial £25 million funding approval that has since attracted more than £180 million in additional investment.
The result is a high quality collaborative environment that now supports around 1,000 jobs across public, private and academic sectors, creating a hub that has become central to the region’s innovation economy.
Since opening in 2015 the Campus has grown into a world class business location and is now home to around 20 commercial enterprises alongside organisations including UHI Inverness, SRUC, NHS Highland and HIE itself, with more developments already in the pipeline.
The updated masterplan for the remaining landscape, drafted by Turnberry for HIE, builds on the original design vision and was refined through a public consultation held in January and February 2025 where local people were invited to shape the final proposals.
HIE submitted the planning application in May following the consultation and has described the outcome as an important milestone for a project that continues to evolve as one of the Highlands’ most transformative long term developments.
David Oxley, HIE’s director of strategic projects, said:
“We’re very pleased to have secured planning consent in principle for the next phase of development at Inverness Campus. We’re now in the process of finalising the Section 75 Agreement to enable work to get under way.”
“Meanwhile, we’d like to thank everyone who took the time to examine the draft masterplan and provide feedback during the consultation early this year. This was extremely helpful in informing the planning application.”
The next phase is expected to build on the strong foundation already established at the Campus, with opportunities for new industries, new jobs and further collaboration between business, academia and the public sector.
