Tulloch’s relationship with the club began in 2001 and it built the north and south stands in 2004-05, leasing the stadium to the club since then.

Under the terms of the offer from Tulloch, the club will assume immediate ownership of the three stands - which cost over £6m to build, including associated infrastructure.

The offer from Tulloch Homes was warmly welcomed by the ICT chairman Kenny Cameron, who described it as “a magnificent gesture”.

He said: “When Tulloch built the second and third stands for us, it utterly transformed the club’s fortunes and gave us facilities that met the SPL criteria, enabling us to return 6 months early from our exile in Aberdeen, which was a massive benefit to all and a huge boost for the supporters. It’s no exaggeration to say that we owe much of our status as a member of the SPFL to those decisions by Tulloch.

“The progress of the club to its present position would not have been possible without the company’s ongoing generosity and this offer represents the latest chapter in a relationship which has greatly benefitted the club. I will be discussing this incredibly generous offer with my fellow board members over the next few days and fully anticipate a speedy completion.”

George Fraser, chief executive of Tulloch Homes, and himself a former chairman of ICT, said: “Inverness Caley Thistle is a true community club and at Tulloch Homes, as the largest local housebuilder, we consider ourselves an important member of the Inverness community.

“As every Inverness Caley Thistle fan knows, Tulloch Construction built the north and south stands in just 47 days, bringing the current capacity to 7,500. That was over a decade ago and when we completed the work we always hoped to one day be in a position where we could offer the stands to the club, enabling them to assume ownership and to safeguard the club’s future.

“Following the buyout of Tulloch Homes last year, we commenced planning to hand the stands back to the club, and are delighted to be in a position to do so as part of our 90th year celebrations. This will allow us to focus on what we do best in the years ahead – building houses.

“An enormous amount of painstaking work has been undertaken within Tulloch Homes over the past 18 months to enable us to make this offer. We are hopeful that today’s announcement can be quickly formalised, putting the club on a firm financial footing, from which we all expect it will continue to thrive.”

Kenny Cameron said: “Financially, this gesture from Tulloch is an enormous windfall for a club of our size. When George approached me and told me what Tulloch were proposing, I simply couldn’t believe it.

“It is a truly magnificent offer and I am sure I speak for all the fans, players and staff when I say that we are extremely fortunate to have Tulloch as a supporter. It gives us great confidence in our future and will enable us to invest in other aspects of the club.”