Progress on the preparations being made for two projects valued at £3 million for the City of Inverness and Highland regional economy has been welcomed by members of the Highland Council’s city of Inverness area committee.

Members have agreed that a £2m business case be developed for public works in and around Inverness Castle including:

The council hopes to open the Inverness Castle North Tower Viewing Platform by Easter 2016 and aims to invites tenders for works this month June 2016 with a completion date of Spring 2016.

Members also agreed that a £1m business case for a public access Wi-Fi project be developed. A project board will be established and the council will procure consultants to consider different methods of delivering public Wi-Fi access in Inverness for the benefit of the tourism and business investment economies.

Leader of the city of Inverness area, councillor Ian Brown said: “These two major City / Region deal projects are vital for the development of our tourism economy, not just for the Inverness but for the wider Highlands. As the Castle Tower development provides a new attraction that meets the needs of visitors wanting to experience this iconic location; the Wi-Fi project will improve connectivity for visitors planning their experiences in the City and onwards throughout the Highland region.”