Highland Council will reintroduce off-street parking charges next week as more shops and businesses return to work.
Following the freezing of some charges during lockdown, the council has been phasing in a return to normal operations.
From Monday, the authority will re-introduce payment at all existing off-street car parks including the Inverness multi-storey.
All contract parking schemes will be re-introduced from July 31 and parking permit renewals will be available from August 3 online.
A council spokeswoman said: “We would like to thank drivers for their assistance and understanding as our services are re-introduced. As streets get busier we need to maintain access to businesses and services for all.”
The council is also putting in place a temporary one-way system around Inverness Castle from next week.
The authority has advised residents and businesses of the changes which are aimed at creating more space for walkers, cyclists and wheelchair users.
The Spaces for People initiative will mean widened shared spaces so that people queuing to enter shops and moving around the city centre can do so safely whilst following physical distancing guidance.
The council received almost £2 million from the Scottish Government to implement rapid active travel improvements across the Highlands.
As the focus moves to the recovery phase from the pandemic, measures such as temporary bike lanes, speed reductions and footpath widening are being introduced.
The council says feedback on its active travel consultation shows 64% of comments supporting the moves, with 22% opposed and 13% neither supporting nor opposed.
The clockwise one-way system around the castle was devised following recommendations by the Inverness Business Improvement District and Stagecoach.
The council’s head of infrastructure, Colin Howell, said: “These interventions are a response to the Covid emergency and we expect will help to create a much safer environment as shops and other city centre businesses reopen.
“We want to emphasise that they are temporary, up to a maximum period of 18 months. If necessary, we can amend them at any stage which is why it is important people still continue to feed their views and comments to us via our consultation portal.”
