Urquhart Castle, the famous ruin on the banks of Loch Ness, will be one of the first ticketed attractions to reopen in Scotland next month.
Hundreds of Historic Environment Scotland (HES) properties are preparing to welcome back visitors as Covid-19 restrictions begin to ease.
Three of the country’s most prized assets will be unlocked on Saturday, August 1.
Along with Edinburgh Castle and Stirling Castle, the grounds of the popular north landmark will be available for people to explore.
There will also be access to a selection of interior spaces, where social distancing can be easily maintained.
Officials are hopeful further internal areas will be opened to visitors by the end of next month in line with government guidelines.
In total, 26 historic sites will reopen during August and September.
Landmarks including Dunstaffnage Castle near Oban, Elgin Cathedral, Fort George, Huntly Castle and Skara Brae in Orkney are among the other attractions poised to reopen for business.
The announcement forms part of a phased return being adopted by the conservation charity, with the grounds of more than 200 unstaffed properties across the country due to reopened from tomorrow.
Alex Paterson, chief executive of HES, said: “At the forefront of our planning is the safety of our staff and visitors, whilst being able to reopen for the tourist season by gradually enabling safe access to our properties and facilities in line with Scottish Government guidance.
“We’ve been working exceptionally hard to ensure our properties will be accessible and ready to welcome visitors, however, it’s important that we implement our resumption plans at the right time given the different requirements for each site.”
The charity, which operates more than 300 heritage sites including 70 staffed attractions, is looking ahead to reopening 70% of its free to access and ticketed properties by mid-September.
The phased approach adopted by the charity has taken into consideration the regional picture to ensure that, as much as possible, HES’s reopening plans appropriately consider the circumstances in the local area.
Mr Paterson added: “We’re very much looking forward to welcoming visitors back to our sites. There will of course be some initial changes including managing visitor numbers at certain sites, as well as restricting access to specific locations, but we can assure visitors of a warm welcome as always.”
