A landmark building in the Highland capital has been put on the market in what has been described as one of the biggest property sales in the city for years.
The Midmills Campus at Inverness College UHI could now be transformed into a museum and art gallery, with upmarket homes and a hotel in its grounds.
The historic building is the former home of the city’s oldest school – Inverness Royal Academy – and sits in 4.2 acres of land in the Crown conservation area.
The sellers have suggested the B-listed building, which dates back to 1895, will be preserved, while the more recently-built non-listed extensions would be demolished to pave the way for new development.
But Inverness Civic Society has been left dismayed that it has gone on the market while a feasibility study into possible future uses is still being carried out.
There is no “offers over” price for the site, and the closing date will be around the middle of February.
City provost Alex Graham said last night: “The Midmills building is an important part of Inverness’s heritage, having been the Royal Academy building until the 1970s.
“I would like to see it being used for historical or cultural use, which would be in keeping with the building and good for our local economy.
“It is a fine building and very close to the Eastgate Centre and city centre. It would be a first class venue for a visitor centre or museum of some type.”
Local authority planning chairman, Councillor Thomas Prag, said: “We have been interested in the site for a while and the most likely solution is some kind of mixed use because trying to find something that would occupy the whole site is unlikely.
“There are a number of potential uses but with all of those things it depends on whether we can fund it.
“The main hall inside the building is remarkable and would lend itself to some kind of public use.”
But John West, chairman of Inverness Civic Trust, said he was “disappointed” that the building had gone on sale so soon as feasibility studies were still being worked on.
He added: “There could be a number of uses for it. The old building itself does lend itself to a museum.”
There have been calls for Inverness Castle to be converted from a court building into a museum and art gallery.
And Mr West added: “The castle is an admin centre and all the space is quite dense, whereas with the old school building there are big hallways, large stair cases and high ceilings.
“It may well be the feasibility study suggests going into co-operation with a national museum.”
The Midmills site is for sale because Inverness College is moving into a new £50million building on Inverness Campus at Beechwood.
National property consultancy Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH) and local agent Shepherd Commercial are currently working with the college on marketing the building.
LSH director of planning and development consultancy, John Hill, said: “This is the first of two of the most significant development sites to come to the market in Inverness for many a year, with the Longman Road college site also due to go on the market in the new year.
“The Midmills site represents a unique opportunity for a part-conversion, part-new build residential or mixed use development.
“We have agreed a planning statement with the council and effectively that is suggesting that residential, hotel, civic or public space uses are appropriate for the site.
“The principle is that the listed buildings will be retained but non-listed buildings will get demolished.
“Highland Council has a preference to see a mixed use development, and a planning and design guidance document has been prepared in consultation with the local authority.”