Highland Council has iconic Inverness Town House all wrapped up and looking fit to take centre stage.
The curtain came down on the city-centre building yesterday – finally hiding the scaffolding erected to allow a multimillion-pound restoration to be carried out.
The huge drape has already attracted approving glances from tourists and members of the public.
It depicts architectural drawings of the facade of the building, and image of the beautiful grand staircase inside.
The technique is regularly used around the continent when work is ongoing at historic buildings, but it is the first time it has been seen in the Highlands.
The town house wrap was designed by Edinburgh-based graphic designer Andy MacGregor.
The £20,000 cost of the project includes maintenance for the next two years until the refurbishments are completed.
Inverness Town House will be encased in scaffolding as part of a three-year stonework repair project costing £4.2million.
And as there is work going on at another council-owned building and two fire damaged properties in the city centre, there were fears that the heart of the Highland capital would resemble a building site at the height of the tourist season.
Inverness Provost Helen Carmichael said yesterday she was “amazed” by the design, adding: “I love the way they have brought the inside out with the magnificent entrance and stairway.
“It looks like something you would see in the theatre. It is just like a stage set. Not everyone gets the opportunity to come into the town house and to be able to see what is behind the front door is great for residents and visitors.”
Jason Kelman, project manager for the town house refurbishment, said: “I am absolutely delighted because it is such a prominent building in the centre of Inverness. Other major cities have wraps and it’s the first one we have.
“If anything, we are ahead of time. We had to make sure we got it right because it is going to be in place for two years.”
And Inverness South councillor Thomas Prag, was thrilled by the unfurling of the new banner.
He said: “I’ve argued for this kind of thing for many years, that when we work on something, whether it’s a building or something on the riverside, that we make every effort to turn it into an opportunity.
“I’m delighted we’ve done something imaginative. It’s great. It’s a tease. Instead of simply showing a picture of the building we’ve presented something new for locals and visitors alike to look at and smile at.”