Inverness city centre will not be hosting a fan zone for the upcoming European Championships.
There was considerable interest in the possibility of Falcon Square being used as a place for fans to gather to watch Scotland’s Euro 2024 matches.
Discussions between Highland Council, the Eastgate Shopping Centre and others took place to try to get the plan off the ground.
But the logistics of putting together a large-scale outdoor event in a public space at short notice have ultimately proved too difficult to overcome.
Should Scotland make a habit of this qualifying for major tournaments malarkey, it’s likely that the proposal will be revisited.
Eastgate Centre manager Chris Kershaw said: “We had a lot that needed to be achieved to get it in place and it just wasn’t viable in the timeframe we had.
“With more time, it would have been achievable. We will be sure to look into it for future events.”
Inverness Ice Centre fan zone
Fortunately, Scotland fans looking for a space in Inverness to gather and enjoy a few drinks will not have to go far.
The Inverness Ice Centre will be hosting the Highland Eurozone, a ticketed event with a capacity of up to 700 people.
There will be a bar, street food vendors and entertainment. And it will also be family-friendly.
Being held indoors also removes the risk of the party being spoiled by traditional Scottish summer weather.
The centre is going ice-free for three months for the second year in a row.
The decision was made to combat a huge spike in energy costs from keeping the ice in place.
And in the meantime, the space can be used for other events. That will help fund the on-ice activities throughout the rest of the year.
Earlier this year, ice centre CEO Gordon Barron said of the upcoming: “We don’t have the climate to be outside. We decided the best way for it to be successful was what we’re planning to do.
“Early indications are in all the conversations that there should be the demand for it.”
Scotland and Germany will kick off Euro 2024 on June 14 in Munich.
Last week, Highland fans were told that match tickets and flights from Inverness are still available.
Scotland’s second match will be against Switzerland on June 19 in Cologne.
The Tartan Army’s group stages concludes with a match against Hungary on June 23 in Stuttgart.
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