HIGHLANDS and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has been granted planning permission in principle to progress the second, and final, phase of the development of Inverness Campus.
The Inverness Campus site extends 215 acres, 89 of which have been developed. Of the remaining 116 acres, 27 are included in the Inverness and Cromarty Green Freeport, allowing eligible companies locating there to benefit from a range of tax incentives.
HIE has been developing Inverness Campus since 2007 with construction starting in 2013. The agency’s initial £25 million funding approval for the project has attracted more than £180 million of further investment. The campus now supports around 1,000 jobs across public, private and academic sectors.
Since opening in 2015, the campus has grown into a recognised business location and is now home to around 20 commercial enterprises – with more in the pipeline – as well as organisations such as UHI Inverness, SRUC, NHS Highland, and HIE itself.
An updated masterplan for the remaining undeveloped area of the site was drafted by Turnberry on HIE’s behalf and based on the vision set out in the original design concept. This was followed by public consultation in January and February 2025 to give local people the opportunity to help finalise the masterplan. HIE submitted the application for planning permission in principle in May.
David Oxley, HIE’s director of strategic projects, said, “We’re very pleased to have secured planning consent in principle for the next phase of development at Inverness Campus. We’re now in the process of finalising the Section 75 Agreement to enable work to get under way.
“Meanwhile, we’d like to thank everyone who took the time to examine the draft masterplan and provide feedback during the consultation early this year. This was extremely helpful in informing the planning application.”
