Inverness Castle, Scotland

All projectsInverness Castle, Scotland

REIMAGINED IN LIGHT

Perched proudly on its commanding hilltop, Inverness Castle has watched over the Highland capital for nearly a millennium. A fortress has stood on this ancient promontory since 1057, though the striking red-sandstone structure we admire today dates back to 1836. Over the centuries, the stronghold has endured turbulent times: besieged, sacked, razed and rebuilt time and again. Its stones bear witness to the great tides of Scottish history, its story intertwined with figures such as Robert the Bruce, Mary, Queen of Scots, and Bonnie Prince Charlie. Long a symbol of authority in the Highlands, the castle has served as both a prison and a courthouse and today stands as one of Inverness’s most cherished landmarks.

Following an extensive transformation, the all-new Inverness Castle Experience is soon to be inaugurated, offering visitors an inspiring new way to connect with the spirit and soul of the Highlands. The castle’s major redevelopment has reimagined this historic site as a world-class attraction for both locals and visitors, where tales gathered from across the region bring to life the unique character of the Highlands.

Year

2025

Location

Inverness, Scotland

Lighting design

EFLA Kevan Shaw Lighting Design

Project partner

Studiotech UK

Implementation

ANM Electrical

After a series of night-time mock-ups in which various colour schemes were explored ahead of the attraction’s debut, Inverness Castle was finally unveiled under a captivating new light. The transformation is remarkable revealing the castle shining above the city as a refined, warm, and radiant landmark.

This lighting installation forms part of the broader redevelopment of the site into a major visitors’ destination. EFLA KSLD (Kevan Shaw Lighting Design) crafted the lighting scheme with a clear intention: to use light as a tool to articulate the castle’s architectural composition, integrate it naturally into the surrounding environment, and enrich the visitor’s sense of arrival and progression.

Mindful of the site’s historical value and its prominence within the landscape, the KSLD designers focused on accentuating the castle’s architectural character rather than overwhelming it. Their approach aimed to emphasise the horizontal lines that visually root the structure to its hilltop setting, lending the castle a renewed sense of presence and distinction.

Taking the spotlight, the many windows that define the castle’s volume were imagined in a fixed warm white - almost golden - lending the entire structure a refined, luminous presence. A total of 159 EKLIPSE units in 2500K white light with elliptical optics were installed on the sill of each window to perfectly highlight their full round-arch shape with refined, subtle illumination. 62 Ruby R RGBW units along with 24 Parade L Recessed RGBW modules in various lengths, delivered in the Polar Edition and featuring an anti-slip treatment, define the overall illumination of the exterior parts of the castle with soft wall grazing accents. To complete the lighting scheme, a total of 94 Jupiter RGBW units, equipped with different optics, visors, and supplied in the ice-proof Polar Edition, contribute to the general lighting of the inner courtyards and outer walls with a variety of lighting effects.

According to the specific project requirements, all exposed lighting fixtures had to withstand the harsh weather conditions of this northern region and were therefore proposed in our Polar Edition. Featuring an integrated de-icing system with electrically heated glass, which ensures complete functionality even in the most severe cold-weather conditions, these luminaires guarantee reliable operation down to –40°C (–40°F), even in cases of heavy snow or ice formation.

For day-to-day scenarios, all luminaires operate in their intrinsic white light, without the activation of RGB components. For special occasions, a dedicated scene is programmed so that all colour-capable volumes of the ensemble uniformly reflect a single, specific hue. This approach ensures a unified and coherent appearance across the entire composition, allowing the whole ensemble to function as a cohesive, singular canvas.

This intelligent lighting scheme gently reveals the castle’s defining features—its towers, walls, and sculpted window frames—without ever overpowering them. Fine linear accents outline the silhouette, creating a sophisticated dialogue between softly washed surfaces and the depth of shadowed recesses. Bathed in gentle light, enriched with stories old and new, and framed by the wild beauty of the Scottish Highlands, Inverness Castle stands ready to welcome a new era of discovery—its spirit ancient, its vision unmistakably modern.

Credits:
Lighting design: EFLA KSLD (Kevan Shaw Lighting Design)
Lighting control system: Studiotech
Product installation: ANM Electrical

Installed products:
159 x EKLIPSE 2500K WHITE LIGHT elliptical optics
39 x JUPITER RGB+W2500K, elliptical wide optics (horizontal), Polar Edition with snoot
14 x JUPITER RGBW RGB+W 3000K, spot optics, Polar Edition, with visor
8 x JUPITER RGB+W 2500K, wall wash optics, Polar Edition, with visor and fixing brackets
33 x JUPITER RGB+W 4000K, wall wash optics, Polar Edition, with visor and fixing brackets
17 x RUBY R RGB+W 4000K, spot optics, Polar Edition, anti-slip treatment
42 x RUBY R RGB+W 3000K, wall wash optics, Polar Edition, anti-slip treatment
3 x RUBY R RGB+W 2500K, wall wash optics, Polar Edition, anti-slip treatment
5 x PARADE L3 RECESSED RGB+W 3000K, spot optics, Polar Edition, anti-slip treatment
4 x PARADE L3 RECESSED RGB+W 3000K, elliptical optics, Polar Edition, anti-slip treatment
12 x PARADE L3 RECESSED RGB+W 3000K, wall wash optics, Polar Edition, anti-slip treatment
3 x PARADE L4 RECESSED RGB+W 3000K, elliptical optics, Polar Edition, anti-slip treatment
2 x PARADE L3 RGBW, narrow optics, Polar Edition, with visor and fixing brackets