Repair and Conservation of the Bishop's Palace

Repair and Conservation of the Bishop's Palace

The main hallway of the Bishop's Palace following renovation
The main hallway of the Bishop's Palace following renovation

Heritage Grants

Inverness West
Highland
Eden Court Theatre and Cinema
£856800
Eden Court Theatre led on this project to repair and conserve the historic fabric of the Bishop’s Palace in Inverness, Scotland.

The Bishop’s Palace was built in 1878 for Robert Eden, the first Bishop of Moray, Ross and Caithness. In 1968 the building was sold to Inverness Town Council, and became supporting accommodation for the new Eden Court Theatre.

This project focused on:

  • repairing and conserving the historic fabric of the Bishop’s Palace
  • reversing previous alterations which compromised the building’s architectural integrity
  • enhancing public access to the most significant areas of the Palace

There was also emphasis on the historic context of the Bishop’s Palace in Inverness, as well as the history of theatre in the Highlands that led to the creation of Eden Court.

Since the refurbishment, the Palace has been used for events, conferences and educational activities. In 2016, 1,255 events had taken place in the building.

Staff have also collected stories from former residents of the Palace, and training courses in the expressive arts are delivered on a weekly basis. There is a film-making studio in the Palace, and new interactive displays and panels which encourage visitors to spend time in the Palace and learn more about its historical context.