The opening of a highly anticipated new visitor attraction has been delayed again – and will now not welcome its first visitors until Easter next year.
Further stonework repairs mean that the North Tower at Inverness Castle will not be handed back from the contractor until December.
The council had initially been aiming to have the new facility open by Easter this year, ahead of the Highland capital’s busy tourist season.
But now it will not open to the public until Easter 2017 after final preparations are made by High Life Highland.
The authority said the latest extension was in order to repair significantly eroded stonework which had been identified over the course of the project.
The latest delay was met with weary acceptance as the tourist boom had already been missed for the year.
Inverness Central councillor Richard Laird said: “Given that the project has already been pushed back and was going to miss the tourist season anyway then I would grudgingly accept that the fact that’s being pushed back a little further.
“It is interesting that this has only been discovered now given the amount of time this work has been going on and the preparatory work.
“Delaying the opening beyond the start of the tourist season was much more of a frustration for me.”
The project will eventually deliver viewing platforms with stunning views overlooking the city, down the Great Glen and towards the Black Isle.
Council project manager Jason Kelman said: “It is important that these repairs are carried out during the current building project. If we left the repairs to a later date, it would mean putting scaffolding back in place and it would cost more. The project is being carried out with every effort to minimise any disruption to visitors.
“Following completion and handover by the contractors, there will be a ‘fit-out’ period in the first weeks of the new year to get the Tower ready to receive its first visitors. The North Tower will be managed by High Life Highland who aim to open the attraction to visitors by Easter.”
The council, Inverness Common Good Fund and Highlands and Islands Enterprise have all contributed to the cost of the project, which includes new access, a shop, a stairway to the roof and viewing platform.
City Region Deal money was also made available to improve the approaches to the North Tower and Castle, with an upgrade of Castle Wynd.