Historic Highland fortress damaged by vandals

Plans to improve visitor access at Old Inverlochy Castle near Fort William could be affected by vandalism at the historic site.

The ruins of the medieval fortress are currently closed to the public while safety inspections and conservation work is being carried out.

But Police Scotland said security fencing had been breached on at least two different occasions over the past month and the castle walls had been damaged.

Historic Environment Scotland (HES) said it was investigating the extent of the vandalism and the potential impact on its plans to improve visitor access.

Inverlochy Castle was built in the 12th Century by the powerful Comyn family to dominate the southern part of the Great Glen.

The curtain walled fortress was captured and burned by King Robert the Bruce as he consolidated his control over Scotland.

Its well preserved ruins have remained largely unchanged since then.

However, there has been no public access due to safety concerns about the stability of some masonry.

Police Scotland said on at least two occasions between 5-14 May and 19-25 May, the fencing surrounding the castle was damaged and breached and part of the castle walls was damaged.

The force said: "This site is currently sealed off to the public due to the building being unsafe, therefore gaining entry poses a risk to members of the public and should be avoided at all costs."

Officers have appealed for any witnesses or information that could assist with their investigation.

HES said heritage crime was a serious matter and could cause significant damage to historic sites.

A spokesperson said: "Despite currently being closed due to ongoing conservation work, Inverlochy Castle has been subject to recent incidents of vandalism."

They said repairing damage caused by vandals would divert "important resources" away from essential conservation and maintenance already planned at the castle.

The spokesperson added: "Conservation work has been ongoing at the castle, and last year we carried out significant masonry repairs to the south-east wall and entrance arch and installed soft-capping to the wallheads.

"Further work was programmed for this summer with the aim of improving visitor access at the site, but the feasibility of these works will now be determined by the level of damage caused by the vandalism and any required repairs."