[1][2] However, as the number of court cases in Inverness grew, it became necessary to commission a modern courthouse for criminal matters.

The site selected by the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service had previously been occupied by a bus depot on Longman Road,[3] which had once been fronted by a row of terraced houses.

[4] The new building was designed by Reiach and Hall Architects in the Moderist style, built by Robertson Group with support from Willmott Dixon in concrete and glass at a cost of £24 million[5] and was officially opened on 30 March 2020.

[6][7][8] The design involved an asymmetrical main frontage facing north towards Harbour Road.

[11] Notable court cases have included the trial and conviction of William MacDowell, in September 2022, for the murder of his lover, Renee MacRae, and their son, Andrew MacRae, in 1976: the case was heard by the High Court of Justiciary sitting in the Inverness Justice Centre.