The original Inverness Museum opened in 1881 and began to develop as a Highland and Jacobite collection.
One of the important early additions was a group of historic Stuart portraits donated by the family of Prince Frederick Duleep Singh, including a portrait of Prince Charles Edward Stuart attributed to Pompeo Batoni and a Cromwell that Prince Freddy hung upside down.
The Castle Wynd/Bridge Street area of Inverness was cleared for re-development in 1963 and the current complex was built.
Since 1963 there have been a two major redevelopments to improve the museum: the first in 1982 to incorporate a café, new permanent galleries and temporary exhibition/art galleries, and again in 2006 it was closed for six months to allow a £1.3m makeover, with the re-design completed in time for Highland 2007.
On the ground floor you will find Scottish geology and natural history as well as the archaeology of the Highlands including Pictish stones.