Shops' trade affected by Inverness city centre fire

Shopkeepers in a part of Inverness city centre affected by a blaze four months ago say their businesses continue to be badly affected by the incident.

A building in Academy Street was severely damaged by the fire in April.

Restrictions on traffic flow and large amounts of scaffolding remain in place at the site.

Highland Council said it, along with partner agencies and the owners of the building, have "worked tirelessly" to resume normal services in the area.

But Sharon Paterson, who owns owns Needles and Pins wool shop on Strothers Lane, said traders on and around Academy Street had been hit hard.

She said: "We have lost a lot of custom because nobody wants to come.

"We have lost all the holidaymakers because their buses that would park out there don't do that now.

"We usually have five to six orders a month. Now we are lucky if I am doing one at the moment."

Stewart Nicol, of Inverness Chamber of Commerce, said it was taking too long to fully reopen Academy Street to two-way traffic.

He said: "The fire was in April and we are now four months down the road and we understand that it is going to be another couple of months before anything happens.

"It is the kind of message we don't want to be putting out about the city centre."

Mr Nicol said efforts were being made to reduce the amount of scaffolding and reopen the road, but this was taking longer than businesses had hoped for.

David Haas, Inverness city manager at Highland Council, said the damage caused to the building involved had posed a challenge.

He said: "The council, its partners and the owners of the building have worked tirelessly to make sure this structure, that was devastated by fire, is going to restored as quickly as it can.

"I really don't see how the agencies or the owners of the building could have moved any faster than they have."