Viewhill House, 1, Old Edinburgh Road, Inverness

5-bay villa with Jacobean detailing. Painted harled with painted margins. Raised basement; base course; chamfered reveals; strip quoins; stone finials to apex of gables to W.

The former Inverness Youth Hostel was originally built by Joseph Mitchell (1803-1883) for himself. Mitchell was a civil engineer involved in many important projects in Inverness and throughout the Highlands. He worked on Thomas Telford's transport improvements in the Highlands, he was also involved in the Caledonian Canal and was Chief Inspector and Superintendent of Highland Roads and Bridges from 1824, following the death of his farther (who held the post before him).

Mitchell made a significant contribution to Inverness itself, he planned much of the first sewerage system, paved many of the streets with Caithness flags, and was also involved in the extraction of the first water supply from the River Ness.

Viewhill, which was Mitchell's home after he married, is an important survival. Of particular note are the corbelled gablehead stacks, stone finials and gateways set in the boundary walls. The interior is said to include a fine ceiling bearing coats of arms. (Historic Scotland)

Autumn 1998: The house closes following the opening of a new youth hostel. Autumn 2000: Consent to demolish is sought. January 2001: The building is brought to the attention of the Buildings at Risk Service by local residents campaining for its future. February 2001: The building is B-listed 16 March 2001: The Inverness Courier carries a letter on the campaign to save the building from demolition. 27 April 2001: The Inverness Courier reports that members of the Highland Homeless at Christmas Trust have visited the property to consider turning it into a drop-in homeless centre. McCarthy and Stone are seeking to demolish in order to develop the cleared site for retirement flats. The building is subsequently sold to Ewen Gillies Builders. 20 February 2004: The Inverness Courier reports that local builders Ewen Gillies have put forward an application to convert the builidng into 10 flats. Planning Permission is subsequently granted, but the application goes to a Public Inquiry following objections from Historic Scotland. 21 February 2004: The Highland News repeats the story. 30 March 2004: The Inverness Courier reports on the Public Inquiry. 2 April 2004: The Inverness Courier reports on the evidence given at the Public Inquiry. Historic Scotland believes that the current plans would have a detrimental effect on the building. September 2004: Historic Scotland reports that the Scottish Ministers have refused consent. 13 May 2005: The Inverness Courier reports that the building has been identified as a priority for the new Inverness City Heritage Trust. 24 January 2006: it is understood that Emergency repair works are to be carried out by the local authority to attempt to halt further deterioration of the builidng. 27 January 2006: Inverness Courier reports that the owners of Viewhill refute that they are not willing to carry out repair works on the house and that they were commited to saving the house. May 2006: Inverness courier reports that the works are required to be carried out to secure the roof before any other repair works can be progressed. 21 September 2007: BBC News website reports that a fire in Viewhill broke out 20 September. 16 November 2007: The Inverness Courier reports that the owner of Viewhill House is understood to be considering seeking permission to demolish the property following the fire in September.

August 2009: The Inverness Courier reports on the Inverness Civic Trust‘s campaign to save and restore the house and notes that a council meeting is taking place next week to decide upon the demolition application. Appl. Ref: 08/00789/LBCIN.

October 2009: The Inverness Courier reports that an investigation into the serious fire which led to the decision to demolish the building is still being investigated. Historic Scotland are still to take a decision about whether to call the application in.

13 October 2009: The BBC reports that the council have voted to demolish the building.

16 October 2009: The Inverness Courier reports that the Northern Constabulary's case on the building's fire damage will remain open.

20 October 2009: The Inverness Courier reports on buildings at risk in the Inverness area.

Elsewhere in the issue, the Inverness Courier comments on the wider safeguarding of historic buildings in light of the recent Viewhill House experience.

20 November 2009: The Inverness Courier reports that although councillors decided to recommend the demolition of the property, the final decision lies with Historic Scotland.

December 2009: Inverness Courier reports detailed structural reports have been submitted to Historic Scotland for a decision on the demolition application. Inverness Civic Trust continue to contest the demolition and have submitted its own report to Historic Scotland.

15 January 2010: Inverness Courier reports that an independent engineer is to report upon the feasibility of restoration of the building.

11 June 2010: The Inverness Courier reports that following an eight month survey conducted by an independent expert, Historic Scotland has concluded that the building should be restored rather than demolished. Historic Scotland has written to Highland Council to this effect and suggesting that the property be marketed at a price reflecting its condition.

15 June 2010: Inverness Courier reports that Highland Building Preservation Trust are keen to play a role in securing the future of Viewhill. Historic Scotland concluded that the house is capable of restoration, and owner Magnus Properties (now in receivership) is reported to have stated a willingness to reliquish ownership. HBPT previously wished to complete a feasibility study on Viewhill five years ago.

3 December 2010: The Inverness Courier reports that the application to demolish the building is expected to be called in for Scottish Ministers to review.

November 2011: External inspection finds the building's roof has been removed. Scaffolding is in place around Viewhill. The listed building consent for demolition of the property was called in by Scottish Ministers and refused in Nov 2011 ref: 08/00789/LBCIN.

13 September 2012: Local planners report they have tried to contact the current owner of Viewhill to discuss ways forward for the building but have had no response to date.

6 August 2013: HBPT advise they confirmed an expression of interest in Viewhill to the owner Magnus Properties(Inverness) Ltd in May 2011. HBPT received an offer of grant of £10,000 from the Architectural Heritage Fund on 20 June 2012 towards the cost of an Options Appraisal. An application for grant support funding from Inverness City Heritage Trust was initially considered in November 2012; decision subsequently deferred; received an offer of on 3 June 2013. HBPT submitted application for grant from Inverness Common Good Fund for support funding initially considered in May 2011; decision subsequently deferred on two occasions; decision still awaited - meeting of ICGF on 12 August 2013. HBPT met owner on 24 June 2013 to agree Terms of Agreement. A design team is ready to carry out Options Appraisal when funding is secured.

31 October 2013: External inspection finds the building remains a fire-damaged roofless shell. Condition moved to Ruinous.

29 January 2014: The Inverness Courier reports an inhibition order has been placed on Viewhill House, preventing it from being sold until a dispute between its former and current owners is settled as part of a court action by former owners, Ewen Gillies Builders.

6 November 2014: The Inverness Courier reports (2/11/2014) on a proposal to restore and convert the property into 8 serviced apartments, with a permanent exhibition on the work of engineer Joseph Mitchell within the entrance hall, by Highland Historic Buildings Trust. The Trust HHBT commissioned an appraisal (funded through the AHF, Inverness Common Good Fund and Inverness City Heritage Trust) which identified how the shell of the building could be restored carried out by conservation architect Leslie Hunter and conservation engineer David Narro. The appraisal identified six potential schemes which were published for public comment, of which, the serviced apartment scheme is to be pursued. The Trust is seeking development funding to develop the proposal further.

9 November 2015: Highland Historic Buildings Trust issue a press release outlining their intention to secure funding for the building's conversion into apartments.

23 December 2015: Highland Historic Buildings Trust remains committed to the restoration of Viewhill House and propose to seek funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund's Heritage Enterprise programme towards conversion to serviced apartments. HHBT is exploring the potential to incorporate a permanent exhibition on the works of civil engineer Joseph Mitchell: his work alongside Thomas Telford on the Caledonian Canal and his many works across the wider Highland area on water supply schemes, road building and the railway network. The first round of HE applications is due for decision by the HLF in March 2016.

1 September 2017: A member of the public advises the fire-damaged structure continues to deteriorate. There is ongoing loss of masonry and saplings have established inside the building.

11 August 2019: Highland Historic Buildings Trust update BARR to note they have been in discussion with an Inverness-based Community Interest Company that operates a co-working space in Castle Street Inverness, and delivers contracts that support the start-up and growth of social enterprises in the Highlands and Islands and beyond, to explore potential conversion of the property into serviced offices. The revised proposals would include a feature devoted to the life and achievements of Joseph Mitchell. An earlier initiative to attract an operator to restore Viewhill House as eight serviced apartments has been unsuccessful.
The owners of Viewhill House have given their permission to allow access to the site to clear vegetation to facilitate preliminary investigations by a surveyor and a structural engineer and to produce architect’s sketches.

8 June 2021: Fire damaged shell, partially scaffolded in fenced overgrown grounds. Inaccessible at time of visit.

20 February 2023: Inverness Courier on 16/2/2023 reports on the continuing derelict nature of the building.