Highland Cinema

Previously, the site housed the Cameron Centre, which included the Tourist Information Centre and a two-screen cinema. Historically, the Town Hall occupied this location until a fire destroyed it in 1975. The project aimed to build a modern two-screen cinema and create a new community meeting space.

The building uses a steel frame and sits back into the hillside behind the site. A reinforced concrete retaining wall supports the structure. The larger cinema is located at the rear, within the retaining wall. Meanwhile, the smaller cinema sits in the middle of the building. Both cinemas are fully soundproofed and feature state-of-the-art digital projection and sound systems. Vertically braced bays provide structural stability. The intermediate floors near Cinema 2, including toilets and plant rooms, use metal decking topped with concrete.

Café Bar and Construction Highlights

The new Café Bar also uses a steel frame to create a vaulted interior. Locally sourced Douglas Fir timber lines the underside of the roof, adding a warm Highland character. A new steel and glass terrace at the front allows outdoor seating, even in wet weather. One major challenge was setting the building far enough into the hillside to fit the required cinema sizes. Additionally, the team had to reroute existing surface water culverts behind the building. These now run through Cameron Square to the Local Authority’s surface water drain.