Invergordon Town Hall

Invergordon Town Hall stands on the High Street in the small Highland town of Invergordon. Built in 1871 to a design by William Cumming Joass, it is a fine example of Italianate architecture in ashlar stone. The symmetrical frontage faces the street with three bays, the centre one projecting slightly forward. A round-headed doorway with fanlight and keystone sits below a Venetian window on the first floor, topped by a pediment carved with Neptune. Round-headed windows with keystones light the outer bays, while a modillioned cornice and three urns finish the roofline. The building has served many roles since it opened. It began as a venue for concerts and theatre, then became a cinema in 1934 after conversion by Alexander Ross & Son. Later it housed a bingo hall and, in 1969, hosted a packed meeting where British Aluminium’s managing director Ronald Utiger spoke about a proposed smelter. After local government changes in 1975, it passed to Ross and Cromarty District Council, then to the Highland Council in 1996. Inside, the main assembly hall remains the principal room. The building now functions as a community events venue, though its future has been uncertain. Despite efforts by a local group to find new uses, the council decided in 2021 that disposal was the only viable option. Its Italianate façade and carved Neptune still draw attention, marking a century and a half of public life in Invergordon.