Building record MHG52964 - Members Pavilion and Grandstand and boundary walls, Northern Meeting Park, Ardross Street

A two storey, 13 bay, rectangular 1000 seat grandstand situated within the Northern Meeting Park. The pavilion is a fine example of a little-altered mid 19th-century covered grandstand, and it may be the earliest and best surviving example in Scotland. It is particularly notable for the domestic appearance of the street elevation, the detailing of the park elevation and the retention of the historic wooden benches.
The pavilion and high boundary wall were erected in 1864-5 following the purchase of land for the park by The Northern Meeting as the home for their annual highland games. The Northern Meeting was established in 1788 to encourage reconciliation in the aftermath of the battle of Culloden. The park was sold to Inverness Town Council in 1946. Full architectural details can be found in Historic Scotland's listed building report. <1>

Gerry Reynolds, Event and Promotions Officer for the Highland Council and Secretary to the City of Inverness Highland Games, contacted the HER about this record in July 2011. He advises that the boundary wall was completed by September 1864 in time for the Games that year (source Angus Fairire's book "The Northern Meeting"). He also points out that the Northern Meeting Park is the world's first and therefore oldest Highland Games Stadium. There was formerly a grandstand at the western end of the park which was sold to Inverness Thistle FC in 1946/7 (see MHG55048). Several photographs were also submitted for the records. <2>