Investment Opportunities

A selection of Key Projects which seek to create job opportunities, improve connectivity and drive innovation across the Highland region

Earba Storage pumped storage hydro scheme

Description:

The Earba Storage project is a proposed pumped storage hydro (‘PSH’) scheme with an installed capacity of up to 1,800MW. The Earba project will be the largest such scheme in the UK in terms of energy stored.

Investment Type:

Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) Cap & Floor.

Landowner:

Ardverikie Estate.

Location:

Loch Earba, Newtonmore.

Project Value:

£2.7 billion

Size:

40GWh

Status:

Ongoing.

Timescales:

Construction 6 years, operational life 100 years+.

Inverness Campus

Description:

A strategic innovation hub in the Highlands, fostering growth in life sciences, technology, and advanced manufacturing through world-class research facilities, academic collaboration, and over £200 million investment, supporting more than 1,200 skilled jobs and driving regional economic development.

Investment Type:

Technology, life sciences, renewables, advanced manufacturing and light engineering.

Landowner:

Highlands & Islands Enterprise

Location:

Inverness - Inverness tax site

Size:

10.9ha of space for development within tax site

Timescales:

Immediate

Sutherland Space Hub

Description:

Its location makes it the ideal place to launch small satellites into orbit and being the only spaceport in the world to be designed to be carbon neutral in terms of construction and operation, it’s the perfect partner for the world’s most environmentally friendly space rocket.

Investment Type:

Manufacturing, launch, data opportunities

Landowner:

TBC

Location:

A’Mhoine peninsula, on the north coast of Scotland

Project Value:

£TBC

Status:

Planning permission. Funding package progressing

Timescales:

Immediate investment opportunities

Loch na Cathrach pumped hydro scheme

Description:

Major pumped storage hydro scheme at Loch Ness with storage capacity of approximately 4,000MWh and an installed power generation capacity of 500MW. Developer: Statkraft

Investment Type:

Capital

Location:

Dores, Loch Ness

Project Value:

to be confirmed

Size:

500 MW

Status:

In development

Timescales:

Operational by early 2030s.

Coire Glas pumped hydro scheme

Description:

Proposed pumped hydro storage scheme with potential capacity of up to 1300MW. It is the first large-scale pumped storage project to be developed in the UK for more than 40 years and would more than double Great Britain’s existing electricity storage capacity. Coire Glas is a ‘shovel-ready’ Pumped Storage Hydro project in the UK – and has completed extensive and award-winning ground investigation work to derisk construction, it has planning approval, and has the majority of pre-commencement planning conditions met. Developer: SSE Renewables

Investment Type:

Renewable energy - capital Investment

Location:

Loch Lochy, Lochaber

Project Value:

over £2 billion

Size:

up to 1300MW

Status:

Ongoing

Timescales:

Short term

Kishorn Port

Description:

With one of Europe’s largest dry docks, it provides services for decommissioning, oil & gas, floating offshore wind, drilling rig life extensions and upgrades, and renewables. Facilities for the manufacture and assembly of floating offshore wind structures, with the help of its onsite quarry and concrete batching plant.

Investment Type:

Energy – manufacturing and assembly

Landowner:

Kishorn Port Ltd

Location:

Loch Kishorn, Wester Ross

Project Value:

£43m, with a Phase 1b of £38m and Phase 2 £149m

Size:

55 ha site

Status:

Ongoing

Timescales:

Planned completion by 2030; Phase 1a-2026, Phase 1b – 2028, Phase 2 – 2030

Inverness & Cromarty Firth Green Freeport

Description:

Home to one of the UK’s most ambitious Green Freeports, the Inverness and Cromarty Firth region is transforming into a powerhouse for sustainable industry. With an extensive package of business incentives, deep-water access, and proximity to major offshore wind developments, it is poised to become Europe’s foremost hub for renewable energy innovation and green manufacturing.

Investment Type:

Wide range of inward and capital investment opportunities

Landowner:

Port of Cromarty Firth (Trust Port) and Port of Inverness (Trust Port)

Location:

Cromarty Firth Tax Site (Port of Nigg, Port of Cromarty Firth & Highland Deephaven). Inverness Tax Site (Port of Inverness, Longman Site, Inverness Campus). Ardersier Tax Site (Ardersier Energy Transition Facility).

Project Value:

£6.5bn over 25 years

Size:

520 ha of tax site land available

Status:

Operational

Timescales:

Immediate to long term

MeyGen

Description:

MeyGen site is a data centre development scheme promoted by Simec Atlantis Energy Ltd (SAE) and being developed to utilise more reliable, predictable power from tidal generation

Investment Type:

Renewable energy, data centre

Landowner:

Simec Atlantis Energy Ltd (SAE)

Location:

20+ ha of land on the north coast, Caithness

Status:

Currently a greenfield site

Timescales:

Short term

Dounreay

Description:

Nuclear power plant currently being decommissioned. Offers abundant clean and green power options with subsea cable links to Farice (providing a direct connection to London) and potentially AE-5 in the future

Investment Type:

Energy, data centre

Landowner:

Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA)

Location:

148 ha of land on the north coast, Caithness

Timescales:

Short term

Inverness ‘Castlehill’

Description:

The Inverness Castle Experience is a new visitor attraction in the centre of Inverness, celebrating the 'spirit of the Highlands' through its stories of past, present and future. The existing castle buildings and esplanade gardens are being transformed from their original use as the home of Inverness’ prison and courts into a celebration of what makes the Highlands of Scotland a special place to live, work and visit. The project will be a phased process with city centre redevelopment up to 15,000m2 planned.

Investment Type:

Tourism, hotel, leisure, distillery, retail

Landowner:

Highland Council

Location:

Inverness City Centre

Project Value:

£45 million to date

Status:

Approved masterplan for area

Timescales:

Phase 1 complete (town house and Castle Wynd). Phase two (Inverness Castle) completed in late 2025. Two future phases, timescales TBC

Ardersier Energy Transition Facility

Description:

The UK’s largest brownfield port is being redeveloped into Scotland’s largest offshore wind development facility on the North Sea coast, capable of hosting and supporting gigawatt-scale projects.

Investment Type:

Offshore wind and other green sectors

Landowner:

Haventus / Ardersier Port Limited

Location:

Moray Firth, Inverness-shire - Ardersier Tax Site

Size:

153ha and >650m of quayside with a further 1 kilometre of quay development planned

Status:

Site scheduled to be operational end 2025

Timescales:

Immediate

Port of Inverness

Description:

A sheltered natural deep-water harbour providing renewable energy companies heavy load assembly and extensive storage areas with quayside access.

Investment Type:

Onshore wind

Landowner:

Port of Inverness (Trust Port)

Location:

Inverness - Inverness tax site

Size:

30ha and 640m planned quayside

Timescales:

Immediate

Port of Cromarty Firth

Description:

A strategic hub for offshore wind – combining proven infrastructure, prime location, and decades of energy expertise to support large-scale deployment and long-term growth.

Investment Type:

Offshore wind

Landowner:

Trust Port

Location:

Cromarty Firth, Easter Ross

Size:

12ha laydown area and 372m of quayside.

Status:

Immediate

Timescales:

Immediate

Highland Deephaven

Description:

Industrial estate with large areas of brownfield land pre-approved for industrial development and substantial on-site infrastructure, including an existing causeway.

Investment Type:

Manufacturing, research and operational facilities for the growing renewables industry.

Landowner:

Highland Deephaven Ltd.

Location:

Cromarty Firth, Easter Ross

Size:

50ha brownfield site approved for development.

Status:

Allocated for commercial development

Timescales:

Immediate

Fearn Airfield and surrounds

Description:

Former RAF airfield with agricultural buildings on part of the site

Investment Type:

Renewable energy, data centre, commercial

Landowner:

Local landowner

Location:

Easter Ross

Size:

315 ha

Timescales:

Short term

Port of Nigg

Description:

UK’s leading marshalling port for offshore wind with the largest drydock in Europe, in-house services and accommodation and subsea cable manufacturing facilities being in operation on site from 2026.

Investment Type:

Offshore wind and cabling manufacturing.

Landowner:

Mitsui & Co. Europe Ltd, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd (MOL)

Location:

Cromarty Firth

Project Value:

to be confirmed

Size:

100ha laydown and storage site with 1,200m deepwater quay.

Status:

Operational port with further redevelopment and investment opportunities.

Timescales:

Immediate

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