Northern Constabulary Burnett Road Police Station

Northern Constabulary Burnett Road Police Station Inverness Scotland, originally uploaded by conner395.

View along the side of building (from Burnett Road)

The Operational Base for the City of Inverness and environs, this station opened in 1999, built on the site of the former Post Office Garage. Located just over the North Rail line from the City Centre, it is just within the Longman Industrial EState.

When the Force HQ was designated for re-construction during the 1990s, it was decided to separate the Inverness Area Policing location from the Headquarters complex. Prior to that, the previous HQ building had housed both functions (including cell block) since 1975.

The first purpose-built police station in the Town of Inverness was that of the Burgh Police Chambers in Castle Wynd (opposite the Town Hall) but along with all buildings on the south side of Bridge Street, this was demolished in the late 1950's/early 1960's for road-widening for the approach road in respect of the new Ness Bridge.

Thereafter the Burgh Police re-located "temporarily" (an interesting and somewhat elastic word in police parlance!!) to the former Dr Bell's School in Farraline Park, beside Inverness Bus Station.

That building - now the City Library - served as Inverness's police station (and local Court) until 1975.

Relocation of all policing services to the HQ at Old Perth road, meant for the first time there was no police office within the Town Centre proper, (albeit there was a police presence, and daytime public counter, at Inverness Castle, where lost and found property, court support, community involvement/crime prevention, and traffic wardens were based) and the Force duly took occupancy of a small shop unit within the Victorian Market, to provide a cetral point of public contact. Such stop-gap provision soon proved too small and a larger unit wihin the Market, on its corner with Academy Street, was later taken into use.

As the need for additional space grew at Force HQ, so did the local policing requirements and the "Market Office" was totally inadequate as a proper police station.

Thus a much larger property on two floors (ground and basement) , in Queensgate adjacent to the Main Post Office was occupied in the early 1990's. This was the base of the newly-introduced Sector Policing for the West and Centre sectors of Inverness. The other Town Sector (East) remained at Force HQ, until the new building at Burnett Road opened in 1999, and all operational staff in respect of Inverness Area Command relocated there, as did some HQ functions (Dog Section and Control Centre).

Taken 5th September 2010.