Eastgate Shopping Centre

Eastgate Shopping Centre is located in Inverness, serving the largest shopping catchment area in Europe. The centre has two main anchor stores, Marks and Spencer and Debenhams. The Eastgate shopping centre in Inverness has been taken over by UK-owned real estate fund manager, F&C REIT.The Centre is notable for an automaton clock depicting Noah's Ark. Each hour a monkey is seen raising up a tree and chiming a bell in order to tell the hour. On each hour the clock diorama also plays an animal themed song and a single set of doors open to show pictures of the animal associated with the song. At 12 o'clock each day a longer display takes place where all of the tunes are played, all the windows are opened and the rest of the diorama also operates. It is still common to see crowds watching the clock for the extended 12 o'clock performance.HistoryEastgate developmentThe Eastgate shopping centre was first opened in the city centre by Sun Alliance in 1983, with Marks and Spencer as the anchor store on brownfield land.Eastgate refurbishmentThe Eastgate shopping centre underwent a refurbishment plan in 1993.The first application sent to Highland Council by the centre developers Royal & SunAlliance, dated 10 March 1997, was to warrant a much needed extension to the Eastgate. This plan was originally rejected on the grounds of the controversial re-location of the Category B listed building on 7/9 Falcon Square (the Falconer Building), inadequate access to the railway station and too many car park spaces that would allow for this development to go ahead. They were more interested in supporting plans particularly around The Academy Centre extension which was going to be anchored by Debenhams.