Roofs and dry rot repairs:

Cultarlann Inbhir Nis

Inverness · 2025

Our role: Main contractor
Client: Cultarlann Inbhir Nis
Contract administrator: MAAC Studio
Dry rot surveyor: Alder Specialist Building Surveyors
Value: Under £0.5m
Programme: December 2024 to autumn 2025
Scope: Slate roofing, leadwork, GRP gutters, dry rot remediation, structural timber repairs, stone arch and rose window repairs

Cultarlann Inbhir Nis occupies the former East Church on Academy Street, a traditional stone church in the heart of Inverness that has been given a new life as the city's Gaelic cultural centre. Working for Cultarlann Inbhir Nis under MAAC Studio as architect, we carried out a major programme of roof repairs to the church, hall and ancillary roofs, and, once the roofs were opened up, an extensive dry rot remediation to the church hall.

Cultarlann Inbhir Nis Roof and Dry Rot Repairs, Academy Street, Inverness — photograph 1

Cultarlann Inbhir Nis Roof and Dry Rot Repairs, Academy Street, Inverness — photograph 2

Cultarlann Inbhir Nis Roof and Dry Rot Repairs, Academy Street, Inverness — photograph 3

Cultarlann Inbhir Nis Roof and Dry Rot Repairs, Academy Street, Inverness — photograph 4

Cultarlann Inbhir Nis Roof and Dry Rot Repairs, Academy Street, Inverness — photograph 5

Cultarlann Inbhir Nis Roof and Dry Rot Repairs, Academy Street, Inverness — photograph 6

The challenge

The roofs needed a full overhaul: slipped and broken slates, tired lead valleys, ridges and flashings, failing gutters and decayed sarking and rafter ends. As the coverings came off, active dry rot was found in the church hall roof space, spreading through the wall heads, timber linings and truss ends along the north and south walls. It had to be arrested quickly and safely, in a building in daily community use, while the roofing works continued overhead.

Our solution

We overhauled the slating across every roof, renewing lead valleys, ridges, soakers and hip flashings, replacing defective sarking and rafter ends, lining the gutters in GRP and fitting new conservation rooflights and Heritage-profile cast aluminium rainwater goods. The church hall roof was extended with a new timber structure and insulated build-up. Inside, the dry rot was tackled in phases under the direction of Alder Specialist Building Surveyors and the structural engineers, Will Rudd Davidson. First-aid surface treatments arrested the active growth, then infected linings and timber grounds were removed, the masonry stripped to bare stone, and the walls drilled and irrigated with biocide. Rotten rafter and truss ends were cut out and replaced in new treated timber, with each end wrapped in DPC and set on preservative-treated folding wedges to keep a ventilated air gap within the wall pocket. Structural steelwork, new wall framing and linings completed the reinstatement. Outside, the stone arches over the rose window and a doorway were renewed in new sandstone, the rose window tracery was renewed and redecorated around its stained glass, and the masonry was repointed and harled in lime.