Scotland's Housing Expo made £514,000 loss

The expo showcased innovation and energy efficient housing

An exhibition of eco-friendly and energy-efficient homes made an operating loss of £514,000, figures released by Highland Council show.

Almost £651,000 was spent on Scotland's Housing Expo ,held in August last year, but ticket sales amounted to £137,000.

Highland Council contributed £263,000 towards the event and Highlands and Islands Enterprise £70,000.

However, the new figures also show the expo in Inverness led to £457,000 being spent in the local economy.

Also, the organisation and running of the project supported 28 full-time jobs with related earnings income of £543,000.

Difficult times

Construction activity on the site supported 240 full-time jobs, 14 apprenticeships and generated £5.8m in associated direct income and spend during the building phase, the figures said.

Highland Council said the building work had been a welcome boost during difficult times in the construction trade.

The operational loss means the council will not see the return of a £100,000 contribution which was expected to refunded through profits on ticket sales.

More than 30,000 people visited the site, but visitors included children who were allowed in for free and season ticket holders who paid a one-off fee.

The figures released by the local authority were compiled in an independent study.

Held over the whole of last August, the expo showcased innovative housing on a site near Milton of Leys.

Completion certificates

Expo board chairwoman, councillor Jean Urquhart, said the event put Inverness and the Highlands on "the national and international stage".

She added: "The expo will set the standard and shape the way ahead for future housing developments."

Sales of the 52 properties at the site have been mixed.

Earlier this month, Albyn Housing Society said it had sold 10 of its 11 homes.

The organisation added that there was interest from someone in its remaining property.

Highland Housing Alliance (HHA), one of the expo organisers, had still to sell all of its 27 homes.

However, there had been more than 60 notes of interest in the HHA properties, some of which had still to be served with completion certificates.