Background
The Inchindown oil-storage facility near Invergordon in Easter Ross, Scotland, was built during the Second World War to hold fuel for Royal Navy vessels operating from the Cromarty Firth. Carved deep into the hillside and linked to the harbour by a pipeline network, the tanks are now sealed off and inaccessible to the public because of contamination and difficult terrain.
The deployment
Invergordon Development Trust worked with UHI Moray to turn the sealed complex into a fully immersive virtual-reality experience, letting schools, tourists, residents and visitors with accessibility needs explore the underground chambers safely. The plan is to host the VR setup permanently at Invergordon Museum, with online access and a pay-per-view option to follow.
How it was made
The interior was captured using LIDAR scanning by Dr Malcolm Clark, and the virtual-reality experience was built by Finlay Macdonald at UHI Moray, producing a realistic digital reconstruction of chambers that visitors cannot otherwise enter.
Funding and partners
Phase one was funded through the Scottish Funding Council's Standard Innovation Voucher scheme. A £2,500 community-sponsorship award from the Port of Cromarty Firth is supporting phase two, which adds a narrated tour with subtitles, historical photographs and performance improvements.
Status
Phase one launched in April 2025 and has been demonstrated to the public, with feedback shaping the next phase ahead of the planned permanent museum installation.
