National Bank Of Scotland, 26-28 Academy Street, Inverness

The National Bank of Scotland, located at 26-28 Academy Street in Inverness, was designed by Matthews & Lawrie and built between 1873 and 1875. This Italianate building is constructed from Elgin freestone ashlar and features three storeys with a nine-bay front facing Academy Street. The central three bays are slightly recessed, and the ground floor includes three tripartite shopfronts that are pilastered and topped with shallow segmental architraves above the lights. The outer windows on the wings have balustered aprons and consoled cornices, while the cornices above the centre windows of the wings are adorned with triangular pediments and acroteria. The second-floor windows in the wings are architraved.

The central part of the front is one storey high and contains three round-headed windows flanked by Corinthian columns and pilasters. These windows have arched heads filled with intricately cut shellwork by Goodwillie of Elgin, along with incised work above. The angle pilasters are also Corinthian in style.

On the Station Square side, the building features a near-symmetrical front with an advanced centre that includes Corinthian angle pilasters and a pediment. A Roman Doric columned portico with a pediment and carved tympanum frames a pilastered, architraved doorpiece with a shallow segmental arch at ground level. Above this, there is a tripartite Roman Doric columned window with a segmental pediment on the first floor, and two architraved windows on the second floor.

The west wing has three bays, while the east wing has two bays, both featuring shallow segmental arched windows with console keystones and architraves in pilastrade at ground level. The windows have balustered aprons and consoled cornices, with the centre window of the west wing having a segmental pediment on the first floor. The second floor has architraved windows, and the building is topped with a bracketed cornice. The interior includes some lavish decorative work.