The Highland Council and Inverness City Heritage Trust has created a free to download guide to help promote essential, regular inspection and maintenance of all traditional buildings.

Throughout the Highlands there are many examples of commercial, retail, business, public and privately owned properties built from high quality, natural materials, which need to be cared for in the right way.

Buildings are subjected to a variety of weather conditions and over time, these can cause changes, and if not acted upon, can damage the fabric of the building. Regular maintenance is sustainable, helps to protect your building and reduces expensive repair bills.

The booklet contains a wealth of expert, practical advice, aimed at owners of traditional buildings, to help them understand their property.  It highlights common maintenance issues and has links to a variety of resources, where owners can access help and advice.

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Chair of The Highland Council's Economy and Infrastructure Committee Councillor Ken Gowans said: "Tackling routine maintenance is key to preserving the fabric of everyone's property, and if owners are vigilant and know the signs to look for, potential problems can be addressed before they cause too much damage and become too costly.

"The Council regularly reminds building owners that the responsibility for ensuring the safety of members of the public in and around their buildings lies with them – whether the property is commercial, retail, business, public or privately owned. This new guide is going to be very helpful in highlighting things owners need to consider when carrying out their inspections and when making the necessary maintenance arrangements."

Jean Ramsay Smith, Trustee of Inverness City Heritage Trust added: "Many problems which affect older properties can be avoided with early detection and regular maintenance. Simple jobs such as the clearing of gutters can be a much cheaper and more convenient option than having to deal with more serious problems such as rot in the future."

The free guide is available to download from the Council's website www.highland.gov.uk/maintenanceguide.