Continuum Attractions has acquired The Loch Ness Centre and Exhibition near Inverness, Scotland, UK.

The visitor attractions group has taken a long lease on the iconic tourism site with immediate plans to upgrade the guest offer.

The company will invest £1.5m into the refurbishment and reopening of the attraction, which is set to relaunch during early 2023.

The 12-week redevelopment is designed to reinvigorate the centre and create an attraction which will "engage, entertain and inform" guests.

Once reopened, the centre will focus on telling the globally renowned story behind the legend of Loch Ness, exploring the myths – alongside the scientific research – that has turned "Nessie" into one of Scotland’s most famous brand icons.

Juliana Delaney, CEO of Continuum Attractions, said: “Continuum tells the real stories in real places about real people.

"The search for Nessie encapsulates all three.

"Having had tremendous success with the award-winning Real Mary King’s Close on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, I was keen to seek out another great Scottish story to tell.

"We found it on Loch Ness. This is a magical place - it could be our Jurassic Park, and if a monster hasn’t been found here yet, this is the place in which it will be discovered! So I will encourage everyone to ‘keep looking’.”

Chris Taylor, VisitScotland Regional Leadership Director, said: “Loch Ness is renowned the world over for its most elusive resident, Nessie, and indeed the Loch Ness Centre and Exhibition has and will continue to attract visitors from around the world each year.

“In Scotland’s Year of Stories, it is great to hear that this investment will mean that even more people will have the chance to learn all about Nessie – the subject of so many myths, tales and stories over the years.

“Tourism is a force for good. It creates jobs, sustains communities and contributes significantly to the economy. The impact of tourism spreads far beyond the industry itself - it benefits our economy, our community and our wellbeing.”