Information about Inverness

Inverness is the most northerly city in the UK. Most visitors to the Highlands will spend some time in the city before travelling onwards or use the city as a base from which to take day trips and tours around the Highlands.

To the north, over Kessock Bridge is the route to John O’Groats and Scotland’s most northerly point (Dunnet Head). To the east lies the county of Moray with its lovely sandy beaches, excellent climate and collection of Speyside whisky distilleries. To the south of Inverness lies one of Scotland’s outdoor playgrounds, Aviemore and the Cairngorm Mountains. Finally, the West Coast is many people’s idea of the Highlands with isolated settlements linked by roads snaking through beautiful countryside.

Inverness itself is quite a compact city with a population of around 70000 although it feels much busier partly due to the all year round tourism industry. It has long been regarded as the capital of the Highlands but it only achieved city status in 2000 to mark the millennium. It sits at the mouth of the River Ness which flows through the centre of the city. A series of bridges, both road and foot, connect the two sides. To the west of the city lies the Caledonian Canal. This feat of Victorian engineering connects a series of lochs (including Loch Ness) and provides a continuous water route of more than 75 miles to Fort William.

Although Inverness offers plenty of activities, it is not always immediately obvious and some pre planning pays dividends. Time spent getting to know Inverness is likely to enhance your experience of onward travel around the Highlands. Inverness is a vibrant historical town ideal for exploring on foot with excellent cafés and restaurants. There is a thriving pub culture and traditional music scene. The new Inverness Castle Experience will become the must see in the city. Nearby lie the visitor attractions of Loch Ness, Urquhart Castle, Culloden Battlefield, Fort George and the Moray Firth Dolphins.

Travelling to Inverness is fairly straightforward  with reasonable road, flight and train links. It is only 9 miles from the airport. The welcome arrival of budget flights to Inverness means it is a cost effective tourist destination for many Europeans. However, direct flight routes from Europe are still quite limited.