Inverness, capital of the Highlands

Inverness is the capital of the Highlands, the northernmost city in the United Kingdom and the gateway to the wild lands of northern Scotland. It stands where the River Ness, flowing out of the legendary Loch Ness, meets the Moray Firth, and its Gaelic name, Inbhir Nis, means exactly that: "mouth of the Ness". It has just under 50,000 inhabitants, yet it is the administrative, commercial and cultural centre of a region larger than Wales, and one of the fastest-growing cities in Scotland. From here roads lead to Loch Ness, the Isle of Skye, the battlefield of Culloden and the famous North Coast 500 route.

Inverness Airport is about 15 kilometres from the centre and has direct flights from London and other British cities. From Edinburgh and Glasgow the train takes about three and a half hours.

From the Picts to the capital of the Highlands

The hills around Inverness were already inhabited in prehistory: the Clava Cairns, a few kilometres away, are Bronze Age tombs some four thousand years old. In the 6th century the area was the heart of the kingdom of the Picts, and tradition says that around 565 the Irish monk Columba travelled up the Ness to meet King Bridei in his fortress, perhaps on the hill of Craig Phadrig, and convert him to Christianity. According to the same tradition, on the way Columba confronted a "beast" in the river: the first story of the Loch Ness monster.

In the Middle Ages the town became a royal burgh and a trading port, long contested between the kings of Scots and the Lords of the Isles. Shakespeare set the murder of King Duncan in Macbeth in the castle of Inverness, although the historical Macbeth and today's castle have little to do with the tragedy. In 1562 the castle's governor refused to open the gates to Mary, Queen of Scots, and paid for it with his life. In the 1650s Cromwell built a great citadel here, of which only a clock tower remains.

The most dramatic moment came in 1746: on 16 April, on Culloden moor east of the town, the government army crushed the Jacobites of Charles Edward Stuart in the last pitched battle fought on British soil. In the 19th century the Caledonian Canal and the railway opened the Highlands to trade and Victorian tourism, and in 2000 Inverness was granted city status.

What to see in Inverness

The castle and the view over the Ness

Red sandstone Inverness Castle looks down on the river from its hill. The present building dates from 1836 and long housed the law courts, while the earlier castles, including the one blown up by the Jacobites in 1746, have vanished. A major project is under way to turn it into a centre devoted to the history and culture of the Highlands. In front of the entrance stands the statue of Flora MacDonald, the heroine who helped Prince Charles escape after Culloden, and the terrace offers one of the best views over the city and the river.

The riverside walk and the Ness Islands

The best way to get to know Inverness is to walk along the Ness, heading south from the centre. Victorian houses, the cathedral and the Eden Court theatre line the banks, and after about twenty minutes you reach the Ness Islands, a group of wooded islets joined by 19th-century iron footbridges. In summer salmon anglers stand waist-deep in the water, and in autumn the trees blaze with colour. You can make it a loop by returning along the opposite bank.

St Andrew's Cathedral

On the west bank stands St Andrew's Cathedral, of the Scottish Episcopal Church, completed in 1869 in Gothic Revival style, with twin towers and an elegant interior with granite columns. Not far away, the Old High Church, on the small hill of St Michael's Mount, stands where Columba is said to have preached, and is the oldest church in the city.

The old town

The centre is small and easy to walk. The Victorian Market, a covered market from the late 19th century with iron and glass arcades, houses shops and a food hall. On Church Street stands Abertarff House, from 1593, the oldest house in the city, with a spiral staircase in a turret. A little further on, Leakey's Bookshop occupies an 18th-century Gaelic church and is one of the largest second-hand bookshops in Scotland, with a wood-burning stove in the middle and thousands of books on the galleries. Inverness Museum and Art Gallery tells the story of the Highlands, from the Picts to the Jacobites, with silverware, weapons and objects of daily life.

The Caledonian Canal

West of the centre runs the Caledonian Canal, designed by the engineer Thomas Telford and opened in 1822, which crosses Scotland from Inverness to Fort William, linking the lochs of the Great Glen. At Muirtown you can watch boats climb a staircase of four locks, and the towpath is good for walking or cycling to Dochgarroch and beyond. Cruises on Loch Ness also leave from the canal.

A day in Inverness

A possible itinerary: in the morning, go up to the castle for the view and wander through the old town, taking in the Victorian Market, Abertarff House and a stop at Leakey's bookshop. After lunch, take a bus or a car to Culloden, just eight kilometres away, and visit the battlefield and its visitor centre, continuing to the mysterious Clava Cairns. Back in town in the late afternoon, follow the riverside walk along the Ness to the Ness Islands, and in the evening have dinner with fish from the Moray Firth or listen to traditional music in one of the pubs in the centre.

Day trips from Inverness

Inverness is the ideal base for exploring the north of Scotland. Loch Ness begins a few kilometres away: Dores beach, on the south shore, is a quiet viewpoint, while on the north shore Urquhart Castle is half an hour away by car or by boat. To the north-east, Fort George is an imposing 18th-century military fortress still in use, and from nearby Chanonry Point you can often watch the dolphins of the Moray Firth. Further afield lie Eilean Donan castle, the Isle of Skye and the Glenfinnan viaduct. Inverness is also the start and finish of the North Coast 500, a road loop of about 830 kilometres around the northern coasts.

The light of the Highlands

Being so far north gives Inverness a very particular rhythm of light. In June the sun sets after ten in the evening and the sky never gets fully dark, while in December the days last little more than six and a half hours. Winter, with its long nights, is also the season when, with a bit of luck, you can see the northern lights away from the city lights.

Food and drink

Inverness is a good place to taste Highland produce: salmon and seafood from the Moray Firth, venison, lamb and Cullen skink, a creamy smoked haddock soup. The distilleries of Speyside, Scotland's most famous whisky region, are less than an hour away. In the pubs of the centre, such as those on Church Street, there is often live traditional music, with fiddles, pipes and guitars. For other specialities see the page on British food.

Living in Inverness

Inverness enjoys a highly rated quality of life, with nature on the doorstep, a safe centre and an economy based on healthcare, public administration, tourism, renewable energy and services. It is home to the headquarters of the University of the Highlands and Islands, which brings together colleges across the north. The city has grown a lot in recent decades, and house prices are now close to the Scottish average. Winters are long and dark, but milder than you might expect thanks to the nearby sea.

Famous people

Inverness is the city of Flora MacDonald, remembered by the statue in front of the castle although she was born in the Hebrides. The journalist and politician Charles Kennedy, for many years MP for the Highlands and leader of the Liberal Democrats, was born here. The city is also linked to Thomas Telford, the "Colossus of Roads", whose canals, bridges and roads changed the face of northern Scotland.

Getting there

• By air: Inverness Airport has flights from London, other British cities and a few European destinations; alternatively fly to Edinburgh, Glasgow or Aberdeen and continue by train.
• By train: about three and a half hours from Edinburgh and Glasgow on the Highland Main Line, which crosses the Cairngorms National Park; from London the Caledonian Sleeper travels overnight. The scenic lines to Kyle of Lochalsh and to Thurso and Wick start in Inverness.
• By car: the A9 links Inverness to Perth and the south, the A82 links it to Fort William along Loch Ness.

For getting around the rest of the country see trains and transport, for the region the page on Scotland and for other cities British cities.

Tips for your visit

• How long: one day for the city and Culloden; two or three days to add Loch Ness, Fort George and the dolphins.
• When to go: May to September for the long days; winter for the atmosphere and, with luck, the northern lights.
• A tip: hire a car for at least one day: the wonders around Inverness are scattered and public transport in the glens is scarce.

Inverness on the map

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