INVERNESS

INVERNESS

The self-proclaimed ‘Capital of the Highlands’, Inverness, is
Britain’s northernmost city and is surrounded by some of the
world’s most breathtaking mountain and moor land scenery.
It is straddling the River Ness, just a stone’s throw from Loch
Ness, home of the legendary Monster, and houses some
outstanding historic buildings and offers easy access to a
huge choice of outdoor activities and visitor attractions, from
lochs and castles to battlefields and nature reserves.

THE CITY

One of the fastest-growing cities in Europe,
Inverness is at its liveliest in summer,
when it bustles with visitors from all over
the world. They are attracted by the
stunning landscape of the north-west
Highlands, the legend of the Loch Ness
Monster, or the doomed romance of Bonnie
Prince Charlie and the Jacobite Cause.
Although it was founded in medieval times,
most of the city’s important buildings date
from the 18th and 19th centuries.
Landmark buildings include the bulky
Inverness Castle, which was erected in
1835 on the site of a much smaller
medieval stronghold; and the Old High
Church, overlooking the River Ness on St
Michael’s Mount.
Inverness is attractively landscaped with
numerous carefully laid-out parks and
gardens, including the tropical glasshouses
of the Bught Floral Hall, where palms and
other warm-climate plants make a striking
contrast to the often snow-capped
mountains on the northern horizon. There
are attractive riverside walks along the
Ness, which is dotted with small islands.
Inverness is surrounded by wide open
spaces that are ideal for outdoor activities,
from climbing, hill-walking and canoeing to
sailing and even scuba diving on the Moray
Firth, the long inlet of the North Sea on
which the city stands.
Within 15-30 minutes drive of the city
centre lie some of Scotland’s most
evocative visitor attractions: the
picturesque ruins of Urquhart Castle on the
shores of Loch Ness, the grim military
stronghold of Fort George, and the tragic
battlefield of Culloden Moor, where Bonnie
Prince Charlie’s Jacobites made their last
stand in 1746.

DO & SEE

Inverness Castle Garrison Encounter
The red sandstone battlements of
Inverness Castle, built during the 1830s,
dominate the town and the River Ness. The
Castle is the backdrop for the Castle
Garrison Encounter, a re-enactment of life
as an 18th century ‘redcoat’ soldier.

Castle Gallery
Next to the Castle, this gallery displays
work by local and visiting painters,
printmakers, silversmiths, sculptors and
ceramicists.
Culloden Moor Visitor Centre
On the site of the last battle to be fought
on British soil, the Visitor Centre displays
the clothing and weapons of the Highland
clansmen and the Hanoverian redcoats
who defeated Prince Charles Edward
Stuart’s rebels here in April 1746.

Food
Abstract
The classiest and most expensive
restaurant in Inverness is part of the city’s
classiest boutique hotel. The menu is
modern French and includes a gastronomic
tasting menu; highly recommended.

BARS & NIGHTLIFE

Inverness doesn’t have a pub portfolio to
compare with Scotland’s larger cities, but a
handful of good drinking places – modern
as well as traditional – stand out.
Despite its small size, Inverness punches
above its weight when it comes to
nightlife. There are plenty of pubs, clubs
and music venues offering everything from
traditional ceilidhs with fiddle music and
country dancing to the latest DJs and
blockbuster movies.
The city’s main venue for highbrow
theatre, music and arthouse films is the
Eden Court Theatre.

Airport

Inverness Airport is at Dalcross, nine miles
(14.5 km) east of the city centre. Shuttle
buses operate from the city centre and
railway station during the day.

Running times for the shuttle buses are
available from the airport information
desk, on thelephone or the website where
Make your trip start at homeyou also find
information on how to get between the airport
and Inverness CBD.

Public transport

City buses are operated by Stagecoach
Inverness. A seven-day Megarider ticket,
which allows travel anywhere on the city
network, costs £6.50.

Taxi
Taxis may be flagged down on the street,
at taxi ranks (railway station and city
centre bus terminus) or booked by
telephone.

Telephone
Country code: +44
Area code: 01463