Inverness
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Inverness Visitor Guide
Pages about Inverness in Travel Scotland Guide
Getting There And Around | Inverness's History | Sights | Accommodation And Eating | Entertainment | Useful Info | Fort George | Loch Ness To Fort William
Inverness Map
Inverness is the largest town in the Highlands and the busy and prosperous hub of the region. All main routes through the Highlands pass through here at some point, so it's a hard place to avoid. The town's position at the head of the Great Glen and on the shores of the Moray Firth have made it a firm favourite with tourists, who flock here in their legions during the summer months to look for the evasive Loch Ness Monster. Though Inverness has little in the way of major sights, it's a pleasant place to base yourself as you explore the other, more visible attractions on offer in the surrounding area, including the resident population of dolphins in the Moray Firth. The town, though, is not without its own appeal, particularly the leafy banks of the River Ness, which runs through its heart, linking Loch Ness with the Moray Firth.
Phone code: +44 (0)1463 Population: 42,000
History of Inverness
One of the town's first visitors was that much-travelled cleric, St Columba, who came in AD 565 to confront the Pictish King Brude, whose fortress was reputedly at Craig Phadraig, a few miles west of Inverness. Around the mid-12th century King David I built the original castle and made Inverness a royal burgh on the strength of its growing importance as a trading port. Furs, hides, wool and timber were all exported as far afield as the Mediterranean. The town's economic prosperity and status as the most important northern outpost, however, made it a prime target for marauding Highland clansmen, and during the Wars of Independence in the 13th century Inverness was also a regular target for both English and Scots armies.
The town's renaissance came with the completion of the Caledonian Canal and rail links with the south in the 19th century. These improved communications heralded something of a tourist boom amongst the wealthy and fashionable who came north to the Highlands to shoot anything that moved in the name of sport. In the mid-19th century Queen Victoria decided to embrace all things Scottish, which only boosted the town's popularity. Over recent decades Inverness has grown rapidly, not only as a prime base for visiting tourists, but also as the main administrative and commercial centre for the Highlands.
Inverness castle
The city is dominated by its red sandstone castle. Built in 1834, this Victorian edifice is very much the new kid on the block in terms of Scottish castles. The original castle dates from the 12th century and was built on a ridge to the east of the present structure. Nothing remains of the old castle, which is unsurprising given its bloody and eventful history. It was here that King Duncan of Scotland was slain by Macbeth, an event dramatically (and erroneously) portrayed in Shakespeare's eponymous work. The castle was occupied three times during the Wars of Independence in the 13th century, and when Robert the Bruce recaptured it in 1307 he destroyed it. In the mid-17th century Cromwell ordered his men to build a stone version on the same site. In 1715 James Francis Edward was proclaimed king there, but not long after it was destroyed by the Jacobites to prevent it from falling into enemy hands following the defeat of Bonnie Prince Charlie at Culloden.
The present castle houses the Sheriff Court and also stages the Castle Garrison Encounter, where you can sign up as a mid-18th-century soldier. New recruits (that's you) pass through the Quartermaster's Store and are introduced to the Sergeant of the Guard, before being accosted by a female camp follower and finally led out through the garrison shop. Info - Mar-Nov Mon-Sat (Sun only in Jul/Aug) 1030-1730. Tel. 243363.
Around the castle
On the castle terrace is a statue of Flora MacDonald, to honour her part in helping the prince to escape. Below the castle is Inverness Museum and Art Gallery, on Castle Wynd beside the Tourist Information Centre . During summer and autumn this wonderful museum, complete with cafe to rest tired feet, underwnet a £1 million refurbishment. Scheduled to repen in time for the year long Highland 2007 celebrations, the museum provides an overview of the history of the town and the region, while the gallery hosts some special exhibitions that have included paintings by the Scottish colourist JD Fergusson.Info - Mon-Sat 0900-1700. Free.
Just around the corner, on High Street, is the Gothic-style Town House, where Prime Minister Lloyd George held an emergency cabinet meeting in 1921, the first ever to be held outside London.
Church Street
Opposite, on the corner of Bridge Street and Church Street, is the Tolbooth Steeple which dates from 1791 and which had to be repaired after an earth tremor in 1816. Church Street also boasts the town's oldest building, Abertarff House (built around 1592), which is now owned by the National Trust but not open to the public. Almost opposite is the much-restored Dunbar's Hospital, built in 1688 as an almshouse for the town's poor. At the end of Church Street, where it meets Friar's Lane, is the Old High Church, founded in the 12th century and rebuilt in 1772, though the 14th-century vaulted tower remains intact. In the adjoining graveyard prisoners taken at Culloden were executed, and you can still see the bullet marks left by the firing squads on some of the gravestones. Info - The church is open Fri 1200-1400 and during services; guided tour at 1230.
West Bank
At the corner of Huntly Street and Ness Bridge, is the Kiltmaker Centre, where you can learn everything you ever wanted to know about tartan (including what Scotsmen wear under their kilts). You can also see kilts being made in the factory and, in the shop downstairs, be measured up for one of your own. Info - Mid-May-end Sep Mon-Sat 0900-2100, Sun 1000-1700; Oct-mid-May Mon-Sat 0900-1700. Adult £2. Tel. 222781, www.hector-russell.com
Nearby, directly opposite the castle, is the neo-Gothic St Andrews Cathedral which dates from 1869, and is worth a peek if you're passing by. Continuing south along Ness Bank, past the Eden Court Theatre (see 'Entertainment' below), you reach Bught Park, which overlooks the Ness Islands, joined by footbridge to both banks. The islands are attractively laid out as a park and are a favourite with local anglers. This also happens to be a lovely place for a peaceful evening stroll.
Self Catering Cottages in Inverness
- The Villa Sleeps 6
Guide to Loch Ness Area
Around Loch Ness | Inverness | Fort Augustus | Invergarry | Spean Bridge| Loch Arkaig And Glen Roy | Fort William