A river running through it, a castle on the hill, and the doorway to every Highland adventure that matters.
Highlights
- Ness Islands riverside walk
- Victorian Market food hall
- Inverness Cathedral
- Leakey's second-hand bookshop
- Sunset from the castle terrace
The lay of the land
Inverness sits where the River Ness spills into the Moray Firth. It's compact - you can walk the centre in twenty minutes - but it holds more than most first-time visitors expect: a red-sandstone castle, a covered Victorian market that dates to 1870, and the Ness Islands, a chain of wooded footbridges through the middle of the river.
A short history
There has been a fortress on the castle mound since the sixth century. The current 1836 building housed the sheriff court until recently and has now reopened as a public visitor attraction with panoramic Highland views. Down the hill, the 12th-century town grew rich on cattle, wool, and - later - the railway that connected the Highlands to Edinburgh.
What to do in a day
- Start with coffee at The Storehouse on Baron Taylor's Street.
- Walk the Ness Islands loop - 45 minutes at a slow pace.
- Lunch at the Victorian Market's Kitchen and Bar.
- Browse Leakey's, Scotland's largest second-hand bookshop, set in a former church.
- End at the castle terrace for the sunset over the river.
Frequently asked
- Is Inverness walkable?
- Yes - the centre is small and mostly flat, with pedestrian streets around High Street.
- Where should we park?
- The Rose Street multi-storey is cheapest and central; free after 6pm.
Nearby
- Culloden Battlefield10 min
- Clava Cairns15 min
- Cawdor Castle20 min
