Inverness

Inverness, United Kingdom

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

Population:

46,870

Currency:

Pound Sterling (GBP) £1 = 100 pence

Emergency Numbers:

Emergency: 999
Police: 101

Opening Hours:

Shops are normally open Mon-Sat 9am-5pm, but many newer shops and supermarkets stay open until 8pm or later. Most large supermarkets are also open on Sundays.

Newspapers:

Inverness Courier

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 northwest 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 most 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.

Do & See

Inverness is surrounded by wide open spaces that are ideal for outdoor activities. Here you can try everything from climbing, hiking, and canoeing to sailing and even scuba diving on the Moray Firth, the long inlet of the North Sea on which the city stands.

Dining

Scotland has a wide array of traditional dishes and there are a few specialties that you should take the opportunity to try out. Haggis is boiled and minced offal from sheep, mixed with beef suet and oatmeal. The Aberdeen-Angus beef cattle make for rich and tasty meat, which makes excellent steaks. Last but not least you should try the Black Bun, a dark fruit cake made with raisins, currants, chopped peel and almonds, brown sugar, cinnamon and ginger.

Cafes

There are attractive riverside walks along the Ness, which is dotted with small islands. This beautiful city is perfect for stopping by at a café for something warm or cold to drink.