Inverness is a little city with many things to see and do. Inverness is famed worldwide for its proximity to the legendary Loch Ness monster, but there’s a lot more to the city than that.
Inverness is located on the banks of the River Ness. The city is full of cultural attractions, outdoor activities, and historic treasures when viewed as a whole. In this post, you will find the places to visit in Inverness and see the beauty of this small city hidden in Scotland.
Inverness- A Beautiful City in Scotland
Inverness is a city on Scotland’s northeast coast, near the mouth of the River Ness and the mouth of the Moray Firth. Inverness is a famous Scottish Highlands city.
The Gaelic language is spoken more commonly here than in other Scottish cities, and the town is closely linked to the surrounding rural areas of the north.
Culloden and Westhill are part of the Greater Inverness region. With a fifth of the Highland population residing in or around Inverness, it is one of Europe’s fastest-expanding cities. Inverness is also known for the best quality of life.
Suppose we talk a bit about the history of the city. Inverness is a vibrant modern city with an intriguing and long past. Inverness’s earliest secular dwelling, erected in 1593, still survives today.
Abertarff House was once the townhouse of the Frasers of Lovat, which the National Trust of Scotland now manages. Old High St. Stephen’s Church also stands proudly as a tribute to the city’s history.
The church tower is from the Middle Ages. The Combat of Culloden, the final battle fought on British soil, was opposed nearby on the grounds of the nearby district.
15 Things to Do in Inverness with Your Loved Ones
Here comes the list of things to do in Inverness that you were waiting for. One by one, you can read about this and imagine your trip to Inverness. There are many historic sites in Scottish history worth seeing.
1. Loch Ness
Starting your journey with Loch Ness is a must-see while visiting the Scottish Highlands, and it’s only a thirty-minute journey southeast of the Inverness city centre.
You can get a set of photos of the water lake, which is also house to Urquhart Castle, one of the nation’s most iconic strongholds, and the most crucial factor that makes it popular is that it is claimed as the place of murder of Loch Ness monster.
Loch Ness is a freshwater reservoir spread approximately 37 kilometres southwest.
Explore the Loch Ness Centre and Exhibit to discover more about the legendary beast that lives in the water. The information about the monster and its surroundings makes it more attractive.
Loch Ness is well-served by organized tour operators due to its reputation as a significant Scottish tourist destination.
2. Inverness Botanical Gardens
Next comes the beauty of nature, secured in the Inverness Botanic Gardens, formerly known as the Inverness Floral Hall & Gardens, which is a tranquil haven within easy reach of the city centre, inaugurated by Prince Edward in 1993.
The exterior gardens explode with colour and texture each new season, and borders are designed to demonstrate a wide diversity of plants and growing conditions. The dramatic plant diversity, ranging from lush rainforests to the barren, heat-scorched desert, is revealed in the spectacular glasshouses.
Botanical Gardens, Nursery, and Secret Garden in Inverness. It provides a peaceful respite from the rush of metropolitan life. The Botanical Gardens is a lush emerald in the middle of the city, with stunning beautiful gardens, ponds, tropical houses, cactus houses, wildflower meadows, and much more.
3. Inverness Museum Art Gallery
The next must-visit is the Inverness Museum and Art Gallery on Castle Wynd in Scotland’s Highlands. The event is free to attend. High Life Highland manages the collection and facilities on behalf of the Highland Council.
This Museum combines excellent art with historical and natural items to give visitors a more comprehensive picture of Inverness’s complicated history.
4. Inverness Castle Viewpoint
The spectacular Inverness Castle grounds are a fantastic place to begin your tour of Inverness. Even though only the castle’s north tower is exposed to the public, this old sandstone structure provides an imposing (and photo-worthy) background overlooking the River Ness. You can also find a large public park on the river bank within the park.
From the highest altitude above the River Ness, Inverness Castle – the Spirit of the Highlands – stares out over the city. The red sandstone castle of today was erected on the cliff-top site of an 11th-century stronghold, which has been the location of a succession of castles for centuries.
5. Urquhart Castle
Urquhart Castle was the site of countless conflicts between the English and Scots, and it’s easy to imagine how magnificent it once was.
The castle’s role in Scotland’s rich history, dating back to ancient, is meticulously documented and displayed in the visitor’s center. It would be best if you travelled across it so that you can appreciate its historical significance.
6. Culloden Battlefield
We can not forget the great fight on Scottish land on April 16, 1746. The historic Culloden Battlefield is a must-see, with first-hand descriptions of the conflict and breathtaking rooftop views of the battlefield. The most noteworthy are the gravestones of Scottish clans and the six-meter-high Memorial Cairn constructed in 1881 to honour the conflict.
Two more notable landmarks are Old Leanach Farmhouse and the Cumberland Stone, commemorating where the Duke of Cumberland issued commands to his troops.
The battlefield is littered with tributes to the fallen, notably the Keppoch Stone, which marks the spot where Alastair MacDonell, the Keppoch clan’s leader, was killed.
Another commemorates the Irish Wild Geese (mercenaries fighting on the side of the Highlanders in the service of the French monarchy). At the same time, the “English Stone” honours those who fought side by side with Cumberland.
7. Cawdor Castle
Cawdor Castle is 16 miles north of Culloden. It is one of the famous places because of Duncan’s assassination in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth.
Although it is not historically correct (Macbeth assassinated Duncan at the Battle of Elgin), it is a fascinating destination because of its vast list of Shakespearean literature and antique furniture.
A 1370 hawthorn tree served as a message to the first Thane to build a castle here, and the charming grounds of this fairy-tale garden, with its colourful flowerbeds, are well worth a visit today.
The nine-hole golf and natural paths are exciting places to visit. For those who want to truly immerse themselves in the atmosphere of this old castle and estate, a modest cottage on the grounds is available for rent.
8. Ness Islands
The Ness Islands are located on the River Ness, directly across from Bught Park in Inverness, Scotland. The first bridges to the islands were completed in 1828; before that, the islands could only be reached by boat.
You don’t have to leave the city for a beautiful picturesque walk through the forest. Inverness boasts a series of little lands in the middle of the River Ness, which is linked to the dam by attractive suspension bridges.
You’ll forget you’re in the city as you walk around the Ness Islands. Watch for the towering trees, Nessie-carved wood, and local anglers attempting to catch salmon and sea trout in the river.
9. Fort George
Fort George, which lies close, is well worth visiting for people travelling to Culloden. This gigantic artillery castle was located soon, just after the Battle of Culloden, to hold the defeated Highlanders in control, and it served as a permanent symbol of the English rule over Scotland.
The fort also houses the Queen’s Highlanders regimental museum and vital military installations such as the armoury and barracks. The visitor center is also worth visiting, as it explains the fort’s significance. You can also visit the gift shop.
You can also find good hotels near Fort George.
10. Inverness Cathedral
Inverness Cathedral, popularly called the Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew, is a Scottish Episcopal Church cathedral near the River Ness banks in Inverness, Scotland. The Ordinary of the Diocese of Moray, Ross, and Caithness, Bishop of Moray, Ross, and Caithness, has his seat here. The UK’s most northerly Anglican Cathedral. Bishop Eden’s vision, with Alexander Ross as the architect. Consecrated in 1874, it was built between 1866 and 1869.
Inside, there are beautiful stained glass windows and excellent stone and wood carvings. Cathedral admission is free. Our cafe and shop are located on the grounds of the cathedral.
12. Leakey’s Bookshop
The next place is the perfect spot for book lovers. This lovely bookstore is a bookworm’s paradise. Step inside to find an exquisite haven where every book and nook emanates charm.
Before your eyes have had a chance to marvel at the surroundings, the characteristic aroma of old book pages excites the senses. Hundreds of secondhand volumes add colour to the inside, while stained-glass windows recall the structure’s previous life as an 18th-century Gaelic church.
Charles Leakey, the owner, has built a magical sanctuary that feels far distant from the modern world. I was convinced I’d see Harry Potter and his friends playing on the spiral staircase since the bookstore is unique.
Leakey’s Bookshop, one of Scotland’s most prominent and housed in a former church, is a literature lover’s dream.
Something will strike your eye among the rare prints and classic editions available. The shop also has a cafe, which is ideal for rest.
13. Highlanders Museum
The Highlanders Museum (Queen’s Own Highlanders Collection) is set amid the beautiful grounds of Fort George, near Inverness, with views of the Moray Firth. The local dolphin school can be seen from the ramparts throughout the summer months.
The historic Lieutenant Governor’s House in Fort George now houses the Museum, which spans three stories. Outside of Edinburgh, the Museum is Scotland’s largest regimental Museum.
14. Victorian Market
The Victorian Market, located in the center of Inverness, is a covered market. Our stores, cafes, and services are independently owned and operated, offering a wide range of high-quality products. You should see this magnificent Victorian-style structure and receive a warm Highland welcome.
When you venture off the beaten route searching for something different, retail therapy gets more interesting.
With its Victorian Market, which dates from 1890, Inverness has precisely that. Hundreds of one-of-a-kind, independent companies are housed there, providing tourists with a traditional and alternative shopping environment.
The main road is lined with red steel arches and lamps, and the antique clock leads to a circle of brightly coloured facades. Toy shops, tea rooms, cosmetic products, florists, and joke shops can all be found here.
15. Clava Cairns
The Clava Cairns, known as the Bulnuaran of Clava Prehistoric Burial Cairns, is a series of three Bronze Age cairns near Inverness. Clava Cairns is a beautiful example of the distant history of Highland Scotland, dating back roughly 4,000 years. It is a very significant and extraordinarily well-preserved ancient site.
There were two eras when the cemetery was used. A row of enormous cairns was created circa 2000 BC, three of which may still be seen today.
A thousand years later, the cemetery was reopened, with additional graves in some of the old cairns and the construction of three smaller monuments, including a ‘Kerb cairn.’ Milton of Clava, a few ways up the valley to the west, has traces of a smaller cemetery. The cairns at Balnuaran of Clava ran the length of a gravel terrace above the River Nairn.
According to the article, this must be the last trip, but apart from the list of beautiful places in this article.
Wrapping It Up
I think this beautiful small city is entirely of culture, and the beauty hidden in it is worth exploring. Inverness, located in the Scottish Highlands, is surrounded by diverse tourist attractions.
There is a lot of beauty that cannot be listed in the article. Glasgow is also one of the most famous cities in Scotland and a beautiful destination for holiday.
You can also check out the best time to visit Inverness City to make your holiday more memorable and have a fun trip in this capital city of the Scottish Highlands. So pack your bags and tick the list of things for your day trip.
Last Updated on July 8, 2024 by Sathi Chakraborty
