Day-time in Inverness
City Heritage
Though it is the capital of the Highlands, your first impression of Inverness will be that of a modern town with few signs of antiquity - in ancient days, as a meeting point of Highland and Lowland, it was, however, a place of conflict. Clan Donald burned the town at least seven times, while Bonnie Prince Charlie's forces destroyed the fort here in 1745.
Find out about the heritage of the area at the Inverness Museum and Art Gallery, which covers archaeology to natural history. Inverness Castle, dating from the 1830s, is a castellated prominent gothic-style building in red sandstone. It’s now the setting of the Castle Garrison Encounter, a costume re-enactment of life for an 18th-century soldier.
The city environment is very attractive, with Inverness a Britain in Bloom award winner. Spend some time in its parks and gardens; the tropical gardens under glass in the Bught Floral Hall are particularly worth a visit. Nearby, the River Ness flows through the heart of the city. The Ness Islands provide a beautiful haven from the bustle of the city centre, and a series of Victorian style suspension bridges link the islands together and to the banks of the river. Take a stroll along the network of attractive walks that weave through the mature woodlands, home to a variety of birds and other wildlife such as squirrels and otters.
Time for a spot of shopping? The new extension to the Eastgate Centre, with its many High Street names, is a definite port of call. You should also try the refurbished Victorian Arcade nearby, with its smaller businesses, to sample the full range of what Inverness has to offer.