Highland highlights

Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling, Perth, Dundee, Aberdeen. Scotland’s cities are bursting with things to see and do (and eat and drink). But the most northerly of them all is a somewhat unsung charmer. Many tourists pass through Inverness or just use it as a launchpad either for spectacular road trips around the Scottish Highlands or to go “monster hunting” at Loch Ness, a half-hour drive away. But this is a city that warrants and rewards a longer stay. Here are five highlights.

INVERNESS CASTLE

Don’t expect anything as dramatic and imposing as the famous castles of Edinburgh and Stirling. But Inverness Castle is utterly compelling, especially now. A high-tech new experience has just opened here, immersing visitors in the culture and history of Inverness and the Highlands. The galleries house an absorbing array of exhibits, touchscreens, and audio-visual displays, and there are superb views of the city and its idyllic surroundings from the castle’s turreted towers.

This red sandstone Victorian landmark was built as a prison and courthouse on the site of previous fortresses that had stood here in the Middle Ages, piquing the interest of everyone from Mary, Queen of Scots to William Shakespeare, who used Inverness as a setting in Macbeth. The castle revamp has also seen the addition of the Saltire Bistro, whose tables spill out on to a paved esplanade decorated with Highland plants.

WATERY WONDERS

The castle crowns a cliff above the River Ness, a waterway that links Loch Ness with the Moray Firth, an inlet of the North Sea that claims to have the world’s northernmost resident colony of bottlenose dolphins. You can spot them on boat trips that leave Inverness’ harbour each morning. This two-hour cruise also breezes by Fort George, a hulking fortification that mushroomed by the firth after the 1746 Battle of Culloden, which played out on Inverness’ outskirts and saw royalist troops smash the Jacobite rebellion of Bonnie Prince Charlie (Charles Edward Stuart).

If you have time in your itinerary, you can visit both Fort George and the Culloden battle site, which is now managed by the National Trust for Scotland. The pair are a 20-minute drive apart, and you could also detour to Cawdor Castle, another historic site with a connection to Shakespeare’s Macbeth.

BOTANICAL BEAUTIES

Upstream from the castle, you’ll find some of Inverness’ most idyllic parts, chief among them the Ness Islands. Riverside paths and bridges link these delightful nature reserves, shaded by Scots pine, fir, beech and sycamore trees. Perfect for picnics and strolls, the islands are a pebble’s throw from Whin Park, which neighbours Inverness Botanic Gardens, the UK’s most northerly botanical gardens, where glasshouses containing tropical plants and cacti are hedged by flowers, shrubs and trees that change appearance with the seasons.

There’s a cafe here, but you may also fancy refreshments at Uile-bheist, a unique “brew-stilllery” on the opposite side of the river, closer to the city centre and castle. Harnessing the power of the Ness to produce craft beer and whiskies, Uile-bheist translates to “Monster” in Scottish Gaelic, and its walls and labels are strewn with fantastical artwork drawing on Scottish myths and legends. The brewery-distillery is attached to Glen Mhor Hotel, which has rooms and self-catering apartments spread across a row of photogenic Victorian houses. It’s a well-located riverside base, and has nightly rates from around £75 ($146).

ROUSING REVELRY

Inverness isn’t short of places that’ll put you in high spirits. The compact city centre is dotted with convivial bars where the drinks and conversations flow, often with stirring live music for entertainment and friendly staff clad in kilts — one of the quintessential Highland items the British Government attempted to ban following the Battle of Culloden.

Check the listings at venues like Hootananny and Highlander Bar, while MacGregor’s is a cracking spot run by Bruce MacGregor, founding member of the contemporary Scottish folk band Blazin’ Fiddles. Bank on toe-tapping tunes and humorous and heart-rending Highland yarns served with cocktails and inventive twists on Scottish staples like haggis, cullen skink and cranachan (or you may prefer an Angus beef burger named after a legendary Scot like Robert Burns or William Wallace).

SNACKS, STROLLS & SOUVENIRS

For a meal in comparative peace and quiet, Inverness has ample options, including the cafes and cosmopolitan eateries of the Victorian Market, a covered arcade and food court refurbished in 2022. Across the street from the free-to-enter Inverness Museum & Art Gallery, Birch is a Scandi-inspired spot for a caffeine jolt with excellent sweet and savoury snacks, including freshly made ciabattas and cakes. Another newcomer earning good reviews for its coffee is Kali, which sits on the same sloping strip — beneath the castle — as Number 27 Bar & Kitchen, where dishes like Scottish mussels and homemade steak and ale pie go down a treat.

You might be in the mood for some souvenir shopping on your post-lunch stroll. Gift stores selling Scottish products like tartan wear and whiskies abound in Inverness, which also boasts Leakey’s — touted as Scotland’s largest second-hand bookshop. It’s been here since the late 1970s and is thought to stock around 100,000 items, from paperbacks and leather-bound tomes to antiquarian prints and maps — including some that may inspire you on thrilling adventures around the Highlands.

+ Steve McKenna was a guest of Visit Scotland. They have not influenced this story, or read it before publication.

fact file

+ You can fly into Inverness from several UK airports and pick up a hire car here — or take the train up from Edinburgh. It’s a 3½-hour journey and the window scenery is frequently stunning. For times and tickets, see scotrail.co.uk

+ For more information on visiting Inverness and Scotland, see visitscotland.com