he Scottish Highlands are blessed with a string of charming towns and cities, but those
who’ve been to the capital will aver that Ness is best. Inverness has a lot going for it to
put it mildly. The city is distinctly more laid back than any other in Scotland, aided
by its small size and amiable Invernesians who prefer to take life at their own pace.
Aside from the pleasure to be derived by perusing the city streets, there is the lure of
everything that lies beyond. The River Ness that flows through the city of the same
name can be traced back to Scotland’s – and indeed the world’s –most famous loch.
Whether you’re a believer or a sceptic, a dreamer or a pragmatist, Loch Ness has an undeniable
allure to it. Peer into its murky depths and even if the only thing you catch gazing back is your own
reflection and the clouds scudding across the sky, you won’t leave disappointed. The hundreds of
thousands of tourists who make the long pilgrimage to Loch Ness each year leave clutching indelible
memories and smiling faces, whatever the weather and regardless of whether they glimpsed the
mythical beast whose legend endures.
Whereas once its streets resonated to the clash of swords and stomp of marching boots, today
Inverness is a modern, forward-thinking place; a city that’s proud of its past, but firmly embracing
the present. With a plethora of outdoor activities, a bustling college and, in CaledonianThistle FC, a
football club to be proud of, Inverness is on the up. That is was recently declared Scotland’s happiest
place to live is testament to its ascendancy.
While the tourist trade is brisk, visitors flock to Inverness for what it
offers today as much as for what if offered in the past. The East Gate
Shopping Centre attracts families from across Moray and the
Highlands, lured by the vast number of high street retailers
to be found under one roof. Elsewhere, the Old Town is
populated by independent retailers where bespoke gifts,
curios and all manner of trinkets and gewgaws can be
found.
With the population of greater Inverness numbering
less than 70,000, the Highland capital is a compact one,
yet it manages to cram a lot into a small space. Take a
stroll along the riverbank and cross over to the Ness
Islands. On a sunny day, the flowers bloom brightly,
the birds chirpmerrily and seals bob in the mouth of
the Ness. Up on the hill, meanwhile, Inverness Castle sits
resplendent in the sunlight, built on the site of an 11th-
century defensive settlement. Fromhistorical buildings to
contemporary restaurants and from artisan shops to bijou bars,
the Highland capital offers a wealth of options...provided you
knowwhere to look.
INTRODUCTION
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