24 hours in Inverness

Charles Douglas takes us round the essentials of the Highland capital.

With its strategic situation on the River Ness, the Black Isle and Sutherland to the north, the head of the Great Glen and Wester Ross to the west, Morayshire and Aberdeen to the east, and Loch Ness and the sprawling hills and glens of Perthshire to the south, the City of Inverness was infinitely well qualified to become the Capital of the Highlands. In centuries past, it served as a market town, commercial centre, sea port, and control centre for Scottish kings.

Today it still provides a focal point for the tentacles of the Highland road network, affording as it does wonderful excursions in every direction. Additionally, Inverness has its own airport providing access to the Orkney and Shetland islands in the north, and to the larger islands of the Hebrides in the west.

But the city, the name of which in Gaelic translates literally as “the mouth of the River Ness”, is far more than just a kicking off point for exploring the Highlands.

Centred on its castle, which, despite its imposing red sandstone façade, only dates from 1836, the city simply whirls with activities and distractions for the visitor. In the evenings, pubs, bars and restaurants hum with music and geniality.

Eden Court Theatre, at its hub, hosts a busy programme of events which, this autumn, ranges from traditional Scots entertainment such as Ally Bain and Phil Cunningham to Danny Bhoy, Rick Wakeman, and the Lady Boys of Bangkok (www.eden-court.co.uk).

Moreover, the city's pedestrianised High Street fe...

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• By : Charles Douglas
• In : Cities
• Issue : 52
• Page : 46
• Words : 1,225