Everyday Blog

Inverness, commonly referred to as the capital of the Scottish Highlands, was eventually granted city status in 2001 and at the moment is the only city to be found in the Highlands. Uniquely (in the United Kingdom) the city has no statutory boundaries which creates problems for those estimating population. The problem is made worse by the fact that the incredibly high population growth rate, the city has the highest growth rate for any city in the United Kingdom. One certainty we know of is that the city has a fairly happy population, in 2008 Inverness was ranked fifth in a survey taken, by the Telegraph, of 189 British cities for quality of life. Therefore we can state that Inverness is a pretty cool place in which to stay for some time and this is most likely one of the factors which make Inverness immensely popular with tourists. It is lucky then that there is plenty of bed & breakfasts in Inverness with most of it being available to book online.

Inverness is also referred to as being the gateway to the Highlands for the simple fact that it is the best place to make the most of the Highland public transport system and an incredible amount of tourist attractions are relatively easy to get to. Probably the best way to get to them is by using an organized tour or day trip. There are a few organizations visiting places such as, Culloden, Urquart Castle or Loch Ness or for the more adventurous visitors it is possible to visit John O’Groats and Orkney in a day. There are also a small number of city tours, such as those run by Tony Harmsworth.

A small amount of tourists stay in two different places in the Highlands of Scotland for example Inverness & Fort William. Fort William is very popular with sports men and women especially mountaineers, ramblers and hill walkers who get excited getting to the top of Ben Nevis which is not too far from the town. Similar to Inverness Fort William bed and breakfast accommodation and rather like most Scotland bed and breakfast accommodation it is commonly not very expensive, superb value for money and very comfortable, tidy and clean with world famous hospitality.

One important thing you should know is that the nearest airport to Inverness is, near enough, 7 miles east of the city at Dalcross. It is easy to catch a bus to the small and busy airport which is not too expensive. If you will benefit from using a map of the area then you will discover that they are free at the tourist office, on Castle Wynd in the town center. While you are in Inverness you should make a note to visit Inverness Castle, Inverness Museum and Art Gallery, the ’stone of tubs’ and Mercat Cross especially the Castle Garrison Encounter, an interactive experience which is great fun.