Things to Do in Inverness: Our Favourite Picks

Inverness is the northernmost city in the UK, the capital of the Highlands, and a place we’ve been coming back to for years. We’ve lost count of how many times we’ve visited now, and it’s one of those cities that keeps pulling us back, partly because it’s a brilliant base for exploring the Highlands, and partly because the city itself has a lot more going on than people expect.

In addition to its own attractions, Inverness is the starting point for the popular North Coast 500 driving route and a handy base for visiting Loch Ness, Culloden Battlefield, and a whole string of castles, distilleries, and wild coastline.

To help you plan your time here, we’ve put together this guide of our favourite things to do in Inverness. We cover the city highlights first, then nearby attractions worth a day trip, followed by practical tips on getting here, getting around, where to eat, and where to stay.

If you’re after more day trip ideas beyond what we cover here, we also have a separate guide to the best day trips from Inverness with even more options.

 

How We’d Spend a Day in Inverness

If you only have one day (which is about right for the city itself), here’s how we’d do it. Start with the Inverness Castle Experience in the morning, when it’s quieter. We haven’t been to the new experience ourselves yet, but everything we’ve heard suggests it’s the best way to start a day in the city. The immersive storytelling and roof terrace views should take a good 90 minutes to two hours. From there, wander down to the River Ness and cross to the Ness Islands for a peaceful walk amongst the trees.

Grab lunch at one of the restaurants along the river (the Mustard Seed or Rocpool are both right there), then spend the afternoon browsing Leakey’s Bookshop and the Victorian Market. If the weather is being kind, the Botanic Gardens are worth half an hour on the way back.

For a second day, we’d head out of the city. Culloden Battlefield and Clava Cairns pair perfectly together and take a morning. Then drive the short distance to Loch Ness for the afternoon, either stopping at Urquhart Castle or taking a cruise on the loch.

Now, on to the detail.

 

Things to Do in Inverness City

We’ve ordered this section with the in-city attractions first, followed by the best nearby things to do that make easy day trips.

 

The Inverness Castle Experience

The big news for Inverness is that the castle has finally reopened. After years of refurbishment (and several delays), the Inverness Castle Experience opened its doors in December 2025, and it’s completely transformed what was previously just a nice building to look at from the outside.

The £47 million project has turned the castle into a proper visitor attraction. In the South Tower, you follow a self-guided route accompanied by a seanchaidh (that’s Gaelic for storyteller), working your way through a series of immersive rooms that tell the stories of the Highlands through interactive installations, sound, and light. The restored Rose Window, rescued from a demolished Victorian church in the city, is one of the standout pieces. There’s also a 360-degree immersive show that’s worth sitting through.

Up on the roof terrace, you get panoramic views across Inverness, the River Ness, and on a clear day right down towards Loch Ness and Ben Wyvis. It’s a bit windy up there (this is the Highlands after all), but it’s probably the best view in the city.

The North Tower has the Ceilidh Rooms, which include an exhibition dedicated to the band Runrig and the Tapestry of the Highlands and Islands, a community art project involving over 650 stitchers from across the region. There’s also a bar up here.

We haven’t had the chance to visit the new experience yet (it opened after our last trip), but it’s at the top of our list for next time. Reviews have been very positive, and at £20 for an online ticket (£22 on the door), it looks like good value for 90 minutes to two hours. The grounds, the Saltire Bistro, and the Castle Shop are all free to visit without a ticket.

You can book tickets and see opening times on the official website.

 

Ness Islands

If you walk south along the east bank of the River Ness from the city centre, following the Ness Walk, you’ll find a gorgeous old Victorian footbridge that connects to the Ness Islands.

These are a small group of islands right in the middle of the river, and they’re one of our favourite spots in Inverness. The trees are surprisingly large for what are basically mid-river sandbanks, and on a sunny day (yes, they do happen up here), it’s hard to believe you’re still in a city. On a rainy day, which is a bit more likely, the tree cover actually provides a decent amount of shelter.

You can cross between the islands and onto the western shore, which brings you towards the Botanic Gardens. Or you can loop back along the Ness Walk, which is a 3.1 km (1.9 mile) trail in total. Either way, it’s a lovely walk and completely free.

 

Inverness Botanic Gardens

Whenever we visit Inverness, we always do our best to pop in to the Inverness Botanic Gardens. It’s not a huge attraction, but we really enjoy wandering the displays they have. Plus, there’s a good on-site cafe!

There are two main indoor areas: a tropical house (always nice to visit in winter especially!) and a cactus house. The cactus house is a bit of a hidden gem, actually. There are also outdoor gardens with more local plants on display, and they sell plants here as well if you’re feeling inspired.

The botanic gardens are free to visit, although donations are appreciated. You can read more about opening times and what’s on here.

 

Inverness Cathedral

Just across the river from the castle, Inverness Cathedral is the most northerly cathedral on mainland Britain. It was built in the Gothic style from local red stone, with construction completed in 1869. The architect was Alexander Ross, and this was the first cathedral to be completely built and consecrated in Great Britain since the Reformation. That’s a fairly impressive claim to fame for a building most visitors walk right past.

This Scottish Episcopal Church is very much an active place of worship, hosting everything from regular services through to weddings and baptisms. It’s also open for visitors, and there’s a cafe and gift shop on site. We’d recommend checking the calendar of events before you visit, as access can be limited during services.

 

Inverness Museum and Art Gallery

If you want to get a handle on the history of Inverness and the Highlands in general, the Inverness Museum and Art Gallery is the place to start. The museum collection goes all the way back to 1881, although the present-day building is somewhat more modern than that.

It’s found right next to the castle, and it covers everything from the geology and natural history of the area through to the people who have called this part of Scotland home over the centuries. It’s set out in a way that lets you follow a timeline of the landscape and culture, which is a really effective way to orient yourself on the region. It’s also well worth visiting before Culloden, as it gives you a lot of the backstory.

There’s also an art gallery with temporary exhibits from local, national, and international artists. You can see what’s on here.

Opening times vary depending on the time of year, and you can check those here. The museum is free to visit, but donations are appreciated.

 

The Victorian Market

If you enjoy shopping or picturesque old markets (or both!), the Victorian Market is worth a wander. This covered market dates from the 19th century and has been home to independent retailers ever since. Today you’ll find a mix of shops, cafes, food stalls, and services like hairdressers.

Even if you aren’t thinking of buying anything, it’s still a pleasant place to duck into for a browse. It’s open every day and free to visit, although individual retailers have their own opening times.

Of course, there are loads of other shopping options in Inverness, and it’s a good place to stock up should you be planning a trip somewhere like the Cairngorms or around the North Coast 500. You can get everything from groceries to outdoor supplies in the city.

 

Abertarff House

Dating from 1593, Abertarff House is the oldest house in Inverness. That means it’s seen everything from the Jacobite risings through to two world wars, which is quite a lot of history for one building.

It’s right in the middle of the city, owned and operated by the National Trust for Scotland, and has a good exhibition about life in Inverness in the 1600s. It’s free to visit, and you can see opening times on the official website.

 

Leakey’s Bookshop

If you enjoy secondhand books, a visit to Scotland’s largest second-hand bookshop is a must. Leakey’s Bookshop is housed in what was previously a Gaelic church dating from the 17th century, and it’s home to over 100,000 volumes.

The store is spread across two floors, with books stacked from floor to ceiling throughout. If you were to dream of how a second-hand book store might look, this might be it. It’s heated by an impressively sized wood-burning stove that hulks in the centre of the store, and access to the mezzanine floor is via a lovely spiral staircase. The building also has a bit of Outlander-adjacent history: after the Battle of Culloden, the church was used as a temporary hospital for wounded soldiers.

Naturally it’s free to visit, but we’d of course encourage you to buy a book if you decide to pop in. With over 100,000 to choose from, we’re sure you’ll find something.

 

Eden Court

Just behind the cathedral, Eden Court is an impressive multi-function building and the home of the performing arts in Inverness. You’ll find theatres and cinema screens which regularly host shows and films, as well as an on-site restaurant and bar.

There are also galleries which display work from local artists, some of which is available for sale. Eden Court regularly hosts festivals and a variety of classes too.

We’ve not had a chance to see a performance here yet, but we did have a meal in the on-site restaurant which was lovely. If you’re interested in live theatre, do check what they have on when you visit.

 

Uile-bheist Distillery and Brewery

For the first time in over a century, Inverness has its own working distillery. Uile-bheist (pronounced EWL-uh-vehst, it’s Gaelic for “monster”) is a combined distillery and brewery right on the banks of the River Ness, not far from the Ness Islands.

They’re producing both whisky and craft beer on site, with the whisky still maturing at the time of writing. The brewery is already turning out some well-regarded beers, including their Forest Dweller IPA, which has built up a bit of a following. They run guided tours of the facilities, and there’s a taproom where you can sample the beers and whisky from other regions, plus a Waterside Restaurant overlooking the river.

We haven’t had a chance to visit yet, but it’s on the list for next time. The whole operation is built around sustainability, using a heat pump powered by the River Ness, and the reviews from visitors have been very positive. Tours are available on GetYourGuide.

 

The Pictish Trail

If you visit the Inverness Museum, you’ll learn about the Picts, a group of people who inhabited north and east Scotland from around the 3rd to 9th centuries AD. They’re particularly well known for their carved stone monuments, which feature a range of symbols and patterns. The meaning and purpose of these markings are still unknown, which is part of what makes them so interesting.

You can experience them for yourself by following the Pictish Trail. This starts in Inverness at the Knocknagael Boar Stone, found at the Highland Council HQ on Glenurquhart Road. The stone is on display behind a glass window visible from outside the building, so you can visit it at any time. There are also eight more stones on display in the Inverness Museum.

The Pictish Trail continues north along the coast all the way to Dunrobin Castle Museum, so it makes an interesting extra layer to add if you’re driving the North Coast 500. You can download a Pictish Trail map here.

 

Things to Do Near Inverness

Inverness is a great base for day trips, and some of the best attractions in the Highlands are within easy reach. We cover a few favourites here, and you can find many more ideas in our guide to day trips from Inverness.

 

Loch Ness

First on the list, and for good reason. Loch Ness is just 8 miles from Inverness by road, and it’s the largest body of fresh water in the UK by volume. It’s also home to one of the world’s most famous cryptozoological creatures, which you’ll hear about approximately six thousand times during your visit (whether you spot anything on the sonar is another matter entirely).

The city of Inverness is called Inbhir Nis in Scottish Gaelic, which translates to “mouth of the River Ness.” The river connects the loch with the sea, and forms part of Scotland’s Great Glen, a 62-mile fault line linking Fort William to Inverness.

There’s lots to see and do around Loch Ness, from taking a cruise to exploring Urquhart Castle. You can see our complete guide to things to do at Loch Ness for all the options.

Loch Ness can be reached by car or by the hop-on-hop-off bus, which runs from the city centre to Dochgarroch Lock where the Jacobite cruises depart.

We can also recommend this excellent day tour of Loch Ness with Rabbie’s, which we’ve taken and enjoyed. The tour circles the loch, so it includes the highlights plus a few lesser-known stops. If you’d prefer to arrange your own transport, this coach and cruise combination departs from Inverness bus station and includes both a Loch Ness cruise and a visit to Urquhart Castle.

 

Culloden Battlefield and Clava Cairns

The Battle of Culloden, fought on 16th April 1746, was the last large-scale battle to take place on British soil. Fought between the Jacobite army under Bonnie Prince Charlie and British troops under the Duke of Cumberland, it ended the Jacobite uprising and led to a massive shift in power in the Scottish Highlands.

The battlefield itself is just 6 miles east of Inverness. You can wander the battlefield for free, where various markers show the positions of the different forces and memorial stones remember those who fell. But we’d strongly recommend the on-site visitor centre operated by the National Trust for Scotland. It walks you through the events leading up to the battle and includes an immersive 360-degree theatre experience. Go to the visitor centre before the battlefield, as it lends a lot of context to what you’re seeing outside.

The visitor centre has an entry charge (free for NTS members). You can find details on the official website.

Just a couple of miles from Culloden, and well worth combining with a visit, is Clava Cairns. This is a prehistoric Bronze Age cemetery dating back around 4,000 years, with three well-preserved burial cairns surrounded by stone circles. It’s a remarkably atmospheric spot, especially on a quiet morning. Outlander fans may recognise the site as the inspiration for the fictional Craigh na Dun stones (although the actual filming was done elsewhere). It’s free to visit and open year-round.

You can reach both Culloden and Clava Cairns by car or public transport from Inverness. They’re also included on several tours, such as this Rabbie’s day tour which pairs them with Glen Affric.

 

Fort George

After Culloden, the British government wanted to make sure nothing like the Jacobite uprising happened again. One of the ways they did this was by building Fort George, a colossal military fortress 11 miles east of Inverness, overlooking the Moray Firth.

The scale of the place is something else. The walls are up to twelve metres high, surrounding a series of uniform yet oddly photogenic barrack buildings. You can learn about the fort’s history in the Highlanders Museum, visit the magazine room, the historical barracks, the chapel, and walk the ramparts. From up on the walls, there’s also a chance of spotting dolphins in the Moray Firth below.

Fort George is managed by Historic Environment Scotland. It’s free for HES members, otherwise you’ll need to pay an entry fee. See opening times and prices on the official site.

The best way to reach Fort George from Inverness is by car or by taking a guided tour like this one. There’s no convenient direct public transport to the fort.

 

The Black Isle

About ten minutes’ drive north of Inverness is a peninsula known as the Black Isle. It’s actually not an island, nor is it particularly black, but naming aside, it’s well worth a day of your time.

There’s a lot to see and do here, from dolphin watching at Chanonry Point (one of the best spots in Scotland for seeing bottlenose dolphins, especially around the changing tide) to the Black Isle Brewery, a local distillery, and even some waterfalls.

You can see more in our guide to the Black Isle, which has plenty of tips and suggestions for spending a day here.

You can easily reach the Black Isle by car. Local buses operated by Stagecoach also run services from Inverness to various locations across the peninsula.

 

Visit a Whisky Distillery

Many visitors to Scotland want to visit a working whisky distillery, and Inverness is a good base for it. As mentioned above, Uile-bheist is now right in the city itself, which is perfect if you don’t want to travel far.

Beyond the city, the closest distilleries to Inverness are the Glen Ord distillery, the Tomatin Distillery, and the Dalmore distillery. Inverness is also around an hour’s drive from the Speyside area, which is famous for producing some of the world’s most well-known single malts. As someone whose favourite whisky is Laphroaig, I appreciate that Speyside and I have different taste, but the tours are fascinating regardless.

If you want to visit a distillery, our suggested approach is to take a guided tour so someone else handles the driving and you can enjoy the tastings properly. This full-day Rabbie’s tour visits the Speyside region, and there are shorter half-day options available too. You can see more in our guide to whisky distilleries in Scotland.

 

Cawdor Castle

About half an hour’s drive east of Inverness (or an hour by public transport), Cawdor Castle and Gardens dates from at least 1454, and possibly even earlier than that.

The castle has been in the Campbell family since the 16th century, and it’s still home to members of Clan Campbell. It’s particularly well known for its three gardens: the Walled Garden, the Flower Garden, and the Wild Garden. You can also visit many of the main rooms of the castle.

You can see opening times and prices on the official website.

That covers our favourite things to do in and around Inverness. Now for the practicalities.

 

Where to Eat in Inverness

Inverness has come on a lot as a food city in recent years. The dining scene is a good deal better than you might expect for a city this far north, and there’s a decent range from casual pubs to proper sit-down restaurants.

The Mustard Seed is a long-standing favourite of ours, with Scottish-influenced European cooking in a lovely converted church on the river. Rocpool (the standalone restaurant on Ness Walk, not the hotel of the same name) is another well-regarded option for a nicer dinner, with a Michelin-listed menu of modern Scottish dishes. Cafe 1 on Castle Street sources ingredients from its own croft on the Black Isle and has been a local institution for years.

For something more casual, the Castle Tavern does good pub food with views of the castle, and Hootananny on Church Street is popular for traditional Scottish food alongside live music most evenings. The Uile-bheist Waterside Restaurant is a newer option with a riverside location that’s been getting good reviews.

Our one consistent tip: book in advance, especially for dinner. The more popular restaurants fill up well ahead of time, particularly over weekends and during the summer season.

 

How to Get to Inverness

Inverness is well connected and easy to reach from the rest of the UK. By car it’s around a three-hour drive from both Edinburgh and Glasgow.

There are also good long-distance coach connections, with routes serving cities including London, Leeds, Newcastle, Aberdeen and more. You can check bus times and prices at megabus.co.uk.

Inverness also has an international airport with direct flights to UK cities including London, Manchester, and Bristol, as well as Dublin and Amsterdam. Find out more here.

For train journeys, Inverness has a central station with excellent links to the rest of the UK, including direct services to Glasgow and Edinburgh (around 3.5 hours). See prices and book train tickets here.

You can also catch an overnight sleeper train direct from London, the Caledonian Sleeper. Board in London in the evening and wake up in Inverness the following morning. We’ve taken it from London to Edinburgh and can recommend the experience. You can check prices and book online here.

 

How to Get Around Inverness

Inverness is a compact city and you can reach the majority of city centre attractions on foot very easily. For the attractions a little further out, many can be reached by public transport or on the hop-on-hop-off bus.

If you’re looking to take day trips from the city centre, see our guide to day trips from Inverness which has tips on transport as well as suggested tours.

 

Where to Stay in Inverness

As the largest city in the Scottish Highlands, Inverness has a wide variety of accommodation across a range of budgets. We’ve stayed at a number of properties on various trips, including hotels, a Scottish mansion, B&Bs, and apartment rentals, and have generally been impressed by the variety and quality on offer.

Here are some options across different budgets.

• Bazpackers is one of Inverness’s best-rated hostels, with shared and private rooms and a shared kitchen. Good value and centrally located.
• No. 29 B&B is a good-value option just a few minutes’ walk from the centre, with friendly owners, clean rooms, and a proper cooked breakfast.
• Ardentorrie Guest House is directly opposite Inverness Castle, so the views are hard to beat. Comfortable rooms and free parking.
• Palace Milton Hotel is very centrally located and makes a solid base if you don’t have a car. Convenient for both day trips and exploring on foot.
• The Kingsmills Hotel was the first hotel we stayed at in Inverness. It’s a lovely four-star property with its own golf course, about a mile from the centre. Large free car park, so a good option if you have a car.
• Bunchrew House is where we spoilt ourselves on one trip. It’s a lovely Scottish mansion house a few miles west of Inverness. You’ll want your own car for this one. They also serve afternoon tea (open to non-guests).
• Rocpool Reserve Hotel is a luxurious boutique hotel just a few minutes’ walk from the centre. Rooms are comfortable and we enjoyed our stay here.
• Ness Walk is a 5-star hotel that opened in 2019, offering lovely rooms and fantastic service right near the river bank. Its restaurant, Torrish, has an excellent reputation for fine dining.

We usually use and recommend Booking.com for accommodation when travelling in the UK. We find they have the best choice of properties, from hotels to apartments, and it’s easy to filter by what you want. See all their listings for Inverness here.

 

Further Reading

And that covers our guide to our favourite things to do in Inverness! Before you go, here are some of our other guides to help with your trip planning.

• We have a guide to our favourite day trips from Inverness, if you’re looking for more inspiration for what to do in this part of the world.
• Inverness is the launching point of the famous North Coast 500. Check out our detailed guide to the North Coast 500 and NC500 accommodation guide, as well as my photography highlights on the NC500. For itineraries, check out our 5-day NC500 itinerary and 7-day camping itinerary.
• From Inverness you can also head east and tackle the North East 250. See our 3-day NE250 itinerary for that one.
• We have detailed guides to some of the locations mentioned in this post, including a guide to the Black Isle, tips on visiting the Cairngorms, and our guide to Outlander filming locations in Scotland.
• If you’re driving in the UK for the first time, check out my tips for driving in the UK. We also have a guide to how much it costs to travel in the UK.
• For more Scotland, we have a 2-day Edinburgh itinerary, a Glasgow and Loch Lomond itinerary, a guide to the best day trips from Glasgow, things to do in Edinburgh, a Skye and Highlands itinerary, the best day trips from Aberdeen, and day trips from Edinburgh.
• For wider UK trip planning, see our one-week and two-week UK itineraries, plus lots more UK content.
• If you’d like a guidebook for Scotland, we recommend the Rick Steves Scotland guide.

And that’s it from us! As always, if you have any questions or feedback, just let us know in the comments below.