Inverness, the capital of the Scottish Highlands, was granted city status in two thousand and one and at this moment in time is the only Highland city. Strangely Inverness has no statutory boundaries which causes problems with people estimating population. The situation is exaggerated because of the fact that the population of the city is sharply increasing, Inverness has the highest growth rate in Great Britain. One thing we can say for certain is that Inverness has a very content population, Inverness was ranked 5th in a survey taken, by the Telegraph (2008), of 189 UK cities for quality of life. Following on we can say that Inverness is a pretty cool place in which to spend time and this is most probably one of the facts which make the city amazingly popular with tourists. Crucially there is a great deal of Inverness bed & breakfasts with the majority of it being able to be booked online.
Inverness is also often called the gateway to the Highlands of Scotland for the obvious fact that it is best placed to make the most of the Highland public transport system and a large amount of visitor attractions are relatively easy to get to. Probably the best way to reach them is by going on a tour or day trip. A few tour companies visiting places such as, Urquart Castle, Loch Ness or Culloden or for the more adventurous visitor it is possible to visit Orkney and John O’Groats in a single day. It is also possible to go on a small selection of city tours, such as those run by City Sightseeing.
A small amount of visitors stay in two different cities or towns in the Highlands of Scotland as an example Inverness and, later, Fort William. Fort William is more popular with sports people especially ramblers, mountaineers and hill walkers who take their chances getting to the top of Ben Nevis which is only a short distance from the town’s center. In a similar way to Inverness bed & breakfast in Fort William and rather like all bed & breakfast accommodation in Scotland it is commonly cheap, excellent value for money and incredibly tidy, clean and comfortable with the best hospitality.
An important thing to remember is that the airport for Inverness is, roughly, 7 miles away at Dalcross. You can catch a bus or hail a cab to the small and busy airport which is not too expensive. If you will be needing a map of the area then you should get one of the free ones at the tourist office, on Castle Wynd. While you are in Inverness you should make a point to visit Inverness Museum and Art Gallery, Inverness Castle, the ’stone of tubs’ and Mercat Cross especially the Castle Garrison Encounter, a fun interactive experience.
