Inverness, frequently called the capital of the Highlands, was granted city status in 2001 and at this moment in time is the only city to be found in the Highlands. Unusually Inverness has no statutory boundaries which can cause problems with population estimation. The situation is exaggerated because Inverness’ population is on the increase, Inverness has the highest growth rate of any United Kingdom city. One thing we can state with some certainty is that the city has a very content population, in a 2008 survey by the Telegraph.co.uk, about the quality of life in 189 cities in Britain, the city came 5th. Following on we can safely state that Inverness is a lovely city in which to stay for some time and this is more than likely one of the factors which make the city immensely popular with tourists. Importantly there is plenty of Inverness bed & breakfasts with the majority being bookable online.
Inverness is also frequently referred to as the gateway to the Highlands for the simple fact that it is the hub of the Highland public transport system and an incredible amount of tourist attractions are relatively easy to reach. Possibly the best way to reach them is by using an organized tour or day trip. A small number of companies visiting places such as, Urquart Castle, Loch Ness or Culloden or for the more hardy visitors you can to visit such places as John O’Groats in a single day. There are also a small number of city tours, such as those run by City Sightseeing or Tony Harmsworth.
A small percentage of tourists stay in 2 locations in the Highlands say Fort William and, later, Inverness. The town of Fort William is immensely popular with sports folk especially hill walkers, ramblers and mountaineers who get their thrills reaching the summit of Ben Nevis which looks down upon the town center. In a similar way to Inverness bed & breakfast in Fort William and rather like all Scotland bed and breakfast it is nearly always not too expensive, good value for money and amazingly tidy, clean and comfortable with world class hospitality.
An important thing to remember is that the airport for Inverness is, approximately, seven miles east of the city at Dalcross. It is relatively easy to catch a bus to the small but 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 in the town center. While you are in Inverness you should make a point to visit the Mercat Cross and ‘stone of tubs’, Inverness Museum and Art Gallery and Inverness Castle especially the Castle Garrison Encounter, an interactive experience which is great fun.
