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Inverness
Inverness, the capital and principal cross-roads of the Highlands of Scotland, has an enviable location at the head of the Great Glen and on the shores of the Moray Firth.
Bustling, cosmopolitan and attractive capital of the Highlands and Scotland's millennium city - Inverness makes an ideal base for exploring. Highlights include the beautiful River Ness, Eden Court Theatre and the superb Inverness Aquadome.
Granted city status in December 2000, Inverness made a bid to become European Capital of Culture 2008. The city boasts a fine range of facilities and services from night clubs to rail and air links, from car hire to post offices. And, of course, there is a superb selection of accommodation from major hotel chains and private guest houses to welcoming B&Bs, from backpacking hostels to self catering chalets.
You will find that everything you need is within easy walking distance of the city centre where pipers, jugglers and fiddlers provide a welcome distraction from the serious business of holiday shopping!
In and around Inverness, you can also choose from numerous places to visit and things to do. The city is dissected by the charming River Ness, where the Ness Islands demand to be explored, and overlooking the river is Inverness Castle.
Dating from the 1830s, the castle is the setting for the popular Castle Garrison Encounter - which offers you a chance to sign up as a mid-18th century soldier! On the slopes around the castle you will see some fine example of the city's superb floral displays, and nearby in Castle Wynd you will find Inverness Museum and Art Gallery , as well as the Tourist Information Centre.
Contemporary local art is on display in various galleries throughout Inverness, notably at art.tm, on the bank of the River Ness, Castle Gallery on Castle Street, and Riverside Gallery on Bank Street.
Further upstream, it is difficult to miss the angled-architecture of Eden Court Theatre, which is the focal point of cultural life in the Highlands. The theatre always has a fine programme of music, drama, dance and film - in a wide variety of styles and traditions. Traditional Scottish entertainment is on offer at the Spectrum Centre Theatre in the shape of Scottish Showtime, a blend of typical Highland ceilidh and Scottish variety show, with traditional Scottish dancing.
If you head out of town on the A82 (the Fort William road), you pass Bught Park just before you cross the Caledonian Canal. The park is the setting for the annual Highland Games, and other nearby attractions include the Floral Hall, Whin Adventure Park and the Inverness Sports Centre. However, the biggest draw is the Inverness Aquadome which combines numerous water rides and features with a 25 metre pool and various health and leisure facilities.
Other places of interest in and around Inverness include Highland Archive in Inverness Library, a popular facility with those visitors who like to research their family history. While, if you are interested in Scottish tartan and tweed, you might like to visit Hector Russell's Scottish Kiltmaker Visitor Centre, Duncan Chisholm Kiltmaker, or the James Pringle Weavers Woollen Mill. Across the Kessock Bridge, you'll find another very traditional craft on display at Targemaker, North Kessock.
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