Inverness
The Highland capital — gateway to the north and the start-or-finish point of three of Scotland's most famous long-distance routes (NC500, Great Glen Way, Caledonia Way).
Plan your visit
The mainline rail terminus, the regional airport, the hire-car pickups, and the southern entry to the Caledonian Canal all converge on a single city of 47,000 above the River Ness.
Inverness (Inbhir Nis) sits where the River Ness meets the Moray Firth — historically the easternmost crossing of the Great Glen, and today the operational hub for almost everyone heading further north or west. The mainline ScotRail station from Edinburgh and Glasgow, the cross-Highland service from Aberdeen, the regional airport at Dalcross, and almost every NC500 hire-car pickup all sit within a few miles of the castle.
Getting there
By car: the A9 from the south (3 hours from Edinburgh, 3.5 from Glasgow) and the A96 from Aberdeen (2 hours). By rail: the ScotRail mainline from Edinburgh and Glasgow (3.5–4 hours) and the Caledonian Sleeper from London Euston overnight. By air: Inverness Airport (INV) at Dalcross, 8 miles east, with flights from London, Manchester, Amsterdam and the Hebridean islands. Most NC500 itineraries start and finish at the castle.
When to go
Year-round. The city is unaffected by the seasonal closures that hit the western and northern Highlands in winter; restaurants, accommodation and tour operators run all year. June, July and early August are peak season — book accommodation two to three months ahead. Late spring (May) and early autumn (September) are the quietest cost-effective windows for touring.
Destinations
Trails through this region
- route · cycling The Caledonia Way Sustrans's flagship Scottish cycle route — NCR 78. 234 miles from Inverness south through the Great Glen to Fort William, west through Glencoe to Oban, then on through Argyll and Kintyre to Campbeltown. Tarmac throughout, on cycle path and quiet roads.
- route · hiking · cycling Great Glen Way The geological-fault-line walk and cycle from Fort William to Inverness — 79 miles along the Caledonian Canal and the shores of Loch Lochy, Loch Oich, and Loch Ness. Easier ground than the West Highland Way; canal towpath and low-level forest tracks throughout.
- route · driving · cycling North Coast 500 Scotland's flagship scenic road trip — 516 miles around the rugged northern coastline, starting and finishing at Inverness Castle. The single most-marketed route in Scottish tourism, and a serious cycling objective for those willing to take it on as the loop it actually is.
Plan your trip
Take the printed map with you.
Full-colour, OS-grade fold-out maps cover Scotland region by region — free where you travel, the same ones you've found at ferry ports and visitor centres for over 20 years.
The city itself is compact and walkable. Inverness Castle (1836, currently undergoing a major visitor-attraction redevelopment that will reopen the building to the public for the first time in over a century), the cathedral on the river’s south bank, and the cluster of restaurants and pubs around the Old High Street can all be done in an afternoon. The Caledonian Canal terminus is a 15-minute walk west and marks the start of the Great Glen Way and the Caledonia Way; both routes also finish here when ridden or walked the other way.
For visitors, Inverness’s main draw beyond the city is Loch Ness, 20 minutes south on the A82. The north-shore villages — Drumnadrochit, Invermoriston, Foyers — string along the loch from here; the southern end towards Fort Augustus is Lochaber country.
Good to know
- Inverness is the start or finish of the NC500, the Great Glen Way and the Caledonia Way.
- Loch Ness lies 20 minutes south of the city on the A82.
- Inverness Castle (1836) is reopening to the public as a visitor attraction for the first time in over a century.
Frequently asked questions
How far is Loch Ness from Inverness?
About 20 minutes south on the A82. The north-shore villages of Drumnadrochit, Invermoriston and Foyers sit within the Inverness area; the southern stretch towards Fort Augustus belongs to Lochaber.
Is Inverness a good base for the NC500?
Yes. Most NC500 itineraries start and finish at Inverness Castle, with hire-car pickup at the airport or in the city centre. It's the main transport hub for the northern Highlands.
How do I get to Inverness?
By rail on the ScotRail mainline from Edinburgh and Glasgow (3.5–4 hours) or the Caledonian Sleeper from London; by car on the A9; or by air into Inverness Airport at Dalcross, 8 miles east.