Inverness Castle

Inverness Castle stands above the east bank of the River Ness in the centre of the city, on the steep red-sandstone bluff that has carried a fortification since at least the 11th century. The medieval castle on the site changed hands repeatedly through the Wars of Independence, captured by Robert the Bruce in 1303, taken and re-taken across the centuries that followed, and was blown up by the Jacobite garrison in 1746 to prevent its use by the advancing Government forces. The present building is the 1836 sandstone replacement, designed by William Burn as the county courthouse and prison.

The castle operated as Inverness Sheriff Court and a working government building for most of the 20th century until its closure in 2020 for a major redevelopment. It reopened in 2025 as a public visitor experience under the management of High Life Highland (Highland Council’s culture-and-leisure trust). The new offer positions the castle as a “gateway to the Highlands”, themed galleries on Highland geography, history, language and craft; an event and exhibition space; and the North Tower viewing platform, which carries the central architectural set-piece: a glass-floored observation deck looking down the river and out across the city to Old High Church, Ness Bridge and the rooftops below.

Walking distance from Inverness railway station and the Ness river-walk. The 2025 reopening is the visitor castle’s first full operational year, opening hours and ticketing are still settling; check the official site before visiting.