Discover Inverness
The Highland capital on the River Ness: a reopened castle, the Culloden battlefield and the boats to Loch Ness
A city at the mouth of the Ness
Inverness takes its name from the Gaelic Inbhir Nis, the mouth of the River Ness, and it was granted city status as a Millennium City. The river runs north through the centre to the Moray Firth, and the Kessock Bridge carries the road across the firth to the Black Isle.
The castle on the hill was built in 1835 on the site of its medieval predecessor, and since February 2026 it has been the Inverness Castle Experience, run by High Life Highland for the Highland Council. A short walk upstream, the Ness Islands are two wooded islands joined by footbridges, used for recreation since the 1840s. The Victorian Market, rebuilt after a fire in 1889, still opens off Academy Street opposite the station.
What's On
Upcoming events and things happening in Inverness
City of Inverness Highland Games
RecurringHeavies, dancing, piping and a ceilidh at Bught Park in July.
Baxters Loch Ness Marathon and Festival of Running
RecurringPoint-to-point marathon from the south side of Loch Ness into Inverness, with 10K and 5K races.
Northern Meeting Piping Competition
RecurringTwo days of solo piping competition in Inverness in early September.
Inverness Right Now
The live weather feed for Inverness is not loading at the moment. Check the Met Office forecast for Inverness before you head out to Culloden or the canal, where it is more exposed than the riverside, and take a waterproof either way.
🚆 National Rail from Inverness
Live departures
National Rail service from Inverness. Updates every half hour.
Where To Eat
From fine dining to casual favourites
River House
Chef-run seafood restaurant by the Greig Street Bridge. Tuesday to Saturday; book ahead.
The Mustard Seed
Riverside restaurant in a converted church, open seven days, with a top-floor terrace and a set lunch.
Black Isle Bar
The Black Isle Brewery's Church Street bar: its own beer, wood-fired pizza, dogs welcome.