The River Ness on foot: from the castle to the islands and back

Walk the river for an hour and Inverness makes sense. The Ness runs north through the middle of the city to the Moray Firth, and almost everything a visitor wants in the centre sits on one bank or the other: the castle on its hill to the east, the cathedral and Eden Court facing it from the west, and, upstream, the Ness Islands. This guide follows a loop of roughly 3 km, measured between the points on our trail map, that starts and ends at the Ness Bridge. Allow about an hour without stops, and most of a day if you go into everything on the way.

Start at the Ness Bridge

The Ness Bridge carries the road from the foot of the castle across to the west bank, and it is the obvious place to begin. From the station it is a short walk down through the centre. Before you set off, look up: the castle was built in 1835 on the site of its medieval predecessor, according to Wikipedia, and it reopened on 9 February 2026 as the Inverness Castle Experience after a £47 million redevelopment, the Highland Council announced.

If you want to go into the castle

The paid part is an exhibition about Highland culture, with entry every ten minutes, and a South Tower roof terrace with views over the city and the river. On 11 October 2026 an adult ticket was £20 online and £22 at the door, so book ahead. From April to September it is open 10:00 to 19:00 with last admission at 17:00, and from October to March 10:00 to 18:00 with last admission at 16:00. It shuts only on Christmas Day. The gardens, the Saltire Bistro and the shop need no ticket, which makes the gardens a free viewpoint over the river before the walk.

Upstream along Ness Bank

Walk south along Ness Bank with the river on your right. You pass Ness Bank Church and then the Uile-bheist distillery and brewery, which sits right on the water and says it uses energy from the river to power its distillery. It has a taproom with five of its own beers and runs tours booked online, so it is a good place to stop on the way back if it is raining. Further on is the war memorial in Cavell Gardens.

The Ness Islands

About a kilometre and a half from the Ness Bridge, footbridges take you onto the Ness Islands. Wikipedia describes two wooded islands joined by footbridges and used as a place of recreation since the 1840s; the tourism body for Inverness and Loch Ness calls the bridges Victorian. The paths wind under tall pines. Look for the carved benches and the Nessie sculpture made from a fallen tree, which the same listing suggests as a photo stop. In summer you may see anglers fishing for salmon from the islands. After heavy rain the water runs fast, so keep children and dogs back from the edge.

Cross the islands and come off on the west bank. Ordnance Survey's Inverness walks guide names the Ness Islands stop as the nearest bus stop if you want to cut the walk short.

A detour to the Botanic Gardens

From the west bank you can carry on past Bught Park to the Inverness Botanic Gardens on Bught Lane, about 1.9 km from the centre in a straight line. High Life Highland lists the gardens and cafe open every day from 09:30 to 16:00, with cafe last orders at 15:45. There is a Tropical House under glass, and Scotland's Gardens Scheme describes entry as free, with donation boxes in the cafe. It is a useful rainy-day reason to extend the walk.

Back down the west bank

Bught Park is where the City of Inverness Highland Games are held each July; in 2026 they were on Saturday 11 July. Walking north again, with the river on your right, you reach Eden Court, which Wikipedia describes as the city's main theatre, cinema and arts centre, and next to it Inverness Cathedral, dedicated to St Andrew. Wikipedia notes that its spires look unfinished because the money ran out before they could be completed.

The cathedral's own page says its doors are open from 09:00 to 18:00, 365 days a year. Entry is £6 a person, with lower prices for teenagers and children and free entry for under-4s. There is ramp access at the rear and an all-access toilet. From the cathedral steps you look straight across the water at the castle.

Finishing at the bridge

The last stretch brings you back to the Ness Bridge. If you are hungry, Rocpool is at 1 Ness Walk at the west end of the bridge, open Tuesday to Saturday. A little further downstream on Huntly Street, the Kitchen opens Thursday to Monday. On the other side, the Mustard Seed on Fraser Street is open seven days and has a top-floor terrace over the river.

Practical notes

• There are no waymarks; it is pavement and park path the whole way.
• Inverness station has 60 parking spaces, per National Rail, but the centre is small enough that most people walk to the start.
• The museum on Castle Wynd, below the castle, is closed on Sundays and Mondays and runs shorter hours from November to March. On 11 October 2026 it warned that its lift was out of order and there are steps at the entrance.
• Wikipedia says Inverness is cooler than southern Britain. Bring a layer for the islands, which are shaded by the trees.