The ‘capital of the Highlands’, Inverness in north Scotland is a vibrant city that has recently welcomed new attractions and restaurants, but which also sits in an enviable location close to some of Scotland’s most beguiling scenery and tranquil countryside. A trip here allows you to enjoy all the attractive elements of city life while simultaneously experiencing the best nature has to offer.
DAY ONE
09:00 Delve into the city's past
A great place to gain an in-depth insight and understanding of the history, heritage and art of the Highlands is at the Inverness Museum & Art Gallery. You can peruse an ever-changing programme of temporary exhibitions all year-round at the art gallery, while the museum includes a number of fascinating collections, including Highland weapons and costumes.
11:00 Step into a tropical paradise
A beautiful gem in the heart of a city, the Inverness Botanic Gardens are wonderful to explore any time of year, with a broad variety of plants blooming every season. Wander around the glasshouses to discover plants from deserts and tropical rainforests, as well as hundreds of species of cacti and a waterfall surrounded by orchids and bougainvillea.
13:00 Dine where music history was made
Stop for a bite to eat at the Rendezvous Café, a quirky vintage cinema café that is also the site where The Beatles – known then as the Silver Beetles – played on their first-ever tour as a support act in 1960. Feast on a delightful menu featuring homemade soups, tasty baguettes and generous wedges of sticky toffee pudding or chocolate fudge cake.
15:00 Take in a bird's eye view of the city
Close to the café is one of the city’s must-visits; its newest attraction, Castle Viewpoint. Not only will you learn about Inverness’s fascinating past, you’ll also be rewarded at the top of the viewing platform with magnificent panoramic views.
17:00 Enjoy pre-dinner cocktails
City centre bar The White House produces its own innovative in-house creations. Make sure to check out its Breakfast Martini, made with Rock Rose gin and Cointreau, with elderflower liqueur, orange marmalade and homemade rosemary syrup. You'll also find a cocktail menu featuring all the classics, all made with fresh ingredients.
20:00 Feast on Highland delights
Make sure you bring an appetite to Inverness newcomer, Prime, which serves up juicy, locally sourced steaks and succulent seafood at its riverside location. Try its large, shared dishes of meat cooked over charcoal or individual dishes such as wild Highland rabbit, and finish with a traditional Scottish dessert – Clootie dumpling (warm, steamed fruit cake) served with cranachan ice cream and Scottish honey.
DAY TWO
07:00 Paddle at sunrise
Head 30 minutes outside of Inverness for an early morning canoe safari with activities company In Your Element. This is as close to nature as you can be; as the sun comes up look out for roe deer, badgers and otters as you paddle along the River Beauly and through the Aigas Gorge.
OR
07:00 Walk around a world-famous loch
You can now walk the entire way around Loch Ness on an uninterrupted trail – the Loch Ness 360°. This new pathway, which opened in summer 2018, loops around the entire circumference of the famous loch. While you won’t have time to do all of it in one day – the trail is more than 70 miles long – you can cover a good chunk of it over six to seven hours. Alternatively, you may wish to book to stay on longer than 48 hours and spend a few days completing the walk at a leisurely pace.
12:00 Picnic on local produce
If you opt for early morning canoeing, you’ll have built up an appetite; pick up fresh, local fare for a picnic lunch at Corner on the Square, a cute, award-winning delicatessen and café in the historic village of Beauly.
13:00 Cruise around Loch Ness
Sail out onto the deep waters of Loch Ness on a Jacobite Cruises boat and take in the glorious surrounding forests and glens (and conduct a little Nessie-spotting of course), before stopping off to explore Urquhart Castle, which overlooks the mysterious loch. Explore 1,000 years of history as you wander its ruins and discover priceless artefacts and interactive displays at the visitor centre’s exhibition.
16:00 Head out dolphin spotting
While you may not have found Nessie earlier in the day, you have the chance to spot magnificent bottlenose dolphins! Climb aboard one of the boats run by Dolphin Spirit, which will take you out into the Inner Moray Firth for potential sightings.
19:00 Drink at a city favourite
Head back into Inverness to try out one of MacGregors Bar’s set beer menus. Each order is set so that each drink complements the next in its flavour profile, and all have been handpicked to represent the bar’s featured Scottish breweries.
20:00 Dine in a former church
Located within a converted church, The Mustard Seed has retained many of the church’s original period features and boasts a double-height ceiling and a beautiful open log fire. Its top-floor terrace is perfect for picturesque views of the River Ness. Expect a delightfully modern European menu, packed full of Highland flavours and influences.
22:00 Party the night away
The city is packed with brilliant live music options if you wish to continue your night out after dinner. Johnny Foxes & The Den is a traditional Scottish pub with live music every night, while its wine bar and nightclub, The Den, also offers live music alongside DJs and dancing until 3am. Award-winning Hootananny is a great place to go for a traditional Scottish folk music programme and weekly ceilidh parties (upstairs is its sister venue Mad Hatters, which specialises in live rock music). Elsewhere The Market Bar also hosts live folk music and Gellions Bar is home to one of the longest-established Saturday ceilidhs in Inverness city centre.
Getting there:
Inverness has its own international airport; direct flights run daily from Heathrow and there are also flights available year-round from London Gatwick, London Luton, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol and Belfast. Inverness Station receives direct, fast services from Glasgow Queen St, Edinburgh Waverley (both three-and-a-half hours) and London Euston (11.5 hours on the overnight Caledonian Sleeper service, which you can book up to 12 months in advance).
