Inverness, known as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland, was granted city status in the year 2001 and at the moment is the only city to be found in the Scottish Highlands. Unusually Inverness has no legal boundaries which causes problems for folk estimating population. The situation is exaggerated by the fact that the population of the city is increasing, the city has the highest growth rate of any UK city. One fact we know for certain is that Inverness has a very rather population, in 2008 the Telegraph.co.uk ranked the city of Inverness 5th out of 189 cities in Britain for its quality of life. Following on we can state that Inverness is a pretty cool city in which to live and this is most probably one of the facts which make Inverness amazingly popular with tourists. Importantly there is a large number of bed and breakfast accommodations in Inverness with most of it being available to book online.
Inverness is also referred to as being the gateway to the Highlands of Scotland for the obvious fact that it is the best place to make the most of the Highland public transport system and a large amount of visitor attractions are relatively easy to reach. Possibly the best way to reach them is by using an organized tour or day trip. A few companies visiting places such as, Urquart Castle, Culloden or Loch Ness or for the hardy tourist it is possible to visit Orkney or John O’Groats in a single day. It is also possible to go on a small number of city tours, such as the Terror Tour.
A small number of tourists choose to stay in 2 different cities or towns in the Highlands of Scotland such as Inverness and, later, Fort William. The town of Fort William is most popular with people who enjoy sports especially hill walkers, mountaineers and ramblers who take their chances getting to the top of Ben Nevis which is not too far from the town’s center. Similar to Inverness Fort William bed and breakfast and like all bed and breakfast in Scotland it is most often cheap, very good value for money and very clean, tidy and comfortable with world renowned hospitality.
One of the most important things to know is that Inverness Airport is, about, 7 miles to the east at Dalcross. It is possible hail a cab or catch a bus to the small but busy airport which is fairly cheap. If you require maps of the area then you will discover that they are free at the tourist office, in the center of town. While you are enjoying your Inverness vacation you should make a note to visit Inverness Museum and Art Gallery, Inverness Castle, the ‘stone of tubs’ and Mercat Cross especially the Castle Garrison Encounter, an interactive experience which is great fun.
