City Breaks In Inverness, Scotland and Some Important Things To Know
Inverness, frequently referred to as the capital city of the Highlands, was granted city status in the year 2001 and is currently the only city to be found in the Highlands of Scotland. Uniquely (in the United Kingdom) Inverness has no legal boundaries which can cause problems with population assessments. The estimations are made less accurate because of the fact that the population of Inverness is sharply increasing, the city has the highest growth rate of any UK city. One thing we can say for certain is that the population of the city is fairly happy, in a 2008 survey by the Telegraph, about the quality of life in 189 cities in the United Kingdom, Inverness came 5th. So we can safely say that Inverness is a pretty alright place in which to stay for some time and this is most probably one of the factors which make Inverness incredibly popular with tourists. Importantly there is a great deal of bed & breakfasts in Inverness with most of it being bookable online.
Inverness is also referred to as the gateway to the Highlands of Scotland for the clear fact that it is the hub of the Highland public transport system and a considerable amount of tourist attractions are easy to get to. Probably the best way to get to them is via a tour or day trip. A few tour companies visiting places such as, Loch Ness, Urquart Castle or Culloden or for the adventurous tourist you can to visit Orkney or John O’Groats in a day. It is also possible to find a small number of city tours, such as those run by Tony Harmsworth or City Sightseeing.
Some visitors choose to stay in 2 locations in the Highlands say Fort William and, later, Inverness. The town of Fort William is immensely popular with sports folk especially ramblers, hill walkers and mountaineers who take their chances climbing up Ben Nevis which towers above the town’s center. In a similar way to Inverness bed & breakfast in Fort William and rather like other bed and breakfast accommodation in Scotland it is commonly not too expensive, very good value for money and extremely clean, tidy and comfortable with unbeatable hospitality.
One important fact you should remember is that the airport for Inverness is, approximately, 7 miles to the east at Dalcross. It is easy to hail a cab or catch a bus to the small and busy airport which is quite reasonable. If you will be needing maps of the area then you will find them free at the tourist office, on Castle Wynd in the town center. While you are staying in the city you should remember to visit the ‘stone of tubs’ and Mercat Cross, Inverness Museum and Art Gallery and Inverness Castle especially the Castle Garrison Encounter, an interactive experience which is immensely enjoyable.