Inverness, the capital city of the Scottish Highlands, was ceremoniously granted city status in 2001 and at the moment is the only city in the Highlands. Uniquely Inverness has no statutory boundaries which causes problems with population statistics. The problem is made worse by the fact that the population of the city is increasing, Inverness has the highest growth rate for any city in the UK. One thing we can state with some certainty is that the city has a rather happy population, in 2008 Inverness came fifth in a survey taken, by the Telegraph, of 189 UK cities for quality of life. From this we can state that Inverness is a pretty alright city in which to stay for some time and this is most probably one of the reasons which make Inverness amazingly popular with tourists. It is lucky then that there is a large number of bed & breakfast accommodations in Inverness with most of it being available to book 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 an incredible number of tourist attractions are not too far away. Possibly the best way to reach them is via an organized tour or day trip. A small number of organizations visiting places such as, Culloden, Loch Ness or Urquart Castle or for the adventurous tourists you can to visit John O’Groats or even Orkney on a day trip. It is also possible to find a small number of city tours, such as those run by Tony Harmsworth or City Sightseeing.
A small number of tourists decide to stay in 2 different locations in the Highlands such as Inverness and, later, Fort William. The town of Fort William is most popular with people who enjoy sports especially mountaineers, ramblers and hill walkers who get excited climbing Ben Nevis which towers above the town’s center. Similar to Inverness Fort William bed & breakfast and like most bed & breakfast in Scotland it is most often inexpensive, good value for money and very comfortable, clean and tidy with world class hospitality.
One of the most important things to know is that the nearest airport to Inverness is, roughly, 7 miles to the east at Dalcross. You can hail a cab or catch a bus to the busy but small airport which is fairly reasonable. If you require maps of the area then you should get one of the free ones at the tourist office, in the center of town. While you are in Inverness you should remember to visit Inverness Museum and Art Gallery, Inverness Castle, the ‘stone of tubs’ and Mercat Cross especially the Castle Garrison Encounter, an enjoyable interactive experience.