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Our 18 Favorite Inverness Things to Do (all worth it!)

Inverness Things to Do

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The Caledonian Sleeper train made a few stops before Inverness got us out of bed. We were well rested to enjoy another trip to Inverness! Here are our favorite Inverness things to do, listed as an itinerary for two days in the Scottish Highlands.

Welcome to the cultural capital and largest city in the Scottish Highlands. Sitting at the mouth of the River Ness, Inverness is the northernmost city in the United Kingdom. With these Inverness things to do, you will learn about the history of the Jacobite Uprising, find the best live music, and explore Scottish castles.

Pick and choose the Inverness things to do that look the best to you. Watch our video to better understand what to expect on these Inverness things to do.

As you are in Scotland, you may have a trip to Edinburgh planned. Our free Edinburgh Travel Guide includes a full itinerary to the Capital of Scotland.

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    Inverness Things to Do Video

    My wife Erica and I started Your Guides Abroad to provide practical and simple travel advice. We want you to have your dream vacation without the stress of planning. Part of that mission is to share our experiences via video. 

    Watch our Inverness Things to Do video below to get a better idea of the sights we share. This article on Inverness things to do will provide more details, like Google Maps directions, and more insights into these activities. Thanks for watching!

    Click to experience these Inverness things to do in one day around Inverness.

    Our Trips to Inverness

    We are by no means experts on Inverness or the Scottish Highlands. However, we enjoy visiting Scotland and have made it to Inverness twice to stay in local hotels and explore the numerous things to do there. Hence, our list is based on our experience. 

    There are more things to do in Inverness, but we enjoyed the price, history, and memories of these Inverness things to do. We are confident that you will enjoy them too!

    Our first trip up was on the Caledonian Sleeper from London. We lived in London for six years; this was our first trip to Scotland. The sleeper train ride was excellent. It felt luxurious, and our favorite part was waking up in the Scottish countryside. Soak up those views with a full English breakfast from the club car! 

    Our recent trip to Inverness was to see more attractions, especially those north of Inverness. We arrived at Inverness Train Station after another beautiful journey on the Caledonian Sleeper. We have a video of our train journey below.

    Inverness train station caledonian sleeper
    My family arrived on the Caledonian Sleeper into Inverness Train Station ready to explore Inverness.

    Inverness Itinerary Ideas

    I structured this list of Inverness Things to Do in the order of a 48-hour trip to Inverness. Don’t get me wrong; you can choose the things that look the most interesting to you or try to do the full list!

    We started our day at about 9:00 AM after picking up our rental car in Inverness. Upon arrival, we rented a car from Enterprise. This required a taxi ride (taxis are at the train station) to the rental car office. From Enterprise, we set off on two days of exploring the Greater Inverness area.

    Our first stop was the Culloden Battlefield. Then, we visited Clava Cairns and Cawdor Castle and had lunch at Cawdor Tavern. The Culloden Battlefield is about a 16-minute drive (6.2 miles) from central Inverness, making these locations easy to reach. 

    We then headed into Inverness to walk the city and see the local sights, which took us to dusk.

    For this trip, we stayed at Tulloch Castle, located 30 minutes from Inverness and 45 minutes from Urquhart Castle. It is a bit out of the way, but our kids loved staying in the late 14th-century castle in the village of Dingwall.

    We got up early at Tulloch Castle to make the first departure onto Loch Ness. We spent our second day exploring the area. I included the locations within an hour or less from Inverness in the Inverness Things to Do list below.

    Inverness Tulloch Castle Hotel
    Tulloch Castle is a short drive away from Inverness and made for a unique place to stay.

    Where are These Inverness Things to Do?

    Inverness, granted city status in 2000, is the northernmost city in the United Kingdom. It is located in northeast Scotland, roughly on the mid-east coast of the Scottish Highlands.

    Inverness is the English spelling of this historical city. In Scots, it is Innerness, and in Scottish Gaelic, it is Inbhir Nis. These all mean “Mouth of the River Ness.” A perfectly reasonable name for the city lies on the River Ness, which discharges into the Beauly Firth. The location makes for beautiful bridges like the Kessock Bridge that crosses the Beauly Firth and the matching footbridges of Grieg Street Bridge and Infirmary Bridge. See our list of Inverness Things to Do below for information on visiting Greig Street Bridge.

    map of inverness in the Scottish HIghlands

    How to Get to Inverness, Scotland

    Due to its size and fame as a tourist destination in the Scottish Highlands, there are numerous ways to get to Inverness. We list the ways to get to Inverness per ease of travel. 

    inverness scottish history
    Welcome to Inbhir Nis!

    Train from London to Inverness

    Yes, we find taking a train from London the easiest way to arrive in Inverness. The train trip is longer than a flight, but part of the adventure of getting to the Scottish Highlands is traveling by train so you can enjoy the scenery.

    Our favorite mode of transport in the United Kingdom is the Caledonian Sleeper. The famous sleeper train leaves Euston Station in central London on a nightly trip to Inverness. You can book a seat or a cabin with a bed. The Caledonian Sleeper also includes a dining car and suites. 

    The Caledonian Sleeper is a luxurious and convenient way to get to Inverness. My wife Erica mainly wants to visit Inverness to ride the Caledonian Sleeper. In our video below, we filmed our experience with tips for taking the Caledonian Sleeper.

    As we point out in our YouTube video above, the biggest tip we can share is to book 6 to 9 months in advance. The train sells out months in advance, especially during the summer season.

    You can also take a conventional, non-sleeper train to Inverness from London. Depart from King’s Cross Station in London for an 8.5-hour journey to Inverness. Trains depart daily, and tickets are usually £100 to £150. You can explore train schedules to Inverness at NationalRail.co.uk.

    Trains will drop you off at the Inverness train station in the center of Inverness. Click here for Google Map directions to Inverness Train Station. 

    Fly from London to Inverness

    Flying from London to Inverness would be the fastest mode of transport. It also might be the cheapest if you snag a reasonable ticket price on EasyJet. 

    Flights depart daily from London Gatwick and London Luton on EasyJet if you prefer to fly out of London Heathrow, book with British Airways.

    Cruise Ships to Inverness

    Inverness is a popular cruise stop for British Isle cruises. Celebrity Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Royal Caribbean Cruises offer cruises that stop in Invergordon. Invergordan is the cruise port, located 25 miles from Inverness, about a 40-minute drive.

    Inverness is an ideal stop for cruise ships, as passengers can book shore excursions to Loch Ness, Culloden Battlefield, and Cawdor Castle. We discuss these stops in our Inverness Things to Do video below.

    If you don’t want to rent a car to explore greater Inverness or you opt for a cruise to Inverness, see this tour from a local Inverness guide (our review). They will pick you up from Inverness train station or Invergordon cruise port.

    What Makes Inverness Famous

    While Loch Ness gets all the attention of those trying to spot Nessie, the first recorded sighting of a Loch Ness Monster was in the River Ness. In AD 565, Saint Columba banished a water monster back into the river after it tried to attack one of his disciples. 

    We recommend a boat cruise of Loch Ness, but to spot Nessie we recommend going to Greig Street Bridge to see if you can spot a water monster swimming underneath it.

    In addition to tall tales and legends, Inverness was home to Kings and influential clans, including Clan Mackintosh, Clan Fraser, and Clan Mackenzie. Inverness Castle and Urquhart Castle are two of Scotland’s most cherished historical castles. Visit to understand the Jacobite Uprising and why Highlanders fought for Bonnie Prince Charlie. As the Capital of the Highlands, Inverness is a cultural hub with museums, cathedrals, and art galleries. These are just a few reasons that make Inverness famous and worth visiting. See our Inverness Things to Do list for more reasons to visit.

    Inverness things to do city center
    In this photo, we just left Greig Street Bridge and are heading the Leaky’s Bookshop.

    Inverness Things to Do

    Now that you are well acquainted with Inverness, here are the details you need to know when planning a trip there. Our family had a lot of fun with these activities. Find the right ones for your trip. 

    We find Inverness the perfect place to start a trip to the Scottish Highlands. Learn the history of the Highland clans, battles, and castles before diving deeper into Scotland’s glens and mountains.

    1. Culloden Battlefield

    A 16-minute (6.4 miles) drive north of Inverness is the Culloden Battlefield. Learn about the Jacobite Uprising from the point of view of the Government and the Jacobites. The Battle of Culloden is the last pitched battle on British soil.

    Immerse yourself in the stories, weapons, and the Battle of Culloden with a 360-degree view of the battle in their immersive theater. You can also visit an 18th-century restored cottage and maybe stumble upon some Highland cows. 

    You can walk the battlefield, but the best way to learn the history is to purchase a ticket to tour the museum. 

    Culloden Battlefield Summary

    inverness things to do culloden battlefield
    The 18th-century restored cottage makes for a stunning scene on Culloden Battlefield.

    2. Clava Cairns

    Clava Cairns is a 5-minute drive from the Culloden Battlefield. The drive takes you down some country roads, over River Nairn, into the Nairn Valley, and gives you glimpses of the beautiful Culloden Viaduct, a 19th-century railroad bridge. Clava Cairns is well-marked, so follow the signs to the parking lot.

    Clava Cairns is a well-preserved Bronze Age cemetery complex. It is over 4,000 years old. The park is free to enter. Walk around and into the complexes of ring cairns, kerb cairns, and standing stones. Ample signs remind you to respect the area for future generations. See here for more details on Clava Cairns.

    Clava Cairns Summary

    clava cairns inverness
    Clava Cairns can be viewed on the ground in all it glory but a bird’s eye view helps too.

    3. Cawdor Castle 

    The gorgeous Scottish Castle was our favorite stop on this tour of things to do north of Inverness. Twenty minutes (10 miles) further north from Clava Cairns, or 26 minutes if coming directly from Inverness, is the 14th-century Cawdor Castle. 

    The Cawdor family has owned and occupied the castle for over 600 years. Its legend states that it was built on the site of a holly tree. This fantastical story is made real when you walk around the tree in the castle’s dungeon. Carbon dating puts the tree at the exact time of the legend. I believe it! 

    cawdor castle inverness
    Cawdor Castle was the highlight of this day, traveling around Inverness.

    Cawdor Castle is immortalized in literary history as the fictional home of the Thane of Cawdor in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. The Highland Castle, however, has little in common with its fictional counterpart as it wasn’t built until the 14th century, 300 years after the reign of both the real and fictional King Macbeth.

    Tickets to the castle include a self-guided audio tour. Walk the residence, hear stories from over the centuries, and explore dungeons and trap doors they have re-earthed over the years of renovations. 

    We also enjoyed walking Cawdor Castle’s beautiful walled garden. Near the river, at the back of the garden, is a fun playground if you’re traveling with kids. 

    Cawdor Castle Summary

    • Cawdor Castle Official Website
    • Google Maps directions to Cawdor Castle
    • Duration: 1.5 Hours
    • Hours: Daily, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
    • Closed during the winter months. The family moves back in as it is a residence to this day!
    • Tickets: See their website above for ticket prices and options. £15.50 for a castle tour
    • Parking Lot: Free parking in a large lot, a couple minutes walk from the entrance

    4. Local Guided Tours to Greater Inverness

    As guides, we are big supporters of supporting local tour guides. They know the area, the stories, and the local gossip to make for a memorable visit. A tour guide will show you more things to do, incredible viewpoints for photos, and share those stories that make places like Cava Cairns come to life.

    If you don’t want to rent a car like we did from Inverness or you’re arriving by cruise ship, consider this Inverness or Invergordon Guide Tour. We share prices, what to expect, and locations they visit in our review. Yes, the stop at many of these Inverness things to do on this list!

    If you’re in Edinburgh and looking to escape to the Scottish Highlands, consider this 12-hour tour that departs from Edinburgh and visits Loch Ness, Glencoe, and more. Here are prices and our review for small and large group tours.

    Culloden Viaduct Inverness
    Local guides can take to view the Culloden Viaduct.

    5. Cawdor Tavern

    We had a few snacks at Cawdor Castle, but we were hungry for lunch by the time we were done playing in the garden. Luckily, Cawdor Tavern is located a few minutes away in the village of Nairn.

    Stop by this darling country pub for Scottish cuisine served up by Tilda Swinton and her family. Enjoy a hearty lunch and a local pint indoors or on their patio. 

    Cawdor Tavern Summary

    cawdor tavern inverness things to do
    Stop for a pint or for lunch before going back to Inverness.

    After lunch, we headed back to Inverness to walk the historic area of the town. Parking is not difficult to find, but expect to pay for public parking lots. The Inverness city center is small and walkable. You can explore the following Inverness things to do on a one- or two-hour walking tour, including stopping. The walk itself is a mile or less.

    6. The Victorian Market

    This is the place to come if you’re looking for local sellers or if you drove past Cawdor Tavern. The Victorian Market is located in the Inverness city center and directly across from the Inverness Train Station.

    The market is three arcades that come together in a city block. The building dates from 1890, making for ornate cast-iron and a lovely wooden domed roof. Shop at over 30 stores and enjoy the food hall for lunch or dinner. You can walk through to window shop (and escape from the rain like we did) or do your souvenir shopping here.

    The Victorian Market Summary

    victorian market inverness scotland
    The Victorian Market is worth a visit for the architecture, stay for the shopping.

    7. Greig Street Bridge

    A 6-minute walk from The Victorian Market will take you past the Old High Church and Free Church of Scotland and onto the Greig Street Bridge. The pedestrian bridge was built in 1880 and 1881 for £1,400. 

    Walk onto the bridge for a lovely view up the River Ness with views of Inverness Cathedral and Inverness Castle. Do as the young kids of Inverness do by bouncing on the bridge at about a third of the way onto it. You will create a large and disturbing wave motion on the suspension bridge. 

    This is a beautiful bridge, so make sure you get a full view by walking along the River Ness.

    There is a sister bridge! Further upstream is the Infirmary Bridge, which has the same design and bouncy effect. 

    Greig Street Bridge Summary

    Inverness Things to Do
    I love this picture of Erica and our daughter on Greig Street Bridge.

    8. Leakey’s Bookshop

    A stone’s throw from Greig Street Bridge, located next to Old High Church, is an Inverness icon: Leakey’s Bookshop. 

    Leakey’s Bookshop is a Highlands institution. The bookstore has been buying and selling books for over 45 years. They are the biggest second-hand bookshop in Scotland. On a rainy, cold day in Inverness, this is the place to come to be warmed by their log fire and pursue almost any book you can find. While we do not find the bookshop cozy (it isn’t designed to kick your feet up and read), it is a quiet getaway in the Inverness city center.

    Leakey’s Bookshop Summary

    Leakey's Bookshop Inverness
    There is a lot to find at Leakey’s Bookshop.

    9. Live Music in Inverness

    Head to the Highlander or MacGregor’s for live music in Inverness. As it continued to rain on our last visit to Inverness, we ducked into MacGregor’s for a pint after Leakey’s Bookshop. The pub was a street over from Leakey’s, on Academy Street.

    Live music isn’t hard to find in the city center. Walk along Church Street to find pubs and good food.

    Go to Black Isle Bar on Church Street for good beers and pizza.

    inverness things to do pub MacGregor's
    Grabbing a pint at MacGregor’s to escape the rain.

    10. Inverness Museum and Art Gallery

    The Inverness Museum is located in the heart of Inverness. Explore the contemporary museum to learn about Scottish natural history, art, and rare archaeological artifacts. If you missed the full tour at the Culloden Battlefield, this is your chance to learn the history of Inverness and the Scottish Highlands. The museum also has a coffee shop and gift shop. 

    Inverness Museum Summary

    Inverness museum things to do
    The Inverness Museum is in the center of town, shown here on the left with a blue sign.

    11. Inverness Castle 

    When it opens in 2025, Inverness Castle will be the top thing to do in Inverness. The 19th-century castle is undergoing a massive renovation. See their website below for details on when it will open and what you can expect.

    Inverness Castle sits on a hill overlooking the River Ness. The present castle dates from 1836, but a castle has stood here since 1057. The castle area is rich in history, as many sieges and dramatic events occurred here. Mary Queen of Scots and famous clans fought here for control.

    Inverness Castle Summary

    12. Inverness Cathedral 

    Across the river from Inverness Castle is Inverness Cathedral, dedicated to Saint Andrew. The church is a Victorian Episcopalian cathedral made of red stone, like Inverness Castle. It is over 150 years old and open for services.

    Guided tours are available for £2. See their website below to book a tour. They also have a coffee and gift shop. All revenue goes directly to running the church and its charities.

    Inverness Cathedral Summary

    This is when we called it a day. It was a big day, but on this last trip, we walked past the Inverness Museum, Castle, and Cathedral. You can skip other items on this Inverness Things to Do list and spend more time at these last three stops.

    We hopped back in our rental car to go to our castle hotel. The next day was full of great things to do south of Inverness. 

    For more details on these Inverness Things to Do, watch our road trip from Inverness to Skye.

    13. Loch Ness Cruise

    Our first stop for this day was a Loch Ness Cruise. We decided to go out with Loch Ness by Jacobite for their proximity to Urquhart Castle, the ticket price, and the frequency of their cruises. Read our full review of our experience here and how to book a Loch Ness Cruise Tour.

    urquhart castle from loch ness
    Erica pointing out Urquhart Castle to our daughter from the Loch Ness Cruise.

    This tour departs from Clansman Harbor, 11.6 miles from central Inverness (a 22-minute drive). The harbor, or dock, is at a hotel with a friendly gift shop and cafe. The tour is one hour long and takes you down Loch Ness to Urquhart Castle. The vantage point from the boat makes for lovely pictures. We also enjoyed the audio tour on the cruise as it shared the history of the area and tales of the Loch Ness Monster. We have a video down below with more information about our experience. 

    Loch Ness Cruise Summary

    Loch Ness Cruise departure harbor
    The Clansman Harbor for Loch Ness Cruises.

    14. Drumnadochit Village

    The castle is located just past the village of Drumnadochit. We enjoy stopping in this village for lunch before going to the castle. Walk the tiny village’s main street to enjoy the art galleries, gift shops, and pubs. The town is also home to the Loch Ness Monster Museum. It is a bit of a tourist attraction, but if you are interested in Nessie, then make the stop!

    15. Urquhart Castle

    This is our favorite stop on Loch Ness and our top three in the Inverness area. The castle is part of 1,000 years of history on Loch Ness. Enjoy a presentation before walking through the ruins of this beautifully situated castle. Tickets can sell out to the castle during summer, so we recommend booking them in advance. Plus, you get a few pounds off.

    Urquhart Castle Summary

    urquhart castle tour scottish highlands
    Erica and me at Urquhart Castle on a beautiful summer day.

    16. Robertson’s Farm Shop: Highland Cows

    Also known as Robertsons The Larder, this is the place to visit Highland Cows. When we visited, they had two Highland Cows and some Alpacas. We came for the Highland Cows. 

    The kids loved seeing them up close. While it isn’t a petting zoo, they can keep the cows thanks to their adoption program and gift shop.

    Robertson’s Farm Shop Summary

    Readers and viewers suggested the following Inverness things to do. We have not visited these attractions, but they are highly recommended.

    robertsons larder highland cows inverness
    Visit the Scottish Highlands for the Highland Cows!

    17. Ness Islands Park

    Ness Islands are a lovely park to visit just south of Inverness. Here, you will find a series of islands in the River Ness connected by Victorian footbridges. Cross onto the islands to stroll through the forest, take in the river and the fresh air on wooden benches, and then exit onto the other side of the river. This is a place to relax in Inverness.

    You can reach the Ness Islands with a 25-minute walk from central Inverness. Enjoy a walk along the River Ness to reach the islands.

    Ness  Islands Summary

    18. Inverness Botanic Gardens

    You can continue walking from Ness Islands to reach the Inverness Botanic Gardens, just a quarter mile from the exit of Ness Islands. Escape winter’s cold or summer’s chill in their greenhouses and tropical gardens. They even have a cactus house! Come for the plants, birds, and fish ponds, and stay for their cafe. 

    Inverness Botanic Gardens Summary

    Our 3 Favorite Things to Do in Inverness

    While we enjoy walking the Inverness city center, especially visiting the pubs, our three favorite things to do in Inverness are in the greater area. We enjoy the history of the Scottish Castles and getting out on the water on Loch Ness. The valley (The Great Glen) is beautiful when on the lake.

    • Cawdor Castle
    • Loch Ness Boat Tour
    • Urquhart Castle

    We hope you can make it to Inverness and the Scottish Highlands to explore these Inverness things to do. Take a ride up on the Caledonian Sleeper and then spend a few days exploring the valleys, mountains, and villages of the Highlands.

    As you will most likely visit Edinburgh on your trip, read our free Edinburgh Travel Guide. It includes our Edinburgh Wayfinder Itinerary download, too!

    Thanks for reading Your Guides Abroad! I'm the co-founder, with my wife Erica, of the most detailed travel guide on the internet in our biased opinions. We enjoy traveling to Hawaii, Europe, and wherever else speaks to us. We leverage our experience of living abroad and traveling to 60+ countries to make planning your trip abroad simple, easy, and fun. Our goal is to give you the authentic details you need so you can easily plan your dream vacation. My favorite things to do are editing our YouTube videos, taking our kids on adventures, trip planning, and learning interesting facts and history about where we're headed. Have a wonderful trip abroad!

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