Caroline Deacon
Journalist and author based in Scotland, UK

Inverness - small town charm in a modern city.

Think of Inverness and what springs to mind? The Loch Ness monster, tartan and haggis. Ignore all that – we’ve got the insiders’ guide to the real Inverness.

Inverness is the most northerly city in Britain, on the same latitude as Riga, Alaska, and Moscow, yet it enjoys a relatively mild climate thanks to the North Atlantic Drift. Population currently 65,000, it’s the fastest growing city in the UK, but is still clinging onto small town charm.

Beyond the High Street with its anytown chain stores, seek out the Victorian Market, a genuinely time-warped jewel with an eclectic mix of shops from fishmongers to bagpipe repairers. Visit Morrison watchmaker and jeweller, founded 1902, for interesting antique jewellery at reasonable prices, or pick up edible souvenir Nessies from the Belgian chocolatier. Better still, sample his freshly made malt whisky filled chocs – 22 varieties!

Wander out of the market and down Church Street past Abertaff House, the oldest building in Inverness, to Leakey's, an ancient church now housing a massive treasure trove of second hand books. Poke around the dust of centuries while working up an appetite as the smells of home cooking drift down from the excellent café.

Inverness is surrounded by serious mountains which claim dozens of lives every year, but you can enjoy the best of these without any effort by taking the train from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh. One of the most scenic journeys in the world, it skirts along the rocky shore of Loch Carron, round the back of the ancient Torridon mountains, and ends inches from the sea, where you can gaze over to Skye. But dismount one stop early at Plockton and enjoy a delicious meal in the converted railway waiting room  www.off-the-rails.co.uk. Feast on locally caught seafood, and try Cullen Skink, a thick, creamy northern soup made with Finnan haddock (smoked over green wood, turf, or peat). Once replete you can hop back on the train, or wander through the National Trust conservation village where evidence of the North Atlantic drift can be seen in the numerous palm trees. Journey takes about three hours each way, and there are usually three trains per day.

Scotland would not be Scotland without whisky, and there are over a dozen distilleries but a short stagger from the city, but in a day’s round trip you can cover every tipple; start just west of Inverness at Moniack Castle  www.moniackcastle.co.uk , home to Highland wineries where you can sample everything from silver birch wine to Sloe liqueur, drive on to Ord distillery for a wee dram of pure malt and finish at the Black Isle Brewery sampling their fine range of unique organic beers www.blackislebrewery.com . The designated driver will be well compensated by the fantastic views en route.

For many, Scotland means golf, and there are three courses in the city where visitors can play a round from as little as £20 (Culcabock Road, Walter Scott Drive and Glenurquhart Road). There are dozens of other courses within spitting distance, Royal Dornoch the most famous of these, a links course rated one of the best in the world, where golf has been played for nearly 500 years (from £50). Golf widows can enjoy a bracing walk along one of the north’s finest beaches, or look in at the cathedral where Rocco Ritchie was christened and then take in the witches’ stone, site of last burning of a witch in Scotland.

If even golf is too strenuous, Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC plays in the Scottish Premier Division, yet there are often seats to spare at matches. www.caleythistleonline.com  And don’t miss any opportunities to watch shinty; the ancient Celtic game known in Ireland as hurling. See www.shinty.com for local fixtures.

Inverness has more history than you can shake a stick at. The last battle on British soil was fought here at Culloden, and unlike other battlefields in the UK, this one was so recently vacated, you still expect to see a straggling soldier. In the aftermath of this battle, a massive series of forts were erected throughout the Highlands intended to crush any future rebellion. The best preserved of these, Fort George, is just outside the city. Still an active garrison it’s one of the best examples of artillery fortification in Europe, with one mile of ramparts from which you can often spot bottlenose dolphins, one of only two resident populations in Britain.

Just a short distance from Culloden and Fort George, equally impressive and evocative, yet completely off the tourist trail, are the Clava Cairns, prehistoric burial chambers dating back to 2000 BC. Afterwards call in at Cawdor Castle, forever linked by Shakespeare with Macbeth despite the fact that Cawdor was not built until the late 14th Century, while Macbeth murdered King Duncan in 1040, actually in Inverness Castle. Cawdor is still worth a visit though, the current Lady Macbeth being responsible for wonderful gardens and excellent tearooms.

If you are really intent on finding Nessie then by all means join the hordes of buses and cars trailing down the treacherous A82 to the beautiful vantage point at Urquhart Castle. We suggest calling en route at the excellent Loch Ness Monster Exhibition at Drumnadrochit where the scientific evidence for a monster (or not) is presented. Here too you can detour away from the crowds into Glen Affric to see large remnants of ancient Caledonian pine forest. Or stop at Abriachan for empty forest walks with excellent views high above the Loch. To avoid the crowds completely, drive down the other side of Loch Ness, on the B862, over wonderful moorlands and traffic free roads to Dores, where you can enjoy a drink and paddle at the loch side pub.

Inverness has so much else in the way of wildlife. Cross the Cromarty Bridge at low tide and you are almost guaranteed to see seals basking on the rocks. Just past the bridge, Storehouse of Foulis is a good place to observe them closely - then fortify yourself with their excellent home cooking. Cromarty, the Highland’s best preserved historic town is worth a visit too, and from there you can hire a boat to go dolphin watching. From Cromarty a short hop takes you to the Groam House Museum at Rosemarkie. Run by enthusiastic volunteers, it is dedicated to the Picts, the original Invernesians who were eventually ousted by the Celts.

To see all the Highland monsters at once, apart from the aquatic ones, head south to the highland wildlife park, home to all the creatures which used to roam this area and some that still do, including bison, wolf, wildcat, beaver and linx. Best time to go is around animal feeding time; not only will you be guaranteed sight of the animals, the guides give you an excellent running commentary on their charges. www.highlandwildlifepark.org.

Letting off steam:
Drop the kids at the Aquadome www.invernessleisure.com with its myriad slides and river rides (over 8’s can be unaccompanied) while you have a potter round the neighbouring Floral Hall www.invernessfloralhall.com or a stroll across the nearby Georgian footbridges linking islands over the River Ness. Then enjoy a skate at the Ice Centre or watch the locals hard at another ancient sport – curling. 

Accomodation:-
Celeb posh: Reserve Rocpool www.rocpool.com 5 star, Scottish hotel of the year, rooms with hot-tubs and plasma TVs. £130-£240 per double room inc. breakfast
Romantic classic: Culloden House Hotel www.cullodenhouse.co.uk Bonnie Prince Charlie commandeered this for three days before the battle. He had excellent taste. £240-£325 per double room inc breakfast.
Quiet and homely: Glendruidh House Hotel http://www.cozzee-nessie-bed.co.uk family run comfortable hotel with over 60 malt whiskies in the bar. £99-£149 per double room inc. full breakfast
 This article first appeared in EasyJet Magazine May2007