Inverness: Capital of the Scottish Highlands
You’ve heard of the elegance and culture of Edinburgh, the music and food in Glasgow, and of course the scenery all throughout Scotland. But there’s something special about the capital of the Scottish Highlands, Inverness. Inverness is a rapidly growing town, with a long and important history.
Located on the Moray Firth, with the River Ness running through the middle of town, Inverness is a joy to visit. You’ll find excellent restaurants (try River House, Mustard Seed, and the Steak Academy), shopping in the many stores and Victorian arcade, live music at Hootenannies, and even a castle, right downtown! You can drive out to Chanonry Point and watch dolphins cavort (get directions from the Dolphin & Seal Research Centre) – or play a round of golf in an extremely beautiful location.
Ten km south of Inverness is the historic site of the Battle of Culloden. This was one of history’s more important battles, for it changed everything for Scotland (and England), when the clans rallying around Bonnie Prince Charlie lost to the British. There’s an extraordinary Culloden Battlefield Centre – where you can while away the day looking at the interactive history displays with sights and sounds of battle, a 3D immersion movie, where you are surrounded on all sides by the battle , and of course, heading outside to the quiet, eerie moor where so many men lost their lives.
Just down the road from Culloden are two additional sights you should see. Clava Cairns is a site where there are Bronze-age circular stone tombs. Located amidst fields of cows, you’ll feel transported back in time. And don’t miss historic Cawdor Castle, the 14th century home of the Thanes of Cawdor, immortalized in Shakespeare’s Macbeth (although that action really would have taken place at Inverness Castle, as Cawdor Castle wasn’t built then). You can tour the castle and the gardens, and marvel at the 600 years of Scottish history in front of you.
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