Inverness, Scotland
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Inverness (; ; from the , meaning "Mouth of the River Ness") is a city in the
Scottish Highlands The Highlands (; , ) is a historical region of Scotland. Culturally, the Highlands and the Scottish Lowlands, Lowlands diverged from the Late Middle Ages into the modern period, when Scots language, Lowland Scots language replaced Scottish Gae ...
, having been granted city status in 2000. It is the administrative centre for
The Highland Council The Highland Council (' ) is the local authority for Highland, one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. The council is based at the Highland Council Headquarters in Inverness. History The Highland area had been created as an administrative ...
and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands. Historically it served as the
county town In Great Britain and Ireland, a county town is usually the location of administrative or judicial functions within a county, and the place where public representatives are elected to parliament. Following the establishment of county councils in ...
of the
county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...
of
Inverness-shire Inverness-shire () or the County of Inverness, is a Counties of Scotland, historic county in Scotland. It is named after Inverness, its largest settlement, which was also the county town. Covering much of the Scottish Highlands, Highlands and s ...
. Inverness lies near two important battle sites: the 11th-century battle of Blàr nam Fèinne against
Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
which took place on the Aird, and the 18th century
Battle of Culloden The Battle of Culloden took place on 16 April 1746, near Inverness in the Scottish Highlands. A Jacobite army under Charles Edward Stuart was decisively defeated by a British government force commanded by the Duke of Cumberland, thereby endi ...
which took place on
Culloden Moor Culloden ( ; from Scottish Gaelic ', "back of the small pond"; modern Gaelic ') is a village east of Inverness, Scotland and the surrounding area. east of the village is Drumossie Moor, site of the Battle of Culloden. History Culloden villag ...
. It is the northernmost city in the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
and lies within the Great Glen (Gleann Mòr) at its northeastern extremity where the River Ness enters the Beauly Firth. With human settlement dating back to at least 5,800 BC, Inverness was an established self-governing settlement by the 6th century with the first Royal Charter being granted by Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim ( King David I) around 1160. Inverness and Inverness-shire are closely linked to various influential clans, including Clan Mackintosh, Clan Fraser and Clan MacKenzie. Local clans unique to the city include Donnchaidh of Inshes (Robertson), MacSheorsa of Castlehill (Cuthbert), MacLean of Dochgarroch, Fraser of Leys and Kinmylies, Baillie of Dunain, Shaw of Essich, and Forbes of Culloden. The population of Inverness grew from 40,969 in 2001 to 46,969 in 2012, according to ''World Population Review''. The Greater Inverness area, including Culloden and Westhill, had a population of 56,969 in 2012. In 2016, it had a population of 63,320. Inverness is one of Europe's fastest growing cities, with a quarter of the Highland population living in or around it. In 2008, Inverness was ranked fifth out of 189 British cities for its
quality of life Quality of life (QOL) is defined by the World Health Organization as "an individual's perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards ...
, the highest of any Scottish city.


Prehistory and archaeology

Much of what is known about Inverness's prehistory comes from archaeological work that takes place before construction/development work as part of the planning process. Between 2009 and 2010, archaeological work in advance of the creation of flood defences to the south of the city at Knocknagael Farm by GUARD Archaeology discovered an
archaeological site An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or recorded history, historic or contemporary), and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline ...
that showed humans had been living in the Inverness area from at least 6500 BC, the Late
Mesolithic The Mesolithic (Ancient Greek language, Greek: μέσος, ''mesos'' 'middle' + λίθος, ''lithos'' 'stone') or Middle Stone Age is the Old World archaeological period between the Upper Paleolithic and the Neolithic. The term Epipaleolithic i ...
period. That same site showed people living/working in the area from the mid-7th millennium BC into the Late Iron Age (1st millennium AD) with most activity taking place in the
Early Neolithic The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wi ...
(4th millennium BC). The archaeologists also found a piece of flint from Yorkshire that showed that people in Inverness may have been trading with Yorkshire during the Neolithic. Between 1996 and 1997, CFA Archaeology (then part of the
University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...
) undertook excavations of crop marks in the west of Inverness in advance of the construction of a retail and business park. A
Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...
cemetery was discovered in 1996 and in 1997 the archaeologists found the remains of a Bronze Age settlement and an
Iron Age The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...
settlement, with an ironsmith. It is one of the earliest examples of iron smithing in Scotland. The Iron Age settlement had Roman brooches from the AD 1st–2nd centuries, indicating trade with the Roman Empire. Similarly, the Bronze Age site showed signs of metal production: finds included ceramic piece-moulds designed for the casting of Late Bronze Age leaf-shaped swords. A silver chain dating to 500–800 CE was found just to the south of Torvean, during the excavation of the
Caledonian Canal The Caledonian Canal connects the Scottish east coast at Inverness with the west coast at Corpach near Fort William in Scotland. The canal was constructed in the early nineteenth century by Scottish engineer Thomas Telford. Route The can ...
, in 1809.


History


Picts

Inverness was one of the chief strongholds of the
Picts The Picts were a group of peoples in what is now Scotland north of the Firth of Forth, in the Scotland in the early Middle Ages, Early Middle Ages. Where they lived and details of their culture can be gleaned from early medieval texts and Pic ...
. In AD 569, it was visited by
St Columba Columba () or Colmcille (7 December 521 – 9 June 597 AD) was an Irish abbot and missionary evangelist credited with spreading Christianity in what is today Scotland at the start of the Hiberno-Scottish mission. He founded the important abbey ...
with the intention of converting the
Pictish Pictish is an extinct Brittonic Celtic language spoken by the Picts, the people of eastern and northern Scotland from late antiquity to the Early Middle Ages. Virtually no direct attestations of Pictish remain, short of a limited number of geog ...
king Brude, who is supposed to have resided in the vitrified fort on Craig Phadrig, on the western edge of the city. A church or a monk's cell is thought to have been established by early Celtic monks on St Michael's Mount, a mound close to the river, now the site of the Old High Church and graveyard.


Medieval

The first royal charter was granted by Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim ( King David I) in the 12th century. The Gaelic king Mac Bethad Mac Findláich (
MacBeth ''The Tragedy of Macbeth'', often shortened to ''Macbeth'' (), is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, estimated to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the physically violent and damaging psychological effects of political ambiti ...
) whose 11th-century killing of
King Duncan King Duncan is a fictional character in Shakespeare's ''Macbeth.'' He is the father of two youthful sons ( Malcolm and Donalbain), and the victim of a well-plotted regicide in a power grab by his trusted captain Macbeth. The origin of the ch ...
was immortalised in
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
's largely fictionalised play ''
Macbeth ''The Tragedy of Macbeth'', often shortened to ''Macbeth'' (), is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, estimated to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the physically violent and damaging psychological effects of political ambiti ...
'', held a castle within the city where he ruled as Mormaer of Moray and Ross. Inverness Castle is said to have been built by Máel Coluim III (Malcolm III) of Scotland, after he had razed to the ground the castle in which Mac Bethad mac Findláich had, according to much later tradition, murdered Máel Coluim's father Donnchad (Duncan I), and which stood on a hill around 1 km to the north-east. The strategic location of Inverness has led to many conflicts in the area. Reputedly there was a battle in the early 11th century between Malcolm III and
Thorfinn the Mighty Thorfinn Sigurdsson (1009? – 1058?), also known as Thorfinn the Mighty (Old Norse: ''Þorfinnr inn riki''), was an 11th-century Jarl of Orkney. He was the youngest of five sons of Jarl Sigurd Hlodvirsson and the only one resulting from S ...
at Blar Nam Feinne, to the southwest of the city. Inverness had four traditional fairs, including Legavrik or "Leth-Gheamhradh", meaning midwinter, and Faoilleach.
William the Lion William the Lion (), sometimes styled William I (; ) and also known by the nickname ; e.g. Annals of Ulster, s.a. 1214.6; Annals of Loch Cé, s.a. 1213.10. ( 1142 – 4 December 1214), reigned as King of Alba from 1165 to 1214. His almost 49 ...
(d. 1214) granted Inverness four charters, by one of which it was created a
royal burgh A royal burgh ( ) was a type of Scottish burgh which had been founded by, or subsequently granted, a royal charter. Although abolished by law in 1975, the term is still used by many former royal burghs. Most royal burghs were either created by ...
. Of the Dominican friary founded by Alexander III in 1233, only one pillar and a worn knight's effigy survive in a secluded graveyard near the town centre. Medieval Inverness suffered regular raids from the Hebrides, particularly by the MacDonald
Lords of the Isles Lord of the Isles or King of the Isles ( or ; ) is a title of nobility in the Baronage of Scotland with historical roots that go back beyond the Kingdom of Scotland. It began with Somerled in the 12th century and thereafter the title was ...
in the 15th century. In 1187, one Dòmhnall Bàn (Donald Ban) led islanders in a battle at Torvean against men from Inverness Castle led by the governor's son, Donnchadh Mac an Tòisich (Duncan Mackintosh). Both leaders were killed in the battle, and Dòmhnall Bàn is said to have been buried in a large
cairn A cairn is a human-made pile (or stack) of stones raised for a purpose, usually as a marker or as a burial mound. The word ''cairn'' comes from the (plural ). Cairns have been and are used for a broad variety of purposes. In prehistory, t ...
near the river, close to where the silver chain was found. Local tradition says that the citizens fought off the
Clan Donald Clan Donald, also known as Clan MacDonald or Clan McDonald ( ), is a Highland Scottish clan and one of the largest Scottish clans. Historically the chiefs of the Clan Donald held the title of Lord of the Isles until 1493 and two of those chiefs a ...
in 1340 at the Battle of Blairnacoi on Drumderfit Hill, north of Inverness across the Beauly Firth. In the late 14th-early 15 century, Inverness was a symbol of the Duke of Albany's power. On his way to the Battle of Harlaw in 1411, Donald of Islay took the town and burned the bridge over the River Ness. Sixteen years later, James I held a parliament in the castle to which the northern chieftains were summoned, of whom three were arrested for defying the king's command. Clan Munro defeated Clan Mackintosh in 1454 at the
Battle of Clachnaharry The Battle of Clachnaharry was a Scottish clan battle that took place in the year 1454. It was fought between the Clan Munro and the Clan Mackintosh (Chattan Confederation) on the south bank of the Beauly Firth at Clachnaharry, on the outskirts ...
just west of the city.
Clan Donald Clan Donald, also known as Clan MacDonald or Clan McDonald ( ), is a Highland Scottish clan and one of the largest Scottish clans. Historically the chiefs of the Clan Donald held the title of Lord of the Isles until 1493 and two of those chiefs a ...
and their allies stormed the castle during the Raid on Ross in 1491.


Post-medieval

In 1562, during the progress undertaken to suppress Huntly's insurrection,
Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was List of Scottish monarchs, Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legit ...
, was denied admittance into Inverness Castle by the governor, who belonged to the earl's faction, and whom she afterwards caused to be hanged. The Clan Munro and Clan Fraser of Lovat took the castle for her. The house in which she lived meanwhile stood in Bridge Street until the 1970s, when it was demolished to make way for the second Bridge Street development. Beyond the then northern limits of the town,
Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English statesman, politician and soldier, widely regarded as one of the most important figures in British history. He came to prominence during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, initially ...
built a citadel capable of accommodating 1,000 men, but with the exception of a portion of the ramparts it was demolished at the Restoration. A clock tower today called Cromwell's Tower is located in the Citadel area of Inverness but was actually part of a former hemp cloth factory built c. 1765. Inverness played a role in the
Jacobite rising of 1689 The Jacobite rising of 1689 was a conflict fought primarily in the Scottish Highlands, whose objective was to put James II of England, James VII back on the throne, following his deposition by the November 1688 Glorious Revolution. Named after ...
. In early May, it was besieged by a contingent of Jacobites led by MacDonell of Keppoch. The town was actually rescued by Viscount Dundee, the overall Jacobite commander, when he arrived with the main Jacobite army, although he required Inverness to profess loyalty to King James VII.


18th and 19th centuries

In 1715 the Jacobites occupied the royal fortress as a barracks. In 1727 the government built the first Fort George here, but in 1746 it surrendered to the Jacobites and they blew it up. Culloden Moor lies nearby, and was the site of the
Battle of Culloden The Battle of Culloden took place on 16 April 1746, near Inverness in the Scottish Highlands. A Jacobite army under Charles Edward Stuart was decisively defeated by a British government force commanded by the Duke of Cumberland, thereby endi ...
in 1746, which ended the
Jacobite rising of 1745–46 The Jacobite rising of 1745 was an attempt by Charles Edward Stuart to regain the Monarchy of Great Britain, British throne for his father, James Francis Edward Stuart. It took place during the War of the Austrian Succession, when the bulk of t ...
. In 1783, the year that saw the end of the
American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...
and the beginning of the
Highland Clearances The Highland Clearances ( , the "eviction of the Gaels") were the evictions of a significant number of tenants in the Scottish Highlands and Islands, mostly in two phases from 1750 to 1860. The first phase resulted from Scottish Agricultural R ...
in
Inverness-shire Inverness-shire () or the County of Inverness, is a Counties of Scotland, historic county in Scotland. It is named after Inverness, its largest settlement, which was also the county town. Covering much of the Scottish Highlands, Highlands and s ...
, Coinneach MacChoinnich (1758–1837), a poet from
Clan MacKenzie Clan Mackenzie ( ) is a Highland Scottish clan associated with Kintail and Ross-shire. Its chiefs trace their lineage to the 12th century, though the earliest recorded chief is Alexander Mackenzie of Kintail, who died after 1471. The clan suppo ...
who was born at Castle Heather, then known as Castle Leather (''Caisteal Leothair''), composed the Gaelic poem ''The Lament of the North''. In the poem, MacChionnich mocks the Highland gentry for becoming
absentee landlord In economics, an absentee landlord is a person who owns and rents out a profit-earning property, but does not live within the property's local economic region. The term "absentee ownership" was popularised by economist Thorstein Veblen's 1923 b ...
s, evicting their tenants en masse in favor of sheep, and of "spending their wealth uselessly", in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
. He accuses King
George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland, Ireland from 25 October 1760 until his death in 1820. The Acts of Union 1800 unified Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and ...
both of
tyranny A tyrant (), in the modern English language, English usage of the word, is an autocracy, absolute ruler who is unrestrained by law, or one who has usurper, usurped a legitimate ruler's sovereignty. Often portrayed as cruel, tyrants may defen ...
and of steering the ship of state into shipwreck. MacChionnich also argues that truth is on the side of
George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...
and the
Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies representing the Thirteen Colonies and later the United States during the American Revolutionary War. It was formed on June 14, 1775, by a resolution passed by the Second Continental Co ...
and that the Scottish Gaels would do well to emigrate to the New World before the King and the landlords take every farthing they have left.


Recent history

The Rose Street drill hall was completed in around 1908. On 7 September 1921, the first British Cabinet meeting to be held outside London took place in the Inverness Town House, when
David Lloyd George David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor (17 January 1863 – 26 March 1945) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922. A Liberal Party (United Kingdom), Liberal Party politician from Wales, he was known for leadi ...
, on holiday in
Gairloch Gairloch ( ; , meaning "Short Loch") is a village, civil parish and community on the shores of Loch Gairloch in Wester Ross, in the North-West Highlands of Scotland. A tourist destination in the summer months, Gairloch has a golf course, a ...
, called an emergency meeting to discuss the situation in Ireland. The Inverness Formula composed at this meeting was the basis of the
Anglo-Irish Treaty The 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty (), commonly known in Ireland as The Treaty and officially the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty Between Great Britain and Ireland, was an agreement between the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain an ...
. Inverness has experienced rapid economic growth in the 21st century - between 1998 and 2008, Inverness and the rest of the central Highlands showed the largest growth of average economic productivity per person in Scotland and the second-greatest growth in the United Kingdom as a whole, with an increase of 86%. It was awarded the Nicholson Trophy (class 2 category) for the best town with between 20,000 and 50,000 inhabitants at
Britain in Bloom RHS Britain in Bloom is the largest horticultural campaign in the United Kingdom. It was first held in 1963, initiated by the British Tourist Board based on the example set by Fleurissement de France (now Conseil national de villes et villages ...
contest in 1975. In 2014, a survey by a property website described Inverness as the happiest place in Scotland and the second-happiest in the UK. Inverness was again found to be the happiest place in Scotland by a study conducted in 2015. Residents of Inverness expressed their disapproval of
Prince Andrew, Duke of York Prince Andrew, Duke of York (Andrew Albert Christian Edward; born 19 February 1960) is a member of the British royal family. He is the third child and second son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and a younger bro ...
, known by the title "Earl of Inverness", following
sexual assault Sexual assault is an act of sexual abuse in which one intentionally Physical intimacy, sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or Coercion, coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their w ...
allegations being made against him by Virginia Giuffre. In 2019, Inverness residents started a campaign to strip him of that title, stating that "it is inappropriate that Prince Andrew is associated with our beautiful city."


Demography


Toponymy

Inverness and its immediate hinterland have a large number of originally Gaelic place names, as the area was solidly Gaelic-speaking until the late 19th century. Several springs which were traditionally thought to have healing qualities exist around Inverness. ''Fuaran Dearg'', which translates as the "Red Spring", is a
chalybeate Chalybeate () waters, also known as Iron oxide, ferruginous waters, are mineral spring waters containing salts of iron. Name The word ''chalybeate'' is derived from the Latin word for steel, , which follows from the Ancient Greek, Greek word ...
spring located near Dochgarroch. ''Fuaran a' Chladaich ''("The Spring on the Beach") near Bunchrew was once accessed by a causeway from the shore. Although submerged at high tide it continues to bubble and was traditionally known for treating cholera. ''Fuaran Allt an Ionnlaid'' ("Well of the Washing Burn") at Clachnaharry, where the Marquis of Montrose was allowed to drink while on his way from his capture in Sutherland to his execution in Edinburgh, was known for treating skin conditions. Also at Clachnaharry, ''Fuaran Priseag'' ("The Precious Well") was said to have been blessed by Saint Kessock and could treat weak and sore eyes, as well as expelling evil and shielding curses if a silver coin was offered. ''Tobar na h-Oige'' ("Well of the Young") is located near Culloden and was known for curing all ailments. ''Fuaran a' Chragan Bhreag'' ("Well of the Speckled Rock") is located near Craig Dundain and ''Fuaran na Capaich'' ("The Keppoch Well") is located near Culloden. Inverness is also home to the Munlochy
Clootie Well A clootie well is a holy well (or sacred Spring (hydrosphere), spring), almost always with a tree growing beside it, where small strips of cloth or ribbons are left as part of a healing ritual, usually by tying them to branches of the tree (cal ...
. Although a Gaelic name itself, ''Craig Phadraig'' is alternatively known as ''Làrach an Taigh Mhóir'', or "the place of the Great house". Several Gaelic place names are now largely obsolete due to the feature being removed or forgotten. ''Drochaid an Easain Duibh'' ("Bridge by the Small Dark Waterfall"), referred to in the tale ''Aonghas Mòr Thom na h-Iubhraich agus na Sìthichean'' ("Great Angus of Tomnahurich and the Fairies") has not yet been located within Inverness and ''Slag nam Mèirleach'' (meaning "Robbers' hollow"), adjacent to Dores Road in Holm is no longer in use. Until the late 19th century, four mussel beds existed on the delta mouth of the River Ness: ''Scalp Phàdraig Mhòir'' ("Scalp of Great Patrick"), ''Rònach'' ("Place of the Seals"), ''Cridhe an Uisge'' ("The Water Heart") and ''Scalp nan Caorach'' ("Scalp of the Sheep") – these mussel beds were all removed to allow better access for fishing boats and ships. ''Allt Muineach'' (The Thicket River) now runs underground between Culcabock Roundabout and Millburn Roundabout. ''An Loch Gorm'' (The Turquoise Loch), a small sea loch which was situated beside Morrisons supermarket, was filled in during the 19th century and lives on only in the name of Lochgorm Warehouse. Abban Street stems from the word ''àban'', a word of local Gaelic dialect meaning a small channel of water. Many prominent points around Inverness retain fully Gaelic names. * Beinn Bhuidhe Bheag – "Little Yellow Hill" * Beinn Uan – "Lamb Hill" * Cnoc na Mòine – "The Peat Hill" * Cnoc na Gaoithe – "The Hill of the Wind" * Cnoc an t-Seòmair – "The Hill of the Room" * Creag Liath – "Grey Crag" * Creag nan Sidhean – "The Crag of the Fairies" * Doire Mhòr – "Great Oakwood" * Carn a' Bhodaich – "The Old Man's Cairn" * Meall Mòr – "Great Hill" In the colonial period, a Gaelic-speaking settlement named New Inverness was established in McIntosh County, Georgia, by settlers from in and around Inverness. The name was also given by expatriates to settlements in
Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...
,
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,
Montana Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...
,
Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
,
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
, and
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
. The name Inverness is also given to a feature on Miranda, a moon of the planet Uranus, as well as a 2637 m tall mountain in
British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
, Canada. Inverness is also known by its nicknames ''Inversnecky'' or ''The Sneck'', with its inhabitants traditionally known as ''Clann Na Cloiche'' ("Children of the Stone" in Gaelic) owing to the importance of the Clach Na Cudainn stone in the city's history. This large flat stone is now located outside the town hall, by the historic Mercat Cross. The stone was originally at the river Ness, where the towns women took their laundry. They would rest their tubs on the stone, thus it became known as the stone of the tubs - 'clach na cudainn'.


Population

The
National Records of Scotland National Records of Scotland () is a non-ministerial department of the Scottish Government. It is responsible for civil registration, the census in Scotland, demography and statistics, family history, as well as the national archives and hist ...
define Inverness as the urban area west of the A9. To produce a greater Inverness figure including the villages of Balloch, Culloden, Smithton, and Westhill, it is necessary to aggregate NRS figures for each locality.


Geography


Location

Inverness is situated at the mouth of the River Ness (which flows from nearby
Loch Ness Loch Ness (; ) is a large freshwater loch in the Scottish Highlands. It takes its name from the River Ness, which flows from the northern end. Loch Ness is best known for claimed sightings of the cryptozoology, cryptozoological Loch Ness Mons ...
) and at the south-western extremity of the
Moray Firth The Moray Firth (; , or ) is a roughly triangular inlet (or firth) of the North Sea, north and east of Inverness, which is in the Highland council area of the north of Scotland. It is the largest firth in Scotland, stretching from Duncans ...
. The city lies at the end of the Great Glen with Loch Ness, Loch Ashie and Loch Duntelchaig to the west. Inverness's
Caledonian Canal The Caledonian Canal connects the Scottish east coast at Inverness with the west coast at Corpach near Fort William in Scotland. The canal was constructed in the early nineteenth century by Scottish engineer Thomas Telford. Route The can ...
also runs through the Great Glen, connecting Loch Ness,
Loch Oich Loch Oich (; ) is a freshwater loch in the Highlands of Scotland which forms part of the Caledonian Canal, of which it is the highest point. This narrow loch lies between Loch Ness (to the north-east) and Loch Lochy (to the south-west) in the G ...
, and
Loch Lochy Loch Lochy () is a large freshwater loch in Lochaber, Highland (council area), Highland, Scotland. With a mean depth of , it is the third-deepest loch of Scotland. Geography Located southwest of Loch Ness along the Glen Albyn, Great Glen, the lo ...
. The Ness Islands, a publicly owned park, consists of two wooded islands connected by footbridges and has been used as a place of recreation since the 1840s. Craig Phadraig, once an ancient Gaelic and Pictish hillfort, is a hill which offers hikes on a clear pathway through the wooded terrain. Inverness lies on the Great Glen Fault. There are minor earthquakes, usually unnoticed by locals, about every 3 years. The last earthquake to affect Inverness was in 1934.


Climate

Like most of the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
, Inverness has an
oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen climate classification, Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of co ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
: ''Cfb''). The climate here is cooler than in more southerly parts of Britain. The highest temperature recorded was in July 2006 and June 2018, and the lowest temperature recorded was in January 2010. Typically, the warmest day of the year rises to around and the coldest night falls to around . The climate in this area is characterised by relatively small differences between annual high and low temperatures, as well as adequate rainfall year-round.


Health

Raigmore Hospital Raigmore Hospital () is a health facility located in Inverness, Scotland. It serves patients from the local area as well as providing specialist services to patients from across the Highland area. It is a teaching hospital, educating a range of ...
is the main hospital in Inverness and the entire Highland region. The present hospital opened in 1970, replacing wartime wards dating from 1941. Raigmore is a teaching hospital for the universities of
Aberdeen Aberdeen ( ; ; ) is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, third most populous Cities of Scotland, Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeensh ...
and
Stirling Stirling (; ; ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in Central Belt, central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town#Scotland, market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the roya ...
. A Centre for Health Science (CfHS) is located behind the hospital. This is funded by Highlands and Islands Enterprise, the
Scottish Government The Scottish Government (, ) is the executive arm of the devolved government of Scotland. It was formed in 1999 as the Scottish Executive following the 1997 referendum on Scottish devolution, and is headquartered at St Andrew's House in ...
and
Johnson & Johnson Johnson & Johnson (J&J) is an American multinational pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical technologies corporation headquartered in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange. Its common stock is a c ...
. Phase I of this opened in early 2007, with phase II and phase III housing The Diabetes Institute opening in 2009. The University of Stirling moved its nursing and midwifery teaching operations from Raigmore Hospital to the CfHS. The
University of the Highlands and Islands The University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) () is an integrated, tertiary institution encompassing both further and higher education. It is composed of 10 colleges and research institutions spread around Inverness, the Highlands and Isl ...
also has strong links with the Centre through its Faculty of Health.


Economy

Most of the traditional industries such as
distilling Distillation, also classical distillation, is the process of separating the component substances of a liquid mixture of two or more chemically discrete substances; the separation process is realized by way of the selective boiling of the mixt ...
have been replaced by high-tech businesses, such as the design and manufacture of
diabetes Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a group of common endocrine diseases characterized by sustained high blood sugar levels. Diabetes is due to either the pancreas not producing enough of the hormone insulin, or the cells of th ...
diagnostic kits (by LifeScan). Highlands and Islands Enterprise has principally funded the Centre for Health Science to attract more businesses in the medical and medical devices business to the area. Inverness is home to Scottish Natural Heritage following that body's relocation from Edinburgh under the auspices of the
Scottish Government The Scottish Government (, ) is the executive arm of the devolved government of Scotland. It was formed in 1999 as the Scottish Executive following the 1997 referendum on Scottish devolution, and is headquartered at St Andrew's House in ...
's decentralisation strategy. SNH provides a large number of jobs in the area. Inverness City Centre lies on the east bank of the river and is linked to the west side of the town by three road bridges – Ness Bridge, Friars Bridge and the Black (or Waterloo) Bridge – and by one of the town's suspension foot bridges, the Greig Street Bridge. The traditional city centre was a triangle bounded by High Street, Church Street and Academy Street, within which Union Street and Queensgate are cross streets parallel to High Street. Between Union Street and Queensgate is the Victorian Market, which contains a large number of small shops. The main Inverness railway station is almost directly opposite the Academy Street entrance to the Market. From the 1970s, the Eastgate Shopping Centre was developed to the east of High Street, with a substantial extension being completed in 2003.


Education

The city has a number of different education providers. Inverness is catered for by about a dozen primary schools including Bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig Inbhir Nis, a specialised institution situated at Slackbuie. There are five secondary schools: Inverness High School,
Inverness Royal Academy Inverness Royal Academy is a comprehensive secondary school in the city of Inverness in the Highland area of Scotland. A former grammar school with a history dating back to the 13th century, the academy became a comprehensive in the mid-1970s ...
, Charleston Academy, Millburn Academy, and
Culloden Academy Culloden Academy () is a non- denominational secondary school in Culloden, Highland, Scotland. The present enrollment is 1,117 pupils. The catchment area includes Balloch, Croy, Smithton, Cradlehall and Ardersier in the east of Inverness. A ...
. Additionally there i
UHI Inverness
which offers flexible learning opportunities from access level through to PhD. The city also has a new Centre for Health Sciences adjacent to Raigmore Hospital. UHI Inverness is a partner of th
University of the Highlands and Islands
(UHI), an integrated university encompassing both further and higher education. The university partnership is made up of 12 colleges and research institutions located across the Highlands and Islands, Moray and Perthshire. In 2015, the college moved to a new location, on th
Inverness Campus
The original outline planning application forms a vision for the development over the next thirty years. The application includes: *Academic buildings – up to 70,480 m2 *Business and incubation units – up to 49,500 m2 *Indoor sports complex – up to 9,000 m2 *Student and other short term residences – 44,950 m2 *Associated landscape, open space, outdoor recreation, infrastructure and services necessary to support the development phases *Up to 200 residential units *A social enterprise-run hotel The campus at Beechwood, just off the A9 east of Inverness, is considered to be one of the most important developments for the region over the next 20 years. The principal of UHI, James Fraser, said: "This is a flagship development which will provide Inverness with a university campus and vibrant student life. It will have a major impact on the city and on the Highlands and Islands. UHI is a partnership of colleges and research centres throughout the region, and the development of any one partner brings strength to the whole institution." It is estimated that the new campus would contribute more than £50m to the economy of the Highlands because it could attract innovative commercial businesses interested in research and development, while increasing the number of students who study within the city by around 3,000.


Transport


Road network

Inverness is linked to the Black Isle across the Moray Firth by the Kessock Bridge. Three
trunk road A trunk road is a major highway with a specific legal classification in some jurisdictions, notably the United Kingdom, Sweden and formerly Ireland. Trunk roads are planned and managed at the national-level, distinguishing them from non-trunk ro ...
s link Inverness with the rest of Scotland – the A9 north to Thurso and Wick, and south to Perth (carrying European Route E15) and the
Central Belt The Central Belt of Scotland is the Demographics of Scotland, area of highest population density within Scotland. Depending on the definition used, it has a population of between 2.4 and 4.2 million (the country's total was around 5.4 million in ...
, the A82 to Glasgow via Fort William and the A96 to Elgin and Aberdeen. Plans are in place to convert the A96 between Inverness and
Nairn Nairn (; ) is a town and former royal burgh in the Highland (council area), Highland Council council areas of Scotland, area of Scotland. It is an ancient fishing port and market town around east of Inverness, at the point where the River Nair ...
to a dual carriageway and to construct a southern bypass that would link the A9, A82 and A96 together involving crossings of the Caledonian Canal and the River Ness in the Torvean area, southwest of the town. The bypass, known as the Inverness Trunk Road Link (TRL), is aimed at resolving Inverness's transport problems and has been split into two separate projects, the east and west sections. In late 2008 the controversial decision by the Scottish Government not to include the full Inverness bypass in its transport plan for the next 20 years was made. The government's Strategic Transport Projects Review did include the eastern section of the route, which will see the A9 at Inshes linked to the A96. The absence of the TRL's western section, which would include a permanent crossing over the Caledonian Canal and River Ness, sparked dismay among several Highland councillors and business leaders in Inverness who feel the bypass is vital for the city's future economic growth. Ultimately both sections received funding from the Inverness and Highland city-region deal. The eastern section now also includes a commitment to upgrade the Longman Roundabout to a grade separated interchange. The east section will bypass Inshes Roundabout, a notorious traffic bottleneck, using a new road linking the existing Southern Distributor with the A9 and the A96, both via grade separated interchanges. This proposed new link road would separate strategic traffic from local traffic. It will also accommodate the proposed developments at Inverness Shopping Park, West Seafield Business Park, Inverness Campus and housing developments at Ashton Farm, Stratton and Culloden West. An indicative timescale for completion of this section is the dualling of the A96 from Inverness to Nairn. The west section is intended to provide an alternate route connecting the A9 with the A82. This will bypass the city centre by providing additional crossings of the River Ness and Caledonian Canal. At the west end, two options for crossing the River Ness and
Caledonian Canal The Caledonian Canal connects the Scottish east coast at Inverness with the west coast at Corpach near Fort William in Scotland. The canal was constructed in the early nineteenth century by Scottish engineer Thomas Telford. Route The can ...
were developed. One involving a high level vertical opening
bridge A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, whi ...
which will allow the majority of
canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface ...
traffic to pass under without the need for opening. The other involved a bridge over the river and an aqueduct under the canal. Both of these designs are technically complex and were considered in detail along by the key stakeholders involved in the project. Ultimately it was decided that a bridge would be constructed over the River Ness and a second swing bridge be constructed over the Caledonian Canal. This second swing bridge would operate in tandem with the current swing bridge enabling a constant flow of traffic. The works started on site on the 10 June 2019 and include a roundabout, realignment of General Booth Road onto the A82, and a second bridge across the Caledonian Canal. The works were programmed to be complete in December 2020. However, due to a number of construction delays the section was opened in August 2021. In late 2008 the Scottish Government's transport plan for the next 20 years was announced. It brings forward planned improvements to the A9 in an attempt to stimulate the economy and protect jobs. Work costing a total of £8.5 million was undertaken at Moy, Carrbridge, and
Bankfoot Bankfoot is a village in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, approximately north of Perth and south of Dunkeld. Bankfoot had a population of 1,136 in 2001. In the 2011 Census the population of Bankfoot was 1,110 people with there being a slightly h ...
. Northbound overtaking lanes were created and the carriageway was reconstructed at both Moy and Carrbridge. Junction improvements were also made at Moy. In November 2011 the Scottish Government announced that it will upgrade the entire road from Perth to Inverness to dual carriageway. Work on this project was scheduled to be completed in 2025, at a cost of £3 billion. However, in 2023, this project was announced to be an impossible deadline, with a mere 11 miles having been dualled since it was announced in 2011, to severe uproar from people across the Highlands, as well as neighbouring
Moray Moray ( ; or ) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with a coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland. Its council is based in Elgin, the area' ...
, subsequently, the project was extended by a further 10 years to 2035, with
Michael Gove Michael Andrew Gove, Baron Gove (; born Graeme Andrew Logan, 26 August 1967) is a British politician and journalist who served in various Cabinet of the United Kingdom, Cabinet positions under David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson and Rish ...
stating that the A9 had to be dualled north of Inverness to Nigg in order to assist with the UK Government's " Levelling Up" programme at the port. In July 2013, the Scottish Government announced a plan to install average speed cameras on the A9 between Perth and Inverness. This has been undertaken with an aim to reduce accidents and fatalities on the road, and will be the second permanent average speed camera scheme in Scotland. As of October 2021, 2 sections of the upgraded route have been opened. In August 2021 the procurement process for the Tomatin to Moy section was started. Once this section is completed, there will be 20 miles (32 km) of continuous dual carriageway south of Inverness. In December 2011, The Scottish Government announced its intention to dual the A96 between Inverness and Aberdeen. The project will include upgrading the remaining 86 miles (138 km) of single carriageway along the route to dual carriageway at a cost of £3 billion. The first section to be dualled will be the section between Inverness and Auldearn. This will include a bypass of
Nairn Nairn (; ) is a town and former royal burgh in the Highland (council area), Highland Council council areas of Scotland, area of Scotland. It is an ancient fishing port and market town around east of Inverness, at the point where the River Nair ...
and the construction of a number of grade separated interchanges along the route.


Public transport

Inverness bus station is situated at Farraline Park and can be accessed from Academy Street and Margaret Street. The bus station is managed by
The Highland Council The Highland Council (' ) is the local authority for Highland, one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. The council is based at the Highland Council Headquarters in Inverness. History The Highland area had been created as an administrative ...
and is a short walk away from the Inverness railway station and the main shopping area. Permission was granted to demolish the existing bus station in 2000. It was then replaced with a new terminal building in the early 2000s. The bus station's main operators include Stagecoach in Inverness and Stagecoach in Lochaber. Buses operate from the bus station around the town of Inverness and to Inverness Airport and to places as far afield as Fort William, Ullapool,
Thurso Thurso (pronounced ; , ) is a town and former burgh on the north coast of the Highland council area of Scotland. Situated in the historical County of Caithness, it is the northernmost town on the island of Great Britain. From a latitudinal s ...
, and
Aberdeen Aberdeen ( ; ; ) is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, third most populous Cities of Scotland, Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeensh ...
. Megabus and Scottish Citylink operate a regular coach service to the Scotland's capital
Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
with connections to
Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...
at
Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...
.
National Express Coaches National Express, also abbreviated NX, is a Intercity bus service, long and medium-distance intercity coach operator operating services throughout Great Britain. It is a subsidiary of the British multinational public transport company Mobico G ...
operate an overnight service from Inverness to London (Victoria) via Edinburgh taking 15 hours 5 minutes. Stagecoach Highlands is the division of the
Stagecoach Group Stagecoach Group is a transport group based in Perth, Scotland. It operates buses and express coaches in the United Kingdom. Stagecoach was originally founded in 1976 as ''Gloagtrotter'', a recreational vehicle and minibus hire business. Dur ...
which covers most of the former Rapson Group operations after the take-over by Stagecoach. It covers the following depots of the Stagecoach Group. * Fort William (Ardgour Road, Caol) (t/a Stagecoach in Lochaber) *
Kirkwall Kirkwall (, , or ; ) is the largest town in Orkney, an archipelago to the north of mainland Scotland. First mentioned in the ''Orkneyinga saga'', it is today the location of the headquarters of the Orkney Islands Council and a transport hub wi ...
(Scott's Road Hatston Industrial Estate) (t/a Stagecoach in Orkney) *
Portree Portree (; , ) is the capital and largest town of the Isle of Skye in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland.W.H. Murray, Murray, W.H. (1966) ''The Hebrides''. London. Heinemann. Pages 154-155. It is a civil parishes in Scotland, civil parish and lies ...
(Park Road) (t/a Stagecoach in Skye) *
Thurso Thurso (pronounced ; , ) is a town and former burgh on the north coast of the Highland council area of Scotland. Situated in the historical County of Caithness, it is the northernmost town on the island of Great Britain. From a latitudinal s ...
(Janet Street) (t/a Stagecoach in Caithness) There are various outstations over the division area due to the rural nature of the area covered. The operation from
Aviemore Aviemore (; ) is a town and tourist resort, situated within the Cairngorms National Park in the Highlands of Scotland. It is in the Badenoch and Strathspey committee area, within the Highland council area. The town is popular for skiing and ...
depot comes under the East Scotland division as it trades as Stagecoach in Inverness.


Rail

ScotRail ScotRail Trains Limited, trading as ScotRail (), is a Scottish train operating company that is publicly owned by Scottish Rail Holdings on behalf of the Scottish Government. It has been operating the ScotRail franchise as an operator of las ...
services connect Inverness railway station to
Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...
,
Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
,
Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...
,
Aberdeen Aberdeen ( ; ; ) is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, third most populous Cities of Scotland, Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeensh ...
,
Thurso Thurso (pronounced ; , ) is a town and former burgh on the north coast of the Highland council area of Scotland. Situated in the historical County of Caithness, it is the northernmost town on the island of Great Britain. From a latitudinal s ...
,
Wick Wick most often refers to: * Capillary action ("wicking") ** Candle wick, the cord used in a candle or oil lamp ** Solder wick, a copper-braided wire used to desolder electronic contacts Wick or WICK may also refer to: Places and placenames ...
, and Kyle of Lochalsh. Inverness is connected to London Euston by the ''
Caledonian Sleeper ''Caledonian Sleeper'' is the collective name for overnight Sleeping car, sleeper train services between London and Scotland, in the United Kingdom. It is one of only two currently operating sleeper services on the railway in the United Kingdom ...
'', which departs six times a week, and by the
London North Eastern Railway London North Eastern Railway (LNER) is a British train operating company which operates most services on the East Coast Main Line. It is owned by DfT Operator for the Department for Transport (DfT). The company's name echoes that of the Londo ...
-operated ''
Highland Chieftain * Sundays, Southbound only The ''Highland Chieftain'' is a named British passenger train operated by London North Eastern Railway. It operates daily in each direction between London King's Cross and Inverness via the East Coast and Highl ...
'' to London King's Cross, which runs daily. Inverness Airport station, opened in 2023, serves the city's airport, and is served by services between Inverness and Aberdeen.


Port of Inverness

The Port of Inverness is located at the mouth of the River Ness. It has four quays and receives over 300 vessels a year.


Air

Inverness Airport is located northeast of the city and has scheduled flights to airports across the UK including London,
Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
,
Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...
and the islands to the north and west of Scotland, as well as a number of flights to Europe.
Loganair Loganair is a Scottish regional airline headquartered at Glasgow Airport in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland. The airline primarily operates domestic flights within the United Kingdom. It is the largest regional airline in Scotland by passenger ...
operate Saab 340 and Saab 2000 aircraft on routes to
Benbecula Benbecula ( ; or ) is an island of the Outer Hebrides in the Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of Scotland. In the 2011 census, it had a resident population of 1,283 with a sizable percentage of Roman Catholics. It is in a zone administered by ...
,
Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
,
Kirkwall Kirkwall (, , or ; ) is the largest town in Orkney, an archipelago to the north of mainland Scotland. First mentioned in the ''Orkneyinga saga'', it is today the location of the headquarters of the Orkney Islands Council and a transport hub wi ...
,
Stornoway Stornoway (; ) is the main town, and by far the largest, of the Outer Hebrides (or Western Isles), and the capital of Lewis and Harris in Scotland. The town's population is around 6,953, making it the third-largest island town in Scotlan ...
, and Sumburgh.
EasyJet EasyJet plc (styled as easyJet) is a British multinational low-cost airline group headquartered at London Luton Airport. It operates domestic and international scheduled services on 927 routes in more than 34 countries via its affiliate airlin ...
operate Airbus aircraft to London Gatwick three times per day,
Luton Luton () is a town and borough in Bedfordshire, England. The borough had a population of 225,262 at the 2021 census. Luton is on the River Lea, about north-west of London. The town's foundation dates to the sixth century as a Saxon settleme ...
twice a day and Bristol Airport, Bristol. British Airways operates a daily service to Heathrow Airport, London Heathrow, and KLM operate a daily service to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Amsterdam.


Government

There are two tiers of local government covering Inverness. Most functions are provided by the Highland Council, which is based in the city. There is also a lower tier of List of community council areas in Scotland, community councils, with the urban area of Inverness straddling several communities.


Administrative history

From when it was made a
royal burgh A royal burgh ( ) was a type of Scottish burgh which had been founded by, or subsequently granted, a royal charter. Although abolished by law in 1975, the term is still used by many former royal burghs. Most royal burghs were either created by ...
in the 12th century, Inverness was governed by the town council of the burgh until 1975. It was also the seat of the Sheriff of Inverness, who had responsibility for administering justice across
Inverness-shire Inverness-shire () or the County of Inverness, is a Counties of Scotland, historic county in Scotland. It is named after Inverness, its largest settlement, which was also the county town. Covering much of the Scottish Highlands, Highlands and s ...
. When elected county councils were introduced in 1890 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889, Inverness was considered large enough for its existing town council to provide county-level local government functions, and so it was excluded from the administrative area of Inverness-shire County Council. Inverness was subsequently brought within the administrative area of the county council in 1930, but classed as a large burgh, allowing the town council to continue to provide most local government services. The burgh of Inverness was abolished in 1975 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, which abolished Scotland's counties, burghs and landward districts and replaced them with a two-tier system of Local government areas of Scotland (1975–1996), regions and districts. Inverness therefore became part of the larger Inverness (district), Inverness district, which was one of eight districts within the Highland (council area), Highland region. The Inverness district covered the area of the former burgh plus an extensive rural area around the city, being the area of the two former landward districts of Inverness (covering the rural area generally east of
Loch Ness Loch Ness (; ) is a large freshwater loch in the Scottish Highlands. It takes its name from the River Ness, which flows from the northern end. Loch Ness is best known for claimed sightings of the cryptozoology, cryptozoological Loch Ness Mons ...
and Inverness itself) and The Aird, Aird (covering the area generally west of Inverness and Loch Ness. Inverness District Council was based at Inverness Town House on the High Street in the centre of Inverness, which had been completed in 1882 for the old Inverness Town Council. The districts and regions created in 1975 were abolished in 1996, under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 and replaced with single-tier Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The Highland region became one of the new council areas. The Highland Council has a number of area committees for debating local matters. One of the committees is called the City of Inverness Area Committee, comprising the councillors who represent the wards which broadly correspond to the pre-1996 Inverness District. The area committee choses one of its members to take the title of Provost of Inverness.


City status

In 2001, City status in the United Kingdom, city status was granted to the "Town of Inverness", and letters patent were taken into the possession of the Highland Council by the convener of the Inverness area committee. These letters patent, which were sealed in March 2001 and are held by Inverness Museum and Art Gallery, create a city of Inverness, but do not refer to any defined boundaries for the city. In January 2008 a petition to matriculate coat of arms, armorial bearings for the City of Inverness was refused by Lord Lyon King of Arms on the grounds that there is no legal body (such as a council) to which arms for Inverness can be granted.


Parliamentary representation

There are two existing Parliament of the United Kingdom, parliamentary constituencies (UK), constituencies with ''Inverness'' as an element in their names: * One county constituency of the House of Commons (UK), House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (Palace of Westminster, Westminster): ** Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire (first established in 2024 and replacing the previous Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey (UK Parliament constituency), Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, which existed between 2005 and 2019) currently represented by Angus MacDonald of the Scottish Liberal Democrats * One constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Scottish Parliament Building, Holyrood), created in 2011: ** Inverness and Nairn (Scottish Parliament constituency), Inverness and Nairn, currently represented by Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) Fergus Ewing These existing constituencies are effectively subdivisions of the Highland (council area), Highland Council areas of Scotland, council area, but boundaries for Westminster elections are now very different from those for Holyrood elections. The Holyrood constituencies are also subdivisions of the Highlands and Islands (Scottish Parliament electoral region), Highlands and Islands Scottish Parliament constituencies and regions, electoral region. Historically there have been six Westminster constituencies: * One burgh constituency: ** Inverness Burghs, 1708 to 1918 * Five county constituencies: ** Inverness-shire (UK Parliament constituency), Inverness-shire, 1708 to 1918 ** Inverness (UK Parliament constituency), Inverness, 1918 to 1983 ** Inverness, Nairn and Lochaber (UK Parliament constituency), Inverness, Nairn and Lochaber, 1983 to 1997 ** Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber (UK Parliament constituency), Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, 1997 to 2005 ** Ross, Skye and Inverness West (UK Parliament constituency), Ross, Skye and Inverness West, 1997 to 2005 Inverness Burghs was a district of burghs constituency, covering the parliamentary burghs of Inverness, Fortrose, Forres, and
Nairn Nairn (; ) is a town and former royal burgh in the Highland (council area), Highland Council council areas of Scotland, area of Scotland. It is an ancient fishing port and market town around east of Inverness, at the point where the River Nair ...
. Inverness-shire covered, at least nominally, the county of Inverness minus the Inverness parliamentary burgh. As created in 1918, Inverness covered the county minus Outer Hebrides, Outer Hebridean areas, which were merged into the Western Isles (UK Parliament constituency), Western Isles constituency. The Inverness constituency included the former parliamentary burgh of Inverness. As created in 1983, Inverness, Nairn and Lochaber was one of three constituencies covering the Highland Regions and districts of Scotland, region, which had been created in 1975. As first used in 1997, the Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, and Ross, Skye and Inverness West constituencies were effectively two of three constituencies covering the Highland unitary council area, which had been created in 1996.


Culture


Twin towns – sister cities

Inverness is Sister city, twinned with: *Augsburg, Germany (1956) *La Baule-Escoublac, France (1981) *Saint-Valery-en-Caux, France (1987)


Arts and events

The main theatre, cinema and arts centre in Inverness is called Eden Court, Eden Court Theatre. Other venues in the city include Inverness Museum and Art Gallery, The Iron Works, The Northern Meeting Park and Wasp Studios. Inverness is an important centre for bagpipes, bagpipe players and lovers, since every September the city hosts the Northern Meeting. The Inverness cape, a garment worn in the rain by pipers the world over, is not necessarily made in Inverness. Another major event in calendar is the annual City of Inverness Highland Games. The event can trace its roots back to one of the first Highland Games staged in the modern era; the True Highland Games which was staged in 1822 by members of the Northern Meeting Society. In 1864 the Northern Meeting Society built the world's first Highland Games stadium, the Northern Meeting Park. The last Northern Meeting Highland Games was staged in 1938 and following the Second World War, responsibility for the organisation of the annual event passed to the Town Council who moved the event to Bught Park in 1948. In 2006 Inverness hosted Scotland's biggest ever Highland Games over two days in July, featuring the Masters' World Championships, the showcase event for heavies aged over 40 years. The first year that the Masters' World Championships had been held outside the United States was 2006, and it attracted many top heavies from around the world to the Inverness area. The Masters World Championships returned in 2009 when it was staged as part of the Homecoming celebrations. In 2010, the City of Inverness Highland Games returned to Northern Meeting Park where it remains to this day. Actress Karen Gillan is the ambassador for Theatre Art Education. Inverness has gained notoriety as well for being featured in the Outlander (novel), ''Outlander'' novel series by author Diana Gabaldon. The Tartan Heart Festival in the nearby village of Kiltarlity, is a summer festival that brings a variety of music to the area. British Forces Broadcasting Service, BFBS Radio broadcasts on 87.7FM as part of its UK Bases network. Inverness Botanic Gardens is located in Bught Park a few minutes walk from the west bank of the River Ness near to the Ness Islands. In 2007, the city hosted Highland 2007, a celebration of the culture of the Scottish Highlands, Highlands, and will also host the World Highland Games Heavy Championships (21 & 22 July) and European Pipe Band Championships (28 July). 2008 saw the first Hi-Ex (Highlands International Comics Expo), held at the Eden Court Theatre.Scots' impact on comics examined
BBC, 18 January 2008
Inverness is the location of
Macbeth ''The Tragedy of Macbeth'', often shortened to ''Macbeth'' (), is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, estimated to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the physically violent and damaging psychological effects of political ambiti ...
's castle in Shakespeare's play. Inverness Library is located in Farraline Park, housed in what was originally the Bell's school, designed by William Robertson in the Greek Revival style. The school was built with help from a £10,000 donation from Andrew Bell (educationalist), Dr Andrew Bell in 1837.


Media

BBC Scotland has a studio in the city which broadcast the local opt-out of BBC Radio Scotland and BBC Radio nan Gàidheal. Television signals are received from the Rosemarkie transmitting station, Rosemarkie TV transmitter and the local relay transmitter situated in the centre of the city. The commercial radio station, ''Moray Firth Radio'' (MFR (radio station), MRF) is also based in the city located on Scorguie Place. ''The Inverness Courier'' is the local weekly newspaper which publishes on Fridays.


Language

Historically, Inverness had a solidly Scottish Gaelic speaking population, with the majority of the population having Gaelic as their first language. From approximately the end of the 19th century, particularly following the Education (Scotland) Act 1872, 1872 Education Act, which made school attendance compulsory and required that only English be taught and tolerated in the schools on pain of corporal punishment, Inverness suffered a decline in the number of Gaelic speakers in line with the rest of the once Scottish Highlands, Gaidhealtachd / Scottish Highlands. Despite the local dialect of Scottish Gaelic gradually falling out of use (although it continued to affect the local Highland English dialect), the language is still spoken locally in other dialects and the Mid-Minch Gaelic, main standardised form. By the end of the 19th century, some rural areas to the south east of Inverness still had completely Gaelic-speaking populations, such as Strath Dearn where almost 100% of the population were still Gaelic speaking. 1677: Inverness was described as "overwhelmingly" Gaelic speaking by the traveller Thomas Kirk. 1704: Close to 100% of the population was fluent in Gaelic with over 75% of the population only able to speak Gaelic. Edward Lhuyd published major work on Inverness Gaelic and after collecting data from between 1699 and 1700, his findings showed a distinct dialect in the area. The clear dialect of Inverness Gaelic was held in high regard by speakers of other forms, such as those from Lewis, Sutherland and Ross. Gaelic remained the principal language of Invernessians for the rest of the 18th century, despite growing pressure from outwith the Highlands in both political and social contexts. 1798: Thomas Garnett (Professor of Natural Philosophy and Chemistry in the Royal Institution of Great Britain) observed that Inverness had become largely bilingual with Invernessians using Gaelic as the language of the home but English as the language of foreign trade – however, the older generation at the time generally only had the Gaelic. Speaking of those in the countryside immediately surrounding Inverness, Garnett stated that although in Inverness both Gaelic and English "are spoken promiscuously...the language of the country people is Gaelic." 1828: John Wood praised the standard of both the Gaelic and English spoken in Inverness stating that both languages were spoken with "utmost purity." He noted that children would casually flit between the two languages while playing, asking questions in Gaelic while receiving answers in English and vice versa. 1882: ''The Celtic Magazine'', published in Inverness, complained that enumerators of the 1881 census who assessed whether families were Gaelic speaking, English speaking or both, had supplied false information. The magazine wrote that "whole families .... scarcely any member of whom can express the commonest idea intelligently in English – who are in every sense Gaelic-speaking people only – were returned by the enumerators as English-speaking." 1901: Inhabitants of Inverness voiced regret at the very swift decay of the native language in the short space of twenty years following a complete absence of bilingual education and disregard for Gaelic. The number of Gaelic speakers has fluctuated over the last century. In 1881, the census reported 4,047 Gaelic speakers in Inverness (23.3% of the population) which by 1891 had risen to 6,356 speakers (30.47%).Withers, C. ''Gaelic in Scotland'' (1984) John Donald Publishers By 1901 this figure had dropped to 5,072 speakers (23.88%) of the population, from which it continued to drop to present day numbers through emigration and language shift. Scottish Gaelic is slowly re-appearing in the linguistic landscape, appearing on some signs around Inverness. Bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig Inbhir Nis, which opened in August 2007 as a primary school of Scottish Gaelic-medium education, is nearing full capacity and was extended to allow for more pupils in August 2010. For a city of its size, Inverness today has a relatively high density of Gaelic speakers and a relatively lively Gaelic scene, making it one of the centres of the Scottish Gaelic Renaissance. According to the 2011 census, 4.8% of residents of greater Inverness over age 3 speak Gaelic compared to 1.1% nationally. At 2,800 Gaelic speakers, only Greater Glasgow and
Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
have a higher absolute total. Bòrd na Gàidhlig, an organisation responsible for supporting and promoting the use of Scottish Gaelic nationwide, has its main office in Inverness.Bòrd na Gàidhlig
Other Gaelic related groups include the Inverness Gaelic Choir which has existed for over 70 years. Inverness also hosted the Royal National Mòd in 2014, a festival, inspired by the Welsh Eisteddfod, celebrating Scottish Gaelic culture, Scottish Gaelic literature, literature, and Gaelic music, music.


Cityscape

Important buildings in Inverness include Inverness Castle, and various churches. The castle was built in 1835 on the site of its medieval predecessor. Until 30 March 2020, it housed Inverness Sheriff Court: this has now been moved to the Inverness Justice Centre. Inverness Cathedral, dedicated to St Andrew, is a cathedral of the Scottish Episcopal Church and seat of the Ordinary (officer), ordinary of the Diocese of Moray, Ross and Caithness. The cathedral has a curiously square-topped look to its spires, as funds ran out before they could be completed. The oldest church is the Old High Church, on St Michael's Mount by the riverside, a site perhaps used for worship since Celtic times. The church tower dates from mediaeval times, making it the oldest surviving building in Inverness. It is used by the Church of Scotland congregation of Old High St Stephen's, Inverness, and it is the venue for the annual Kirking of the council, which is attended by local councillors. There is no Catholic Church in Scotland, Catholic cathedral in the area as the Roman Catholic Diocese of Aberdeen, Diocesan cathedral (St Mary's Cathedral, Aberdeen, St Mary) is at
Aberdeen Aberdeen ( ; ; ) is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, third most populous Cities of Scotland, Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeensh ...
. The Catholic population is served by two parish churches: St Mary's, Inverness founded in 1837, is the older of the two and the first Catholic parish founded and built in Inverness after nearly three hundred years of religious persecution was ended by Catholic Emancipation in 1829. St Ninian's was built during the 1960s and 1970s. Porterfield Prison, officially Inverness (HM Prison), HMP Inverness, serves the courts of the Highlands, Western Isles, Orkney Isles and Moray, providing secure custody for all Detention of suspects, remand prisoners and short-term adult prisoners, both male and female, who are segregated.


Sports and leisure

Inverness is connected to three long-distance footpaths: * The Great Glen Way – connects to Fort William, Highland, Fort William along the Great Glen * The John o' Groats Trail – connects to John o' Groats along the coast * The South Loch Ness Trail – connects to Fort Augustus along the southeast side of Loch Ness Inverness has been home to many football clubs, mainly in the Highland Football League, Highland League due to the inaccessibility to be promoted into the Scottish football league system, SFA Pyramid until 2013. Inverness Union F.C., Inverness Union, Inverness Citadel F.C., Inverness Citadel, Clachnacuddin F.C., Clachnacuddin, Caledonian F.C., Caledonian and Inverness Thistle F.C., Inverness Thistle were all founder members of the Highland League in 1893, with Inverness Celtic F.C., Inverness Celtic joining in 1897 before disappearing a few years later. Inverness Union merged with Inverness Thistle in 1895, and Inverness Citadel folding in 1937, with the team name being revived at amateur level in 2010. In 1994, Caledonian and Inverness Thistle merged to form Caledonian Thistle, later Inverness Caledonian Thistle F.C., Inverness Caledonian Thistle, to gain election into the Scottish Football League, before going on to gain promotion to the Scottish Premier League in 2004, and winning the Scottish Cup and playing in the UEFA Europa League in 2015. After the cup win, the club went into a swift, but steady, decline, and eventually into Scottish League One and Administration (British football), administration in October 2024. Clachnacuddin F.C., Clachnacuddin remain in the Highland League, winning the league as recently as 2004. In 2006, Inverness City F.C., Inverness City was founded, playing in the North Caledonian Football Association, North Caledonian League and the North Region Junior Football League, North Region Junior Leagues until being folded in 2019. In 2016, the city's third active, and ninth total, team, Inverness Athletic F.C., Inverness Athletic was founded and are currently playing in the North Caledonian League. In 2020, Loch Ness F.C., Loch Ness joined the North Caledonian League, making the step up from the Inverness and District Football Association, Inverness and District League, before withdrawing in 2024. A fourth club is expected to join the active list, with a new Inverness Thistle F.C. (2024), Inverness Thistle being brought forward in hopes to join the North Caledonian League for the 2025–26 season. Highland RFC is the local rugby union club that competes in the Scottish National League Division One. It has enjoyed recent promotions in the past several years and continues to be a hub for rugby in the North of Scotland. Shinty is an integral part of the Highlands and Islands. As the capital of the Highlands, Camanachd Association is based in Inverness and the city often hosts a wealth of Shinty finals such as the Camanachd Cup Final (the pinnacle of Shinty) as well as the international game of Shinty and Irish hurling. Despite Inverness Shinty Club not being particularly successful in recent years, some of the towns and villages that surround the city have been, such as Kiltarlity who are the home of Lovat Shinty Club (recent winners of the MacTavish Cup 2013) and Glen Urquhart. Highland HC is the local hockey team, it consists of two men's teams, two ladies teams and a junior team. with both Men's & Ladies' 1st teams in Scottish National Division 2. The Men's 1st team successfully gained promotion from Scottish National Division 3 in 2011. Inverness Blitz is a charity that promotes the development of American football in Inverness and the surrounding area. Bught Park, located in the centre of Inverness is the finishing point of the annual Loch Ness Marathon and home of Inverness Shinty Club. In 2011 European Tour, 2011, Inverness hosted professional golf with the Scottish Open (golf), Scottish Open on the PGA European Tour, European Tour, played at Castle Stuart the week before 2011 Open Championship, The Open Championship. Cricket is also played in Inverness, with both Highland CC and Northern Counties playing in the North of Scotland Cricket Association League and 7 welfare league teams playing midweek cricket at Fraser Park. Both teams have been very successful over the years. Stock car racing was staged in Inverness circa 1973. Inverness has a mixed basketball team, the Inverness Giants, who play exhibition games against local teams throughout the North and Islands.


Notable people

*John Findlater – Meteorologist, aviation expert and air crash investigator *Mike Edwards (Scottish journalist) – Journalist *Laura Muir – World champion runner, 1500m Silver Medallist at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics *Charlie Christie – Footballer *Ryan Christie – Footballer for English Premier League side, Bournemouth, and Scotland *Charles Fraser-Mackintosh, Charles Fraser Mackintosh (Teàrlach Friseal Mac An Toisich) – Lawyer, author and politician. Born and raised in Inverness and represented the Highlands in Westminster. *Yvette Cooper – The Home Secretary was born in Inverness *Don Cowie (footballer), Don Cowie – Footballer *Dorothy De Navarro – Lecturer who specialised in Anglo-Saxon literature *Huntley Duff – cricketer *Janet Barlow (scientist), Janet Barlow – Scientist *James Alexander Forbes (1805–1881), James Alexander Forbes – British Vice-Consul to Mexican California as well as the first British Consul to the American state of California *William Fraser (New Zealand politician, born 1827), William Fraser - New Zealand politician, Mayor of Thames *Jamie Gillan – American football player for the New York Giants in the National Football League, NFL *Karen Gillan – Actress, best known as Amy Pond, the Doctor's Companion in Doctor Who and as Nebula (comics), Nebula in the Guardians of the Galaxy (film), Guardians of the Galaxy series of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. *Donald McBane - Swordsman and author *Elspet Gray – Actress *Murray Grigor – Scottish film-maker *Derry Irvine – Former Lord Chancellor (under Tony Blair), former Labour Prime Minister; was born in Inverness *Malcolm Jones (musician), Malcolm Jones – Musician; guitar player for Runrig *Charles Kennedy – Former leader of the Liberal Democrats (UK), Liberal Democrats; was born in Inverness *Russell Knox – Golfer who plays on the PGA Tour *Kevin MacDonald (footballer), Kevin MacDonald – Footballer *John A. Mackay – Presbyterian theologian, missionary, and educator *Margaret Mackay (writer), Margaret Mackay – writer *Mary MacPherson, Mary Macpherson – (Màiri Nic a' Phearsain) poet and political activist, "Great Mairi of the Songs" raised her children in Inverness, where she wrote much of her work. *John McGinlay – Footballer *Very Rev Mitford Mitchell Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1903 *Ethel Moir – Nursing orderly with Scottish Women's Hospitals for Foreign Service *Ali Smith – Author; born in Inverness in 1962 *James Sutherland (footballer), James Sutherland (b. 1881) – football player at the turn of the century, with Caledonian F.C., Caledonian and Burnley F.C., Burnley *Mr Egg – MacAcidhouse musician *Major-general (United Kingdom), Major General Douglas Wimberley - British Army officer, born in Inverness 16 August 1896, service in World War I and World War II *Josephine Tey – Author; born in Inverness in 1896 *Connie Ramsay (born 1988) – Judoka *Jenny Graham – Set the world record for the fastest woman to cycle around the world *John Macdonald (sportsman), John Macdonald – Sportsman who was the first person to represent Scotland at both Scotland national football team, football & Scotland national cricket team, cricket. *Billy MacDonald (footballer, born 1877), Billy MacDonald – Footballer *Erik Thomson (born 1967) – Scottish-born New Zealand/Australian actor *Lorne Balfe (born 1976) – Composer and record producer of film, television, and video game scores


References


Works cited

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External links

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The Inverness Courier
{{Authority control Inverness, Clan Fraser County towns in Scotland Cities in Scotland Port cities and towns in Scotland Port cities and towns of the North Sea Populated places in Inverness committee area Parishes in Inverness-shire