Inverness, known as the capital of the Highlands, was ceremoniously granted city status in two thousand and one and at this time is the only city in the region. Unusually the city has no statutory boundaries which creates problems with people estimating population. The problem is exaggerated because Inverness’ population is increasing, the city has the highest growth rate in the United Kingdom. One fact we can state with some certainty is that the city has a very happy population, in 2008 the Telegraph.co.uk ranked Inverness 5th out of 189 cities in the UK for its quality of life. Therefore we can state that Inverness is a pretty alright place in which to live and this is probably one of the facts which make the city immensely popular with tourists. Crucially there is plenty of bed and breakfast accommodations in Inverness with most of it being able to be booked online.
Inverness is also often called the gateway to the Highlands for the clear fact that it is best placed to get the most out of the Highland public transport system and a large number of tourist attractions are nearby. Possibly the best way to reach them is by going on an official tour or day trip. A small number of companies visiting places such as, Urquart Castle, Loch Ness or Culloden or for the hardy tourists you can to visit Orkney and John O’Groats in a day. There are also a small selection of city tours, such as those run by City Sightseeing.
Some visitors decide to stay in 2 towns or cities in the Scottish Highlands say Inverness & Fort William. Fort William is most popular with sports people especially rock climbers, hill walkers and ramblers who take their chances getting to the top of Ben Nevis which looks down upon the town. In a similar fashion bed and breakfast accommodation in Fort William and rather like other bed and breakfast accommodation in Scotland it is nearly always not too expensive, very good value for money and amazingly clean, tidy and comfortable with world famous hospitality.
An important fact to remember is that the nearest airport to Inverness is, approximately, seven miles away at Dalcross. It is possible hail a cab or catch a bus to the small but busy airport which is fairly reasonable. If you will benefit from using a map of Inverness then you can get them for free at the tourist office, on Castle Wynd in the town center. While you are staying in Inverness you should make a mental note to visit Inverness Castle, Inverness Museum and Art Gallery, the ‘stone of tubs’ and Mercat Cross especially the Castle Garrison Encounter, an interactive experience which is immensely enjoyable.
