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Is Inverness on your Scotland itinerary? It should be! Even just one or two days in Inverness will be time well spent in this gorgeous, walkable city.
I couldn’t get enough of Inverness, so much so that I stayed for six days! I loved walking along the cobblestone streets, getting lost in the Victorian market, and learning about the history around every corner of Inverness.
While I would recommend staying as long as you can in Inverness, if you’re limited on time, here’s how you can see it in just one or two days.
How Many Days to See Inverness?
I’d say you need at least two full days to explore Inverness, but I’d recommend staying longer to use Inverness as a base to visit nearby places in the Scottish Highlands.
If you have only one day, stick to the Inverness city centre.
If you have two days, organize your time by ticking off all the places in the city centre first (they’re all pretty close together and easy to access), and then heading to the outskirts of Inverness to see even more.
Map of Inverness Itinerary (City Centre Only)
Day 1: Inverness City Centre
It may seem like a lot of activities are crammed into one day, but it’s possible to do all of them — I nearly did! They’re all easy walking distance from each other.
Of course, you should still prioritize the things you most want to do.
Here’s what I recommend for one day in Inverness:
Walk along River Ness and Cross the Greig Street Bridge
River Ness flows through Inverness, giving it its name — “mouth of the (River) Ness.”
Walking along the river is so peaceful and scenic, especially in the mornings.
The Greig Street Bridge, originally built in 1880, is a lovely footbridge and a great place to take photos. Definitely check it out as you walk around Inverness, along River Ness.
Search for Bullet Holes in the Old High Church Graveyard
Old High Church is the oldest church in Inverness and was actually the birthplace of Christianity in the Highlands. The graveyard (or kirkyard) sits on a hill overlooking parts of the city. It’s a very picturesque and historic place with incredible views.
Some of its history, though, is a little dark. Just after the Battle of Culloden in 1746, many soldiers were captured and taken to Old High Church, eventually sentenced to death by firing squad right in the graveyard. Stray bullets hit gravestones, leaving holes.
We were told this bit of history from a tour guide and later came to see for ourselves. We found one or two holes…can you find any more?
Note that it’s free to walk around, and there’s a sign welcoming you in. You won’t be trespassing.
Visit Leakey’s Bookshop
Just around the corner from Old High Church is the famous Leakey’s Bookshop, the largest independent used bookstore in Scotland.
There are a lot of treasures in here; you can easily spend over an hour browsing the shelves.
It’s also a beautiful store, one we simply adored. Perfect for any kind of bookworm.
Shop at the Victorian Market
The Victorian Market in Inverness dates back to 1890 (hence why it’s called the Victorian Market). It’s a covered market in the city center that is home to several shops and restaurants.
It’s a cute, picturesque market that we enjoyed walking around. We even bought our tartan scarves here.
Visit Ness Islands
A visit to Ness Islands is such a beautiful, peaceful walk, perfect for a day overcoming jet lag. The natural islands in the middle of River Ness are easily accessible by footbridges.
We were able to walk from the city centre; it took about 20 minutes to walk a mile from our hotel to the Ness Islands. We grabbed a yummy chai latte from Cafe by the Cathedral, on the way, and sipped as we walked. It was so lovely.
The islands are beautiful (and free) to explore, and you’ll even come upon Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster, painted on a fallen tree stump.
Visit Inverness Cathedral and Cafe Ness by the Cathedral
Inverness Cathedral was built in the 1860s and is open to the public. We peeked inside as a choir was practicing, filling the air with lovely music.
Behind the church, you’ll find Cafe Ness by the Cathedral, an old boys school that was converted into a cafe. They have delicious sandwiches and chai lattes. I’d definitely recommend stopping in for lunch or refreshments.
Visit a Free Museum
There is a free museum in Inverness, filled with historical artifacts, geological findings, and art. The Inverness Museum and Art Gallery is worth a visit if you have some extra time.
Also in town is the Abertarff House, the oldest house in Inverness. You can tour the house for free during opening hours.
We were in town a few days before the Abertarff House opened for the season, so we missed this, unfortunately. Otherwise it would have been right up our alley.
Listen to Live Music in the Pubs
Inverness has a thriving music scene, coming alive at night. In many of its famous pubs, live bands will play almost every night. Some play traditional Scottish music, others contemporary music.
You may need to reserve a table in advance as restaurants are often booked full. We dined at Hootananny for dinner (with reservations) and loved the vibe.
Here are a few pubs to check out:
- Hootananny on Church St.
- Gellions on Bridges St.
- Lauders on Church St.
- Highlander on Church St.
- MacGregor’s on Academy St.
Check the restaurant’s website for a music schedule and more information.
Admire Inverness Castle (Coming in 2025/26)
Most of Inverness Castle is under scaffolding as it’s being repaired and renovated. It’s set to open to the public again in December 2025, with a formal grand opening in 2026 (tentatively). Keep it on your list if you plan to visit Inverness after those dates.
Learn more about the new Inverness Castle Experience on the official website.
I’d say the Old High Church and Cafe by the Cathedral are some hidden gems in Inverness. Before visiting, I didn’t see them mentioned in any travel blogs I read, but they were highlights for us.
The food in the Cafe by the Cathedral is delicious, and the views at the graveyard of Old High Church were incredible.
Day 2: Inverness Outskirts
Just outside the Inverness city centre, there are several must-see attractions that show the highlights of the Highlands.
Visit Cawdor Castle and Gardens
Cawdor Castle and Gardens is open to visitors late April to early October. It’s a privately owned, 600-year-old Scottish castle that has survived through feuds and wars and a tumultuous Scottish history.
It’s about 15 miles from Inverness city centre, an easy distance, if you’d like to check it out.
I wish we could have visited, but our trip to Scotland was in early April, so Cawdor Castle wasn’t open yet.
Visit Clava Cairns
Any Outlander fans out there? Clava Cairns is the inspiration for the filming site of the stone circle that takes Claire from Outlander back in time.
Aside from its fictional draws, Clava Cairns is also a fascinating historical site, or should I say Neolithic, dating back thousands of years ago.
It was special getting to visit Clava Cairns, almost magical. Just thinking that humans have been at this very spot for thousands of years? and that they felt it was special enough to build these stone monuments here? Incredible.
It’s still not exactly known what these stone monuments meant or were used for; one can only imagine.
We visited this site on a group tour with Rabbie’s, but you can also come on your own. It’s free! And it’s also not too far from Inverness city centre.
Visit the Culloden Battlefield and Museum
I’ll be honest that I didn’t know what the Battle of Culloden was before visiting the Scottish Highlands. But we heard about it from several tour guides and soon came to understand it was a very important historical event here in Scotland. It really changed life in the Highlands forever.
One of our tours with Rabbie’s stopped at the Culloden Battlefield and Museum, where we were able to walk around the battlefield and learn more about it in their newly built, million-pound museum.
At the museum, don’t miss:
- 360-degree video room: There’s a room with screens on every wall, giving you a 360-degree video of the battle, making you feel in the middle of it all.
- Rooftop talk: There is also a brief talk on the rooftop, where a museum employee will point out how the battle unfolded.
All in all, the museum made history come alive, and I came away touched by the experience and would recommend it to any visitors to Inverness.
Here’s the tour I did with Rabbie’s that included a visit to Culloden Battlefield and Museum: “Glen Affric, Culloden, and Clava Cairns 1-Day Tour.”
Visit Loch Ness
What visit to Inverness is complete without a stop at Loch Ness? There are lots of places to stop around Loch Ness to take in views (that’s what I did), but there are also more legitimate viewing areas.
Village of Dores: One of the closest to Inverness is the village of Dores. There’s a lovely, small pebble beach to enjoy and watch for Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster.
Fort Augustus: Farther out, on the other side of the loch, is Fort Augustus, the main tourist section of Loch Ness, where you can find lots of shops, cafes, and a boat touring company to take a scenic cruise on Loch Ness.
Visit Urquhart Castle
Urquhart Castle is a ruined castle near Loch Ness, popular with tourists and tour companies. The castle is over 1,000 years old, filled with history.
I didn’t make it out to this castle on my first trip to Inverness, but it’s definitely on my list.
Getting Around to All These Places Near Inverness
Without a car, it may be a little tricky to do all of these activities in the outskirts of Inverness in one day. However, there are some group tours that will take you to nearly all of them.
Consider these day trip options:
From Inverness: Loch Ness, Cawdor Castle, Outlander Sites & More (5 hours) — Cawdor Castle, Culloden Battlefield, Clava Cairns, Loch Ness
From Inverness: Loch Ness Cruise, Castle, and Outlander Tour (9 hours) — Loch Ness Cruise, Urquhart Castle, The Singleton of Glen Ord Distillery, Culloden Battlefield, Clava Cairns
Have More Time?
Inverness is a great base for exploring the greater Scottish Highlands area. We did just that, spending almost a week in Inverness and taking day trips out to various castles, distilleries, and hikes. Consider doing the same, and returning to Inverness each night, ready for dinner and a night on the town.
Visit Glen Ord, Glen Moray, or Tomatin Distillery. Whisky is a billion-pound industry in Scotland, and several distilleries are located in the Scottish Highlands. A great place to tour.
Visit Orkney. Orkney is a series of islands off the northern coast of Scotland, by the town of John O’ Groats. It has stone circles, Neolithic sites, beautiful coastal vistas, and even puffins.
Visit Isle of Skye. Inverness is a great starting point for an overnight trip to the Isle of Skye. See my post, “Best Isle of Skye Tours: What’s Worth Seeing?” for more about visiting Skye.
Visit Dunrobin Castle. It is a gorgeous chateau in the Scottish Highlands, about an hour’s drive from Inverness. I’ve seen it in tons of pictures and knew I had to visit. It’s even more beautiful in person.
Map of Inverness Itinerary (All Activities)
Where to Eat in Inverness
We were mightily impressed by Inverness’ food scene. There are SO many amazing, popular restaurants in Inverness, so popular you will definitely need reservations.
We learned this the hard way on our first night in town, when were were hopping from restaurant to restaurant, looking for dinner, only to be told in each one that they were booked full. That night, as we ate our meal deal from Tesco, we booked dinner reservations at different restaurants for the rest of our stay.
My advice to you: Book your dinner reservations at least 1-2 days in advance if you’d like to eat out for dinner while in Inverness. (I was able to book most on the OpenTable app.)
Here are some restaurants we loved and would recommend:
- Velocity Cafe (especially for breakfast and chai lattes)
- The Mustard Seed
- The White House
- Hootananny
Where to Stay in Inverness
I’d highly recommend staying somewhere on the edge of the River Ness. It’s SO nice to be able to walk out in the morning and walk along the river to wherever you’re planning to go that day. Plus, the views at breakfast or in your room will be incredible.
Where we stayed: We stayed in two hotels while visiting Inverness. Both were along the River Ness but on opposite sides. One of the hotels was very new and modern (the AC Hotel Inverness Marriott) and the other was more historic (Best Western Inverness Palace Hotel).
Recommended hotels in Inverness:
Is Inverness Scotland Worth Visiting?
Yes, Inverness, Scotland is definitely worth visiting. It’s a small but growing town with so much history and charm.
It’s honestly one of my favorite cities in Scotland (aside from Edinburgh, of course), one you simply must visit!
What to Pack to Visit Inverness
Warm, waterproof wear
If you’re visiting Inverness during its cold and rainy season (almost every month of the year besides a few weeks in summer), you should definitely bring a warm waterproof jacket and waterproof walking boots.
- This warm waterproof jacket and these waterproof boots I took with me to Scotland helped me explore no matter the weather. I even hiked to the Fairy Pools in near-hurricane-level winds in this jacket! Be prepared for rainy weather, and dress for it, so you don’t miss out.
- Also consider bringing fleece-lined leggings — I loved this pair I packed!
Favorite travel essentials
- I really recommend these compression packing cubes. They’re very thick and durable and allow you to pack more than you expect.
- I also love this travel backpack that opens like a suitcase, fits almost as much as a carry-on, and has tons of pockets as well as a strap to attach to your luggage handle. It makes traveling so much easier and more organized. It also fits nicely under the airplane seats.
- I bring this AirFly receiver for AirPods with me on long-haul flights, so I can connect to the plane’s video screen with my own AirPods.
- I no longer hop on a flight without wearing my Sockwell compression socks because they really do help relieve/prevent leg cramps from sitting so long in one place. I have the lotus pattern, but there are other patterns to choose from, such as this cat pattern or this flower pattern. See all sock patterns in the Sockwell storefront.
Other Posts to Help You Plan Your Trip to Scotland
Inverness
Isle of Skye
- Best Isle of Skye Tours: What’s Worth Seeing?
- Guide to Visiting Dunvegan Castle on Isle of Skye
- Is It Worth Going Inside Eilean Donan Castle in Scotland?
Edinburgh
- 3 Day Edinburgh Itinerary: The Ultimate Guide for First Timers
- Is a Day Trip to the Scottish Highlands from Edinburgh Worth It?
Glasgow
- Guide to Visiting Pollok Country Park in Glasgow Scotland
- 10 Best Free Things to Do in Glasgow Scotland
Aberdeen