General Info about Inverness (*Inbhir Nis*)
by JessH
Inverness (Scottish Gaelic: *Inbhir Nis*) is a city on the North-Eastern cost of Scotland, and calls itself the "capital of the Highlands".
"Inver" means "Mouth" and "Ness" refers to the River Ness, which flows into the Loch Ness. It flows from nearby Loch Ness and the Caledonian Canal and connects Loch Ness, Loch Oich, and Loch Lochy (to the west).
The city and the surrounding area is now home to approx. 70,000 people.
Right by Inverness is the Moray Firth: this is a roughly triangular inlet of the North Sea, north and east of Inverness. It is the largest firth in Scotland. The Kessock Bridge spans the Moray Firth, connecting the city of Inverness to the village of North Kessock and the Black Isle.
An important day came for Inverness in the year 2001 when the town was granted city status - the first new city in Scotland for over 100 years, and in recent years it has proudly become one of Europe's fastest-growing cities and is frequently placed in the top five most desirable places to live in the UK for its quality of life (and lifestyle)! Inverness is also rich in history and here are some examples of the city's most memorable events:
Legend has it that in 1040, Macbeth (Shakespeare) built his stronghold in Inverness. In 1158 King David of Scotland awarded Inverness its charter as a Royal Burgh.
Robert the Bruce (yes, the guy you saw in *Braveheart*) seized the first of the city's 5 castles from English forces in 1307 and in 1562, Mary Queen of Scots ordered the Governor of Inverness Castle to be hanged for refusing her entry to the Burgh (she wasn'’t the kind of woman you'd want to upset!).
Bonnie Prince Charlie and his Jacobite troops were defeated in the famous Battle of Culloden - the last battle to be fought on British soil - in 1746. Thereafter, Fort George (now considered the finest 18th century fort in Europe) was established just outside the city.
In 1921 the Inverness Town House hosted a historic meeting of the British Cabinet (the only British Government Cabinet meeting ever held outside he city of London).
For more information about the history of the city you can visit Inverness Museum, near the castle: http://inverness.highland.museum/
For that 'late morning caffeine fix' & sandwiches
by JessH about O'BRIENS Sandwich Bar / Cafe
In need of a giant coffee? Or a hearty sandwich? Or just a cold drink & a place to put-up your feet for a few minutes and do some people watching?
My aunt & other family members (who had travelled to Scotland for our wedding) discovered O'Briens one day and it quickly became our regular meeting point... "shall we meet later for a coffee?" "Sure, where do you wanna go?" "Eerrr, let's just do the usual, O'Briens!"
Amusingly, Subway's is located right opposite but doesn't appear to do as brisk a business as O'Briens does with their wonderful sandwich creations.
Their prices are very reasonable (only £2.65 for a *giant* mug of cappuccino! Gosh... I must have had dozens of those during our 3 week stay, haha!) and food portions tend to be BIG (many healthy options also available) so it's best to share if you're not very hungry. John ordered a triple-decker grilled sandwich filled with ham, cheese and crispy lettuce - it came in 4 generous chunks with some potato crisps on the side, and after 3 pieces he had to admit defeat!
O'Briens also wants to ensure a Fair, Ethical and Honest approach to trade and sources their coffee beans from fair-trade farmers around the world. Opening Hours:
Monday-Friday 07.00am-04.00pm.
Saturday 09.00am-04.00pm.
Most of you know that I absolutely despise the evil regime of Starbucks & boycott them to my heart's content... O'Briens may also be a franchise, but it's one of the few that completely change my usual & otherwise negative opinion of such chain outlets, because it's so good!
They certainly offer much better value for money and I would definitely come here again and again on our repeat trips to Inverness.
UPDATE 2010: During our holiday in summer 2010 we visited O'Briens on various occasions: coffee is still fantastic; we also tried some of their baked goods (millionaire shortbread, brownie, etc.) and they were all very tasty and fresh.
St Andrews Cathedral
by stevezero
The Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew, Mother Church of the Diocese of Moray, Ross and Caithness, set in a glorious riverside setting, was the first new Cathedral to be completed in Britain since the Reformation. Built between 1866 and 1869 in the Gothic style to the design of Alexander Ross, it features twin towers with a ring of ten bells, an octagonal Chapter House which now acts as the Choristers' Song School, monolithic pillars of polished Peterhead granite, stained glass, sculptures, a carved reredos, an angel font after Thorvaldsen (Copenhagen), a founder's memorial as well as icons presented by the Tsar of Russia.
It is worth a look if you have the time (we didn't)
My second time in Inverness
by shivan
I arrived in Inverness late in a cloudy afternoon. It has been a hard day, starting at 6.30 AM at Stromness, Orkney Island with a ferry transfer to the south, towards the northern coast of the Highlands.
Then I took the scenic coastline route to Inverness, adding even two long diversions to Fort George (see the related tips somewhere in this page) and to the Urquhart Castle.
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Bathroom, Trafford Bank self-catering Inverness
The fantastic Leakey's Bookstore, Inverness (2009)
Unquhart Castle (Loch Ness, Scotland, U.K.)
Tourism Office Inverness, Scotland, U.K.)
