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3 fun things to do in Inverness for culture lovers

Inverness is city that feels more like a market town, set beside the River Ness, and gateway to the Scottish Highlands. I visited in September and found that there’s plenty of things to see in Inverness for those who love the beautiful scenery and want to dip into the history and culture of Scotland – here’s what I enjoyed when I was there.

Heather in Inverness
Things to do in Inverness

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Inverness – things to do

To discover what to do in Inverness I decided to get my bearings with a self-guided walk and picked up a leaflet for the Inverness City Centre Trail from the visitor’s center on Bridge Street. With blue skies overhead (Scotland is beautiful to visit in autumn) my walk first took me up to the castle, which sits on the hill overlooking the town and the river valley. As an alternative you can book a guided walking tour of Inverness.

The 16th century stone tower house was left in ruins after the 1745 Jacobite rebellion and was rebuilt as the court house in the 19th century, although I heard that there are plans to open the building to the public.

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Statue of Flora Macdonald

Flora McDonald - things to do in Inverness photo: Heatheronhertravels.com
Flora McDonald – Inverness things to do

I gazed up at the statue of Flora Macdonald, the Jacobite heroine who helped Bonnie Prince Charlie escape to the Isle of Skye after the battle of Culloden, dressed as her maidservant. From the terrace there are stunning views over the River Ness, towards St Andrew’s Cathedral on the opposite bank of the river.

View over Inverness, Scotland Photo: Heatheronhertravels.com
View over Inverness, Scotland

Walking back down from the castle, I continued along Bridge Street past the Tolbooth steeple, an Inverness landmark and the old Caledonian Bank, with classical columns and pediments.

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Inverness things to do in Scotland photo: Heatheronhertravels.com
Things to see in Inverness in Scotland

The Ness Bridge

I crossed over the Ness Bridge which replaced the original 17th stone bridge that was swept away in a flood. The colorful floral displays were still blooming at the end of summer and I admired some of the old stone townhouses and warehouses along the river bank on the other side.

Things to see Inverness in Scotland photo: Heatheronhertravels.com
Fun things to do in Inverness Scotland

The Aberstarff House and The Old High Church

The final part of my walk through Inverness took me along Church Street to look at some of the old buildings like the Aberstarff House, a 16th century lodging house that is run by the National Trust for Scotland, and the charming Victorian Market Arcade.

I also enjoyed a visit to The Old High Church that overlooks the modern suspension bridge across the river.

The Old High Church - fun things to do in Inverness Scotland photo: Heatheronhertravels.com
The Old High Church – What to do in Inverness Scotland

If you go: More information about Inverness on the Visit Inverness & Loch Ness website | The tourist Information Centre in Inverness is on Bridge Street, just below the castle.

Stay at the Glenmoriston Townhouse Hotel in the heart of Inverness

Search for other hotels in Inverness

Discover 3 Impressive Castles to visit in Scotland

Visit Cawdor Castle near Inverness

Half an hour’s drive from Inverness is the beautiful Cawdor Castle, which is well known as the setting of Shakespeare’s play about Macbeth, the Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth was crowned King of the Scots in 1040 after killing King Duncan in battle, but since Cawdor Castle was not built until the 14th century, the real Macbeth never lived here.

Still, there’s a romantic look about the castle, with its gatehouse, drawbridge, stone battlements and canons guarding the entrance.

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Cawdor Castle - What to do in Inverness Scotland photo: Heatheronhertravels.com
Cawdor Castle in Scotland

The Beautiful Garden

The gardens around the house were looking especially beautiful when I visited, with yellow lilies and autumn foliage surrounding the water feature in the garden. The Dowager Countess Cawdor is a lover of the arts and there were many beautiful pieces of sculpture around the gardens.

Consider this small group tour to Cawdor Castle, Culloden Battlefield and Clava Cairns from Inverness

The water feature at the center of the slate garden was commissioned by Countess Cawdor using 18th century roof slates that were left over when the castle was reroofed in 2009. The ball of slate represents the sun and sits on a dish of lead that was also taken from the roof, representing the earth, with a curved bench shaped as the moon.

Cawdor castle near Inverness Scotland - Inverness what to do photo: Heatheronhertravels.com
Cawdor castle near Inverness in Scotland

More about Cawdor Castle

The story goes that Cawdor Castle was built by the Thane of Cawdor in the 14th century, to replace another castle that was becoming unstable, as it was built on marshy ground. The Thane received instructions in a dream that he should put his wealth into bags on the back of a donkey and wherever the donkey came to rest under a tree, that was where the new castle should be built.

Sure enough, you can see the wood of that very holly tree (or so the story goes) in the basement of the castle. The castle was originally a fortified tower house, with only one entrance halfway up the tower, which could be reached by a wooden ladder, but of course it was enlarged and improved by the Cawdor family over the years.

Cawdor castle in Scotland photo: Heatheronhertravels.com
Cawdor castle in Scotland

Cawdor Castle is very much a family home and the residence of Countess Cawdor, although she moves into another house on the estate during the summer months, when the castle is open to visitors. Although full of exquisite antiques, paintings and tapestries, there are also books, family photos and personal ornaments around the castle, which gives a warm and welcoming feeling when you visit.

Cawdor castle in Scotland photo: Heatheronhertravels.com
Cawdor castle in Scotland

Stories from the Guided Tour

As we had a guided tour I enjoyed hearing the stories behind some of the furnishings; the Venetian nobleman’s gondola seat in the drawing room; the portrait of Scottie the dog that was commissioned as a gift by Queen Victoria for her lady in waiting; the ostrich feathers over the marriage bed of Lady Caroline Howard who is reputed to haunt the castle after the death of her husband.

Cawdor castle in Scotland photo: Heatheronhertravels.com
Cawdor castle in Scotland

If you go: Cawdor Castle Website

Stay at the luxurious Boath House Hotel close to Cawdor Castle

Search for other hotels in Inverness

Visit Culloden battlefield

In April 1746, the battle lines were drawn at Culloden between the Jacobite forces of Charles Edward Stuart and the Redcoat army of the Hanoverian King of England, George I. In just an hour the battle that could have changed the course of English history was over, leaving over 1000 of the Scottish Jacobites dead on the battlefield. It was the last battle fought on English soil and the final challenge to the English throne.

Culloden battlefield in Scotland photo: Heatheronhertravels.com
Culloden battlefield in Scotland

The Culloden battlefield and visitor’s center is just a 15 minute drive from Inverness and well worth a visit. Today of course, things are a lot more peaceful and you might be forgiven for thinking the battlefield looks a bit like a golf course.

The field is covered with turf, heather and shrubs with grassy paths leading across it and jaunty red and blue flags flying, that mark the positions of the two sides in the battle. I’d recommend visiting the battlefield with a guide, as our guide Ian really brought the battle to life, explaining how the Jacobite advance was delayed when the rider sent by Bonnie Prince Charlie was killed before he had given the orders to all the clans.

The boggy ground made the battleground less than ideal since it caused the Jacobites to bunch together and be cut down by the Redcoat muskets and grapeshot from the canons.

Culloden battlefield in Scotland Photo: Heatheronhertravels.com
Culloden battlefield in Scotland

The Battle Mass Grave

Weeks after the battle, the Jacobite dead were finally buried in mass graves according to their clan, marked with a headstone. In the 19th century a road was built through the burial ground, but has since been moved to the edge of the battlefield.

Book this half-day tour from Inverness to Culloden Batlefield, Loch Ness and Outlander series sites

The Culloden Battlefield is also a popular visit for fans of the film series Outlander, which dramatizes the life and love of Claire, a woman who has travelled across time to meet Jamie Fraser, a member Fraser clan at the time of the Jacobite rebellion. Although Jamie Fraser is a fictional character, fans often leave flowers and mementos at the clan gravestones.

Culloden battlefield near Inverness in Scotland Photo: Heatheronhertravels.com
Culloden battlefield near Inverness in Scotland

The Modern Visitor Center

In the center of the battlefield is a stone cairn, that was constructed in 1881 to commemorate the battle of Culloden and all who died there. At the same time, the road across the burial ground was moved and stone burial markers that had originally been at each clan’s grave were replaced.

After visiting the battlefield, we were able to look around the modern visitor center which was completed in 2008 and brings to life the story of the battle and the political landscape at the time. It was especially memorable to step into the rooms where a film re-enacting the battle was being projected on all four walls, allowing you to experience the fighting, noise, confusion and gun smoke all around you.

Culloden battlefield near Inverness in Scotland photo: Heatheronhertravels.com
Culloden battlefield near Inverness in Scotland

If you go: Culloden Battlefield Website

Stay at the elegant Culloden House Hotel set in 40 acres of gardens

Search for other hotels in Inverness

Discover 3 Impressive Castles to visit in Scotland

Visitor Information for Inverness

For more information about things to do in Inverness, visit the Visit Inverness & Loch Ness website

For more ideas on holidays in Scotland, have a look at the Visit Scotland Website

Ned a guide book for Scotland? We recommend the DK Eyewitness Scotland Travel Guide

Need a guidebook for Scotland? We recommend the DK Eyewitness Scotland Travel Guide

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Read about Inverness for culture lovers

Thanks to Visit Inverness who provided* some of the experiences mentioned in this article.

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Mike@Bitaboutbritain

Monday 26th of June 2017

Nice piece, nice photos. I really should spend some time in Inverness when next in the area! A couple of other heritage attractions worth seeing not far away - Clava Cairns (close to Culloden) and Fort George.

Heather Cowper

Monday 26th of June 2017

@Mike We did pass Fort George but didn't have a chance to stop there, and not heard of Clava Cairns - there's always so much to see!

Hels

Friday 26th of May 2017

The Jacobite Rebellion made a bit of a mess, didn't it! And what did it achieve in the end?

Heather Cowper

Friday 26th of May 2017

@Hels True but it could have gone the other way

Alan Cuthbertson

Wednesday 24th of May 2017

Nice article Heather. We are currently in Inverness and enjoying the sights. The Culloden Battlefields were a highlight of our visit. Thanks for sharing.

Heather Cowper

Wednesday 24th of May 2017

@Alan Thanks, so pleased you enjoyed the article - Culloden really gave me an insight into the history of Scotland

Stephen Garone

Wednesday 24th of May 2017

One of my favorite small cities. Thanks for sharing!

Heather Cowper

Wednesday 24th of May 2017

@Stephen Thanks, I really enjoyed Inverness and it definitely gave me a taste to see more of the Scottish Highlands