Inverness Staycation Guide: Where to Stay, What to Do and Where to Eat

Inverness is the capital of the Highlands and one of the best bases in Scotland for a staycation that mixes a small city with big landscapes. The centre is compact and sits along the River Ness, Loch Ness starts a few miles south-west of town, Culloden Battlefield is just to the east, and the Black Isle, with its dolphin-watching point, is across the Kessock Bridge. It is a city you stay in to see what surrounds it.

How long to stay and getting there

Allow at least three nights: one day for the city and Culloden, one for Loch Ness and one for the Black Isle or the Moray coast. The Highland Main Line brings trains from Perth and Edinburgh, and the overnight sleeper runs from London, so you can arrive without a car. For the countryside, though, a car or a tour makes things far easier.

Where to stay in Inverness

The riverside is the nicest part of town to stay, with the castle above and the Ness Islands a short walk upstream. See all options on our Inverness hotels page.

On the river

Ness Walk is the city's five-star, a polished riverfront hotel with an elegant restaurant and bar. Nearby, Inverness Palace Hotel & Spa has a spa and pool, looks across to the castle and accepts dogs. AC Hotel Inverness is a modern riverside option, many of its rooms with water views.

Country house hotels

Kingsmills Hotel, a four-star in an 18th-century mansion on the edge of town, has a pool and spa and welcomes dogs; it is rated 4.5 from over 2,800 Google reviews. Bunchrew House Hotel sits on the shore of the Beauly Firth among old trees and is known for its restaurant, and Loch Ness Country House Hotel is a 15-room hotel with gardens on the road towards the loch.

Near Culloden

Macdonald Drumossie Hotel is well placed for Culloden and the Clava Cairns and accepts dogs. In town, Heathmount Hotel is a small independent boutique hotel with a relaxed bar.

Things to do in Inverness

Our Inverness attractions page has more. These are the essentials.

Culloden Battlefield, where the Jacobite army was defeated in 1746, is the most important historic site in the area, with a visitor centre and paths across the moor, and dogs are allowed on the battlefield paths. It is rated 4.6 from over 15,000 Google reviews. The Clava Cairns, a group of Bronze Age burial cairns, are a short drive away. East along the Moray Firth, Fort George is a huge 18th-century fortress that is still a working army barracks, and it houses The Highlanders Museum.

For Loch Ness, Urquhart Castle is the classic stop, a ruined castle on a headland above the water, and Jacobite Cruises runs boat trips on the loch and the Caledonian Canal. Further west in Glenmoriston, the Dundreggan Rewilding Centre explains one of Scotland's largest nature restoration projects.

In town, the Ness Islands Walk follows footbridges across wooded islands in the river and is fine for dogs. Inverness Museum and Art Gallery covers Highland geology, history and art, and Whin Park has a boating pond and play area for children. On the Black Isle, Rosemarkie Beach and Fortrose Beach sit either side of Chanonry Point, one of the best places in Britain to watch dolphins from the shore.

Where to eat

The Fig & Thistle is a small, popular bistro in the centre, and Artysans Cafe is good for breakfast and lunch. On a Loch Ness day, Dores Inn on the loch shore has outdoor tables and wide views. More on our Inverness restaurants page.

A two-day plan

Day one

Walk the riverside and the Ness Islands in the morning, then browse the Victorian Market and the Museum and Art Gallery. In the afternoon, drive to Culloden and the Clava Cairns, and eat in town in the evening.

Day two

Drive along the north shore of Loch Ness to Urquhart Castle, or take a cruise from Inverness, and stop at Dores on the quieter south side for a late lunch. Alternatively, cross the Kessock Bridge to the Black Isle, time a visit to Chanonry Point for a rising tide when dolphins are most often seen, and finish in the old harbour town of Cromarty.

Day trips from Inverness

Drumnadrochit is the main village on the north shore of Loch Ness. Nairn has long sandy beaches and is close to Cawdor Castle, and Cromarty is a well-preserved Georgian town at the tip of the Black Isle. Aviemore is the gateway to the Cairngorms, and Elgin has the ruins of a medieval cathedral and is on the edge of Speyside whisky country.

Camping and cottages near Inverness

Cawdor Hideaways offers glamping within walking distance of Cawdor Castle, Black Isle Yurts near Fortrose has yurts close to Chanonry Point, and Barrow Campsite Nairn takes tents, caravans and motorhomes with electric hook-ups. Browse camping near Inverness or cottages near Inverness.

Practical tips

Highland weather changes fast, so pack waterproofs in any season, and bring insect repellent for midges in summer. Inverness suits our guides to wildlife and nature staycations, castles and historic sites and staycations without a car.