With human settlement dating back to at least 5,800 BC,[8] Inverness was an established self-governing settlement by the6th century with the first Royal Charter being granted by Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim (King David I) around 1160. Inverness and Inverness-shire are closely linked to various influential clans, including Clan Mackintosh, Clan Fraser and Clan MacKenzie.[9] Local clans unique to the city include Donnchaidh of Inshes (Robertson), MacSheorsa of Castlehill (Cuthbert), MacLean of Dochgarroch, Fraser of Leys and Kinmylies, Baillie of Dunain, Shaw of Essich, and Forbes of Culloden.[10]
The population of Inverness grew from 40,969 in 2001 to 46,969 in 2012, according toWorld Population Review.[11] The Greater Inverness area, includingCulloden andWesthill, had a population of 56,969 in 2012. In 2016, it had a population of 63,320.[12] Inverness is one of Europe's fastest growing cities,[13] with a quarter of the Highland population living in or around it.[14] In 2008, Inverness was ranked fifth out of 189 British cities for itsquality of life, the highest of any Scottish city.[15]
Much of what is known about Inverness's prehistory comes from archaeological work that takes place before construction/development work as part of the planning process.[citation needed]
Between 2009 and 2010, archaeological work in advance of the creation offlood defences to the south of the city at Knocknagael Farm by GUARD Archaeology discovered anarchaeological site that showed humans had been living in the Inverness area from at least 6500 BC, the LateMesolithic period. That same site showed people living/working in the area from the mid-7th millennium BC into the Late Iron Age (1st millennium AD) with most activity taking place in theEarly Neolithic (4th millennium BC). The archaeologists also found a piece of flint from Yorkshire that showed that people in Inverness may have been trading with Yorkshire during the Neolithic.[16]
Between 1996 and 1997, CFA Archaeology (then part of theUniversity of Edinburgh) undertookexcavations of crop marks in the west of Inverness in advance of the construction of a retail and business park. ABronze Age cemetery was discovered in 1996 and in 1997 the archaeologists found the remains of a Bronze Age settlement and anIron Age settlement, with an ironsmith. It is one of the earliest examples of iron smithing in Scotland. The Iron Age settlement had Roman brooches from the AD 1st–2nd centuries, indicating trade with the Roman Empire. Similarly, the Bronze Age site showed signs of metal production: finds included ceramic piece-moulds designed for the casting of Late Bronze Age leaf-shaped swords.[17] A 93 troy ounces (2.89 kilograms) silver chain dating to 500–800 CE was found just to the south of Torvean, during the excavation of theCaledonian Canal, in 1809.[18]
Inverness was one of the chief strongholds of thePicts. In AD 569, it was visited bySt Columba with the intention of converting thePictish kingBrude, who is supposed to have resided in thevitrified fort onCraig Phadrig,[19] on the western edge of the city.[20] A church or a monk's cell is thought to have been established by early Celtic monks on St Michael's Mount, a mound close to the river, now the site of theOld High Church[21] and graveyard.
The first royal charter was granted by Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim (King David I) in the 12th century. The Gaelic king Mac Bethad Mac Findláich (MacBeth) whose 11th-century killing ofKing Duncan was immortalised inShakespeare's largely fictionalised playMacbeth, held a castle within the city where he ruled asMormaer of Moray and Ross.[22]
The strategic location of Inverness has led to many conflicts in the area. Reputedly there was a battle in the early 11th century between Malcolm III andThorfinn the Mighty at Blar Nam Feinne, to the southwest of the city.[23]
Inverness had four traditional fairs, including Legavrik or "Leth-Gheamhradh", meaning midwinter, and Faoilleach.William the Lion (d. 1214) granted Inverness four charters, by one of which it was created aroyal burgh. Of the Dominican friary founded byAlexander III in 1233, only one pillar and a worn knight's effigy survive in a secluded graveyard near the city centre.[20]
Engraving of Inverness fromA Tour in Scotland byThomas Pennant, 1771
Medieval Inverness suffered regular raids from the Hebrides, particularly by the MacDonaldLords of the Isles in the 15th century. In 1187, one Dòmhnall Bàn (Donald Ban) led islanders in a battle at Torvean against men from Inverness Castle led by the governor's son, Donnchadh Mac an Tòisich (Duncan Mackintosh).[24] Both leaders were killed in the battle, and Dòmhnall Bàn is said to have been buried in a largecairn near the river, close to where the silver chain was found.[25] Local tradition says that the citizens fought off theClan Donald in 1340 at the Battle of Blairnacoi on Drumderfit Hill, north of Inverness across theBeauly Firth.[26] In the late 14th-early 15 century, Inverness was a symbol of the Duke of Albany's power. On his way to theBattle of Harlaw in 1411,Donald of Islay took the town and burned the bridge over the River Ness. Sixteen years later,James I held a parliament in the castle to which the northern chieftains were summoned, of whom three were arrested for defying the king's command.Clan Munro defeatedClan Mackintosh in 1454 at theBattle of Clachnaharry just west of the city.[27]Clan Donald and their allies stormed the castle during theRaid on Ross in 1491.
In 1562, during the progress undertaken to suppress Huntly's insurrection,Mary, Queen of Scots, was denied admittance intoInverness Castle by the governor, who belonged to the earl's faction, and whom she afterwards caused to be hanged.[20] TheClan Munro andClan Fraser of Lovat took the castle for her.[28] The house in which she lived meanwhile stood in Bridge Street until the 1970s, when it was demolished to make way for the second Bridge Street development.
Beyond the then northern limits of the town,Oliver Cromwell built a citadel capable of accommodating 1,000 men, but with the exception of a portion of the ramparts it was demolished at theRestoration.[20] A clock tower today called Cromwell's Tower is located in the Citadel area of Inverness but was actually part of a former hemp cloth factory built c. 1765.[29]
Inverness played a role in theJacobite rising of 1689. In early May, it was besieged by a contingent ofJacobites led by MacDonell of Keppoch. The town was rescued byViscount Dundee, the overall Jacobite commander, when he arrived with the main Jacobite army, although he required Inverness to profess loyalty toKing James VII.[30]
In 1715, theJacobites occupied the royal fortress as a barracks. In 1727, the government built the firstFort George here but, in 1746, it surrendered to the Jacobites and they blew it up.[31]Culloden Moor lies nearby and was the site of theBattle of Culloden in 1746, which ended theJacobite rising of 1745–46.
In 1783, the year that saw the end of theAmerican Revolution and the beginning of theHighland Clearances inInverness-shire, Coinneach MacChoinnich (1758–1837), a poet fromClan MacKenzie who was born at Castle Heather, then known as Castle Leather (Caisteal Leothair),[32] composed the Gaelic poemThe Lament of the North. In the poem, MacChionnich mocks the Highland gentry for becomingabsentee landlords,evicting their tenants en masse in favour of sheep, and of "spending their wealth uselessly", inLondon. He accuses KingGeorge III both oftyranny and of steering theship of state into shipwreck. MacChionnich also argues that truth is on the side ofGeorge Washington and theContinental Army and that the Scottish Gaels would do well to emigrate to the New World before the King and the landlords take every farthing they have left.[33]
Industrial Revolution, the World Wars and end of the millennium
During World War One, theU.S. Navy opened a naval baseUS Naval Base 18 at theMuirtown Basin on theCaledonian Canal. It was a final stage in constructing anti-submarine mines for theNorth Sea Mine Barrage, a 230 mile long and 25 mile wide minefield between Orkney and Norway, with USNB 18 contributing at least 70,000 mines.[34][35] This base was also connected to the rail network with large sidings temporarily laid over a field behind the nearby Merkinch Primary School.[36] This yard was marshalled by aLB&SCR A1 class 'Terrier' No.38 "Millwall", loaned by theAdmiralty, and sold on to theGlen Albyn distillery following the conflicts end.[37] The canal was also used heavily by fishing vessels as a shortcut from East to West in order to dodge theImperial German NavyU-boats patrolling the North Coast.
Prior toWorld War Two, air travel came to Inverness, in the form of theLongman Aerodrome in 1933, becoming the hub forHighland Airways, providing connections to Orkney and Wick, however this didn't last long as Highland Airways was absorbed intoScottish Airways in 1938, with the Aerodrome being requisitioned by theRoyal Air Force after thedeclaration of war on Germany the following year, forming RAF Inverness. Following the war, the airport returned to civilian use, before shutting down in 1947 over safety concerns due to its size; it moved to the formerRAF Dalcross, where it remains to day, with the former airfield quickly being swallowed up under an industrial estate.
Again, Inverness played its part in a global conflict as the Home Fleet returned to Scapa Flow, and coal trains took priority going North. In January 1943, theLuftwaffe charted the area however, incorrectly identified the Air Force Base as a seaplane base, saving Inverness from any Luftwaffe air raids, becoming one of only a few towns in Scotland to survive the war undamaged.[40] The closest Luftwaffe bombs fell was at theBritish Aluminium Works atFoyers, approximately 11 miles south-south-east alongLoch Ness. This resulted in the deaths of 52 year old fitter, Archibald MacDonald, directly and causing 69 year old furnaceman, Murdo MacLeod, a fatal heart attack, becoming the only civilian fatalities to enemy action within the Inverness area.[41]
FollowingVE Day, Inverness's industry went into decline. The Caledonian Canal was long obsolete, and the danger to fishing vessels around the North Coast by enemy hands was no longer there. With the rise of road transport, theBeeching Cuts rolled back a lot of Inverness's railway infrastructure, with theroundhouse being demolished in 1962,[42] and theFar North and theKyle of Lochalsh only avoided closure by to fierce resistance by residents.
Inverness has experienced rapid economic growth in the 21st century; between 1998 and 2008, the city and the rest of the central Highlands showed the largest growth of average economic productivity per person in Scotland and the second-greatest growth in the United Kingdom as a whole, with an increase of 86%.[43] It was awarded the Nicholson Trophy (class 2 category) for the best town with between 20,000 and 50,000 inhabitants atBritain in Bloom contest in 1975.[44] In 2014, a survey by a property website described Inverness as the happiest place in Scotland and the second happiest in the UK.[45] It was again found to be the happiest place in Scotland by a study conducted in 2015.[46]
Inverness is often regarded as the Capital of the Highlands.
Inverness and its immediate hinterland have a large number of originally Gaelic place names, as the area was solidly Gaelic-speaking until the late 19th century.[49]
Several springs which were traditionally thought to have healing qualities exist around Inverness.Fuaran Dearg, which translates as the "Red Spring", is achalybeate spring located near Dochgarroch.Fuaran a' Chladaich("The Spring on the Beach") near Bunchrew was once accessed by a causeway from the shore. Although submerged at high tide it continues to bubble and was traditionally known for treating cholera.Fuaran Allt an Ionnlaid ("Well of the Washing Burn") at Clachnaharry, where theMarquis of Montrose was allowed to drink while on his way from his capture in Sutherland to his execution in Edinburgh, was known for treating skin conditions. Also at Clachnaharry,Fuaran Priseag ("The Precious Well") was said to have been blessed by Saint Kessock and could treat weak and sore eyes, as well as expelling evil and shielding curses if a silver coin was offered.Tobar na h-Oige ("Well of the Young") is located near Culloden and was known for curing all ailments.Fuaran a' Chragan Bhreag ("Well of the Speckled Rock") is located near Craig Dundain andFuaran na Capaich ("The Keppoch Well") is located near Culloden.[50] Inverness is also home to the MunlochyClootie Well.[51]
The use ofpreaspiration in different Scottish Gaelic dialects throughout the Highlands, from 1 (strong) to 6 (absent). Preaspiration was used in the dialect of Inverness Gaelic and is still evident in both the Gaelic and English spoken in Inverness today.
Although a Gaelic name itself,Craig Phadraig is alternatively known asLàrach an Taigh Mhóir, or "the place of the Great house".[52] Several Gaelic place names are now largely obsolete due to the feature being removed or forgotten.Drochaid an Easain Duibh ("Bridge by the Small Dark Waterfall"), referred to in the taleAonghas Mòr Thom na h-Iubhraich agus na Sìthichean ("Great Angus of Tomnahurich and the Fairies") has not yet been located within Inverness andSlag nam Mèirleach (meaning "Robbers' hollow"), adjacent to Dores Road in Holm is no longer in use. Until the late 19th century, four mussel beds existed on the delta mouth of the River Ness:Scalp Phàdraig Mhòir ("Scalp of Great Patrick"),Rònach ("Place of the Seals"),Cridhe an Uisge ("The Water Heart") andScalp nan Caorach ("Scalp of the Sheep") – these mussel beds were all removed to allow better access for fishing boats and ships.[53]
Allt Muineach (The Thicket River) now runs underground between Culcabock Roundabout and Millburn Roundabout.An Loch Gorm (The Turquoise Loch), a small sea loch which was situated beside Morrisons supermarket, was filled in during the 19th century and lives on only in the name of Lochgorm Warehouse. Abban Street stems from the wordàban, a word of local Gaelic dialect meaning a small channel of water.
Many prominent points around Inverness retain fully Gaelic names.
Beinn Bhuidhe Bheag – "Little Yellow Hill"
Beinn Uan – "Lamb Hill"
Cnoc na Mòine – "The Peat Hill"
Cnoc na Gaoithe – "The Hill of the Wind"
Cnoc an t-Seòmair – "The Hill of the Room"
Creag Liath – "Grey Crag"
Creag nan Sidhean – "The Crag of the Fairies"
Doire Mhòr – "Great Oakwood"
Carn a' Bhodaich – "The Old Man's Cairn"
Meall Mòr – "Great Hill"
In the colonial period, a Gaelic-speaking settlement namedNew Inverness was established inMcIntosh County, Georgia, by settlers from in and around Inverness. The name was also given by expatriates to settlements inQuebec,Nova Scotia,Montana,Florida,Illinois, andCalifornia. The name Inverness is also given to a feature onMiranda, a moon of the planet Uranus, as well as a 2637 m tall mountain inBritish Columbia, Canada.[54] Inverness is also known by its nicknamesInversnecky orThe Sneck, with its inhabitants traditionally known asClann Na Cloiche ("Children of the Stone" in Gaelic) owing to the importance of the Clach Na Cudainn stone in the city's history. This large flat stone is now located outside the town hall, by the historic Mercat Cross. The stone was originally at the river Ness, where the towns women took their laundry. They would rest their tubs on the stone, thus it became known as the stone of the tubs - 'clach na cudainn'.
Panorama of Inverness looking downstream to the Greig St Bridge with Huntly Street (left), the River Ness and Bank Street (right)Panorama of Inverness from theBlack Isle, withMoray Firth to the left andKessock Bridge in the centre
TheNess Islands, a publicly owned park, consists of two wooded islands connected by footbridges and has been used as a place of recreation since the 1840s.[71]Craig Phadraig, once an ancient Gaelic and Pictish hillfort, is a 240 m (790 ft)[72] hill which offers hikes on a clear pathway through the wooded terrain.
Inverness lies on theGreat Glen Fault. There are minor earthquakes, usually unnoticed by locals, about every three years; the last to affect[73] Inverness was in 1934.[74]
Like most of the United Kingdom, Inverness has anoceanic climate (Köppen:Cfb).[75] The climate here is cooler than in more southerly parts of Britain. The highest temperature recorded was 29.7 °C (85.5 °F) in July 2006 and June 2018, and the lowest recorded was −18.7 °C (−1.7 °F) in January 2010. Typically, the warmest day of the year rises to around 25 °C (77 °F) and the coldest night falls to around −11 °C (12 °F).[76] The climate in this area is characterised by relatively small differences between annual high and low temperatures, as well as adequate rainfall year-round.
Climate data for Inverness, elevation: 13 m (43 ft), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1960–present
Raigmore Hospital is the main hospital in Inverness and the entire Highland region.[79] The present hospital opened in 1970, replacing wartime wards dating from 1941.[80]
Raigmore is a teaching hospital for the universities ofAberdeen andStirling. A Centre for Health Science (CfHS) is located behind the hospital. This is funded byHighlands and Islands Enterprise, theScottish Government andJohnson & Johnson. Phase I of this opened in early 2007, with phase II and phase III housing The Diabetes Institute opening in 2009. The University of Stirling moved its nursing and midwifery teaching operations from Raigmore Hospital to the CfHS. TheUniversity of the Highlands and Islands also has strong links with the Centre through its Faculty of Health.
Most of the traditional industries such asdistilling have been replaced by high-tech businesses, such as the design and manufacture ofdiabetes diagnostic kits (byLifeScan).Highlands and Islands Enterprise has principally funded the Centre for Health Science to attract more businesses in the medical and medical devices business to the area.[81] Inverness is home toScottish Natural Heritage following that body's relocation from Edinburgh under the auspices of theScottish Government's decentralisation strategy. SNH provides a large number of jobs in the area.
Inverness city centre lies on the east bank of the river and is linked to the west side of the town by three road bridges: Ness Bridge, Friars Bridge and the Black (or Waterloo) Bridge – and by one of the town's suspension foot bridges, theGreig Street Bridge.[82]
The traditional city centre was a triangle bounded by High Street, Church Street and Academy Street, within which Union Street and Queensgate are cross streets parallel to High Street. Between Union Street and Queensgate is theVictorian Market, which contains a large number of small shops.[83]
The main Inverness railway station lies almost directly opposite the Academy Street entrance to the market. From the 1970s, theEastgate Shopping Centre was developed to the east of High Street, with a substantial extension being completed in 2003.
UHI Inverness is a partner of theUniversity of the Highlands and Islands (UHI), an integrated university encompassing both further and higher education. The university partnership is made up of 12 colleges and research institutions located across the Highlands and Islands, Moray and Perthshire.
In 2015, the college moved to a new location, on theInverness Campus. The original outline planning application forms a vision for the development over the next thirty years. The application includes:
Academic buildings – up to 70,480 m2
Business and incubation units – up to 49,500 m2
Indoor sports complex – up to 9,000 m2
Student and other short term residences – 44,950 m2
Associated landscape, open space, outdoor recreation, infrastructure and services necessary to support the development phases
TheArt deco inspired building of Inverness High School
The 80-hectare (200-acre) campus at Beechwood, just off the A9 east of Inverness, is considered to be one of the most important developments for the region over the next 20 years. The principal of UHI, James Fraser, said: "This is a flagship development which will provide Inverness with a university campus and vibrant student life. It will have a major impact on the city and on the Highlands and Islands. UHI is a partnership of colleges and research centres throughout the region, and the development of any one partner brings strength to the whole institution."[86]
It is estimated that the new campus would contribute more than £50m to the economy of the Highlands because it could attract innovative commercial businesses interested in research and development, while increasing the number of students who study within the city by around 3,000.[87]
The Kessock Bridge carries the A9 trunk road across the Beauly Firth.
Inverness is linked to theBlack Isle across the Moray Firth by theKessock Bridge. Threetrunk roads link Inverness with the rest of Scotland: theA9 north to Thurso and Wick, and south to Perth (carryingEuropean Route E15) and theCentral Belt; theA82 to Glasgow via Fort William; and theA96 to Elgin and Aberdeen. Plans are in place to convert the A96 between Inverness andNairn to a dual carriageway and to construct a southern bypass that would link the A9, A82 and A96 together involving crossings of the Caledonian Canal and the River Ness in the Torvean area, south-west of the town.[88] The bypass, known as theInverness Trunk Road Link (TRL), is aimed at resolving Inverness's transport problems and has been split into two separate projects: the east and west sections.
In late 2008, the controversial decision by the Scottish Government not to include the full Inverness bypass in its transport plan for the next 20 years was made. The government's Strategic Transport Projects Review did include the eastern section of the route, which will see the A9 at Inshes linked to the A96. The absence of the TRL's western section, which would include a permanent crossing over the Caledonian Canal and River Ness, sparked dismay among several Highland councillors and business leaders in Inverness who feel the bypass is vital for the city's future economic growth.[89] Ultimately both sections received funding from the Inverness and Highland city-region deal.[90][91] The eastern section now also includes a commitment to upgrade the Longman Roundabout to a grade separated interchange.[91]
Cars passing through Millburn Road
The east section bypasses the Inshes Roundabout, a notorious traffic bottleneck, linking the existing Southern Distributor with the A9 and the A96, both via grade separated interchanges. This link road separates strategic traffic from local traffic. It also accommodates the proposed developments at Inverness Shopping Park, West Seafield Business Park, Inverness Campus and housing developments at Ashton Farm, Stratton and Culloden West.[92] An indicative timescale for completion of this section is the dualling of the A96 from Inverness to Nairn.[92] The west section is intended to provide an alternate route connecting the A9 with the A82. This bypasses the city centre by providing additional crossings of the River Ness and Caledonian Canal. At the west end, two options for crossing theRiver Ness andCaledonian Canal were developed. One involving a high level vertical openingbridge which will allow the majority ofcanal traffic to pass under without the need for opening. The other involved a bridge over the river and anaqueduct under the canal. Both of these designs are technically complex and were considered in detail along by the key stakeholders involved in the project.
Ultimately it was decided that a bridge would be constructed over the River Ness and a second swing bridge be constructed over the Caledonian Canal. This second swing bridge would operate in tandem with the current swing bridge enabling a constant flow of traffic. The works started on site on the 10 June 2019 and include a roundabout, realignment of General Booth Road onto the A82 and a second bridge across the Caledonian Canal.[93] The works were programmed to be complete in December 2020. However, due to a number of construction delays the section was opened in August 2021.[94]
The section leading to Inverness of the A82 road, dubbed "The Inverness Road"
In late 2008, the Scottish Government's transport plan for the next 20 years was announced. It brings forward planned improvements to the A9 in an attempt to stimulate the economy and protect jobs. Work costing a total of £8.5 million was undertaken atMoy,Carrbridge andBankfoot. Northbound overtaking lanes were created and the carriageway was reconstructed at both Moy and Carrbridge. Junction improvements were also made at Moy. In November 2011 the Scottish Government announced that it willupgrade the entire road from Perth to Inverness to dual carriageway. Work on this project was scheduled to be completed in 2025, at a cost of £3 billion.[95] However, in 2023, this project was announced to be an impossible deadline, with a mere 11 miles having been dualled since it was announced in 2011. Subsequently, the project was extended by a further 10 years to 2035, withMichael Gove stating that the A9 had to be dualled north of Inverness toNigg in order to assist with the UK Government'sLevelling Up programme at the port.
In December 2011, the Scottish Government announced its intention to dual the A96 between Inverness and Aberdeen.[96] The project will include upgrading the remaining 86 miles (138 km) of single carriageway along the route to dual carriageway at a cost of £3 billion. The first section to be dualled will be the section between Inverness andAuldearn. This will include a bypass ofNairn and the construction of a number ofgrade separated interchanges along the route.[97]However, like the A9 Dualling project, this plan has also come under intense scrutiny due to the lack of work taking place, proposals for the project to be rolled back to only dual key areas, rather than a full dualling, and it being left out of a Scottish Budget speech.[98]
In August 2021, the procurement process for the Tomatin to Moy section was started. Once this section is completed, there will be 20 miles (32 km) of continuous dual carriageway south of Inverness.[99]
Inverness bus station is situated at Farraline Park and can be accessed from Academy Street and Margaret Street. It is managed byThe Highland Council and is a short walk away from the railway station and the main shopping area. Permission was granted to demolish the existing bus station in 2000 and was then replaced in the early 2000s. Its main operators includeStagecoach in Inverness and Stagecoach in Lochaber. Buses operate around the town, to the airport and to places as far afield asFort William,Ullapool,Thurso andAberdeen.Megabus andScottish Citylink operate a regular coach service toEdinburgh, with connections toGlasgow atPerth.[100]
Inverness Airport[105] is located 13 km (8.1 mi) north-east of the city and has scheduled flights to airports across the UK including London,Manchester,Belfast and the islands to the north and west of Scotland, as well as a number of flights to Europe.
There are two tiers of local government covering Inverness. Most functions are provided by theHighland Council, which is based in the city. There is also a lower tier ofcommunity councils, with the urban area of Inverness straddling several communities.[106]
From when it was made aroyal burgh in the 12th century, Inverness was governed by the town council of the burgh until 1975. It was also the seat of theSheriff of Inverness, who had responsibility for administering justice acrossInverness-shire. When elected county councils were introduced in 1890 under theLocal Government (Scotland) Act 1889, Inverness was considered large enough for its existing town council to provide county-level local government functions, and so it was excluded from the administrative area of Inverness-shire County Council.[107][108]
Inverness was subsequently brought within the administrative area of the county council in 1930, but classed as alarge burgh, allowing the town council to continue to provide most local government services.[109]
Inverness Town House, High Street, opened 1882
The burgh of Inverness was abolished in 1975 under theLocal Government (Scotland) Act 1973, which abolished Scotland's counties, burghs andlandward districts and replaced them with a two-tier system ofregions and districts. Inverness therefore became part of the largerInverness district, which was one of eight districts within theHighland region. The Inverness district covered the area of the former burgh plus an extensive rural area around the city, being the area of the two former landward districts of Inverness (covering the rural area generally east ofLoch Ness and Inverness itself) andAird (covering the area generally west of Inverness and Loch Ness.[110][111] The District Council was based atInverness Town House on the High Street in the centre of Inverness, which had been completed in 1882 for the old Town Council.[112][113]
The Highland Council has a number ofarea committees for debating local matters. One of the committees is called the City of Inverness Area Committee, comprising the councillors who represent the wards which broadly correspond to the pre-1996 Inverness District.[115][116] The area committee chooses one of its members to take the title ofProvost of Inverness.[117]
In 2001,city status was granted to theTown of Inverness, andletters patent were taken into the possession of the Highland Council by the convener of the Inverness area committee.[118][119]
These letters patent, which were sealed in March 2001 and are held byInverness Museum and Art Gallery,[120] create a city of Inverness, but do not refer to any defined boundaries for the city. In January 2008, a petition to matriculatearmorial bearings for the City of Inverness was refused byLord Lyon King of Arms on the grounds that there is no legal body (such as a council) to which arms for Inverness can be granted.[121]
Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire (first established in 2024 and replacing the previousInverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, which existed between 2005 and 2019) currently represented by Angus MacDonald of the Scottish Liberal Democrats[122]
These existing constituencies are effectively subdivisions of theHighlandcouncil area, but boundaries for Westminster elections are now very different from those for Holyrood elections. The Holyrood constituencies are also subdivisions of theHighlands and Islandselectoral region.
Historically there have been six Westminster constituencies:
Inverness Burghs was adistrict of burghs constituency, covering theparliamentary burghs of Inverness,Fortrose,Forres, andNairn. Inverness-shire covered, at least nominally, thecounty of Inverness minus the Inverness parliamentary burgh. As created in 1918, Inverness covered the county minusOuter Hebridean areas, which were merged into theWestern Isles constituency. The Inverness constituency included the former parliamentary burgh of Inverness. As created in 1983, Inverness, Nairn and Lochaber was one of three constituencies covering the Highlandregion, which had been created in 1975. As first used in 1997, the Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, and Ross, Skye and Inverness West constituencies were effectively two of three constituencies covering the Highlandunitary council area, which had been created in 1996.
The main theatre, cinema and arts centre in Inverness is calledEden Court Theatre. Other venues in the city includeInverness Museum and Art Gallery, The Iron Works, the Northern Meeting Park and Wasp Studios. Inverness is an important centre forbagpipe players and lovers, since every September the city hosts theNorthern Meeting. TheInverness cape, a garment worn in the rain by pipers the world over, is not necessarily made in the city.
Another major event in calendar is the annual City of InvernessHighland Games. The event can trace its roots back to one of the first Highland Games staged in the modern era; the True Highland Games which was staged in 1822 by members of the Northern Meeting Society. In 1864, the Northern Meeting Society built the world's first Highland Games stadium, the Northern Meeting Park. The last Northern Meeting Highland Games was staged in 1938 and, following the Second World War, responsibility for the organisation of the annual event passed to the Town Council who moved the event to Bught Park in 1948. In 2006, Inverness hosted Scotland's biggest ever Highland Games over two days in July, featuring the Masters' World Championships, the showcase event for heavies aged over 40 years. The first year that the Masters' World Championships had been held outside the United States was 2006 and it attracted many top heavies from around the world to the Inverness area. The Masters World Championships returned in 2009 when it was staged as part of the Homecoming celebrations. In 2010, the City of Inverness Highland Games returned to Northern Meeting Park where it remains to this day. ActressKaren Gillan is the ambassador for Theatre Art Education.
Inverness has gained notoriety as well for being featured in theOutlander novel series by authorDiana Gabaldon. TheTartan Heart Festival in the nearby village of Kiltarlity, is a summer festival that brings a variety of music to the area.BFBS Radio broadcasts on 87.7FM as part of its UK Bases network.
Inverness Botanic Gardens is located inBught Park, a few minutes walk from the west bank of the River Ness, near to theNess Islands.[125]
In 2007, the city hostedHighland 2007, a celebration of the culture of the Highlands, and also hosted the World Highland Games Heavy Championships and European Pipe Band Championships.[126] In 2008, the firstHi-Ex (Highlands International Comics Expo) was held at theEden Court Theatre.[127][128]
Inverness is the location ofMacbeth's castle in Shakespeare's play. The library is located in Farraline Park, housed in what was originally the Bell's school, designed by William Robertson in the Greek Revival style. The school was built with help from a £10,000 donation fromDr Andrew Bell in 1837.[129]
Historically, Inverness had a solidlyScottish Gaelic speaking population, with the majority of the population having Gaelic as their first language. From approximately the end of the 19th century, particularly following the1872 Education Act, which made school attendance compulsory and required that only English be taught and tolerated in the schools on pain ofcorporal punishment, Inverness suffered a decline in the number of Gaelic speakers in line with the rest of the onceGaidhealtachd / Scottish Highlands. Despite the local dialect of Scottish Gaelic gradually falling out of use (although it continued to affect the localHighland English dialect), the language is still spoken locally in other dialects and themain standardised form. By the end of the 19th century, some rural areas to the south east of Inverness still had completely Gaelic-speaking populations, such as Strath Dearn where almost 100% of the population were still Gaelic speaking.
1677: Inverness was described as "overwhelmingly" Gaelic speaking by the traveller Thomas Kirk.
1704: Close to 100% of the population was fluent in Gaelic with over 75% of the population only able to speak Gaelic.[135]Edward Lhuyd published major work on Inverness Gaelic and after collecting data from between 1699 and 1700, his findings showed a distinct dialect in the area.[136] The clear dialect of Inverness Gaelic was held in high regard by speakers of other forms, such as those from Lewis, Sutherland and Ross.[137] Gaelic remained the principal language of Invernessians for the rest of the 18th century, despite growing pressure from outwith the Highlands in both political and social contexts.
1798: Thomas Garnett (Professor of Natural Philosophy and Chemistry in the Royal Institution of Great Britain) observed that Inverness had become largely bilingual with Invernessians using Gaelic as the language of the home but English as the language of foreign trade – however, the older generation at the time generally only had the Gaelic. Speaking of those in the countryside immediately surrounding Inverness, Garnett stated that although in Inverness both Gaelic and English "are spoken promiscuously...the language of the country people is Gaelic."
1828: John Wood praised the standard of both the Gaelic and English spoken in Inverness stating that both languages were spoken with "utmost purity." He noted that children would casually flit between the two languages while playing, asking questions in Gaelic while receiving answers in English and vice versa.
1882:The Celtic Magazine, published in Inverness, complained that enumerators of the 1881 census who assessed whether families were Gaelic speaking, English speaking or both, had supplied false information. The magazine wrote that "whole families .... scarcely any member of whom can express the commonest idea intelligently in English – who are in every sense Gaelic-speaking people only – were returned by the enumerators as English-speaking."
1901: Inhabitants of Inverness voiced regret at the very swift decay of the native language in the short space of twenty years following a complete absence of bilingual education and disregard for Gaelic.[138]
Inverness Gaelic Primary School opened in 2007.
The number of Gaelic speakers has fluctuated over the last century. In 1881, the census reported 4,047 Gaelic speakers in Inverness (23.3% of the population) which by 1891 had risen to 6,356 speakers (30.47%).[139] By 1901 this figure had dropped to 5,072 speakers (23.88%) of the population, from which it continued to drop to present day numbers throughemigration andlanguage shift.[139]Scottish Gaelic is slowly re-appearing in thelinguistic landscape, appearing on some signs around Inverness.Bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig Inbhir Nis, which opened in August 2007 as a primary school ofScottish Gaelic-medium education, is nearing full capacity and was extended to allow for more pupils in August 2010.[140]
For a city of its size, Inverness today has a relatively high density of Gaelic speakers and a relatively lively Gaelic scene, making it one of the centres of theScottish Gaelic Renaissance. According to the 2011 census, 4.8% of residents of greater Inverness over age 3 speak Gaelic compared to 1.1% nationally. At 2,800 Gaelic speakers, onlyGreater Glasgow andEdinburgh have a higher absolute total.[141]Bòrd na Gàidhlig, an organisation responsible for supporting and promoting the use of Scottish Gaelic nationwide, has its main office in Inverness.[142] Other Gaelic related groups include the Inverness Gaelic Choir which has existed for over 70 years.[143] Inverness also hosted theRoyal National Mòd in 2014, a festival, inspired by the WelshEisteddfod, celebrating Scottish Gaelic culture,literature, andmusic.[144]
Inverness CastleSt. Andrew's Cathedral, on the banks of the River Ness
Important buildings in the city includeInverness Castle and several churches. The castle was built in 1835 on the site of its medieval predecessor. Until 30 March 2020, it housed InvernessSheriff Court; this has now been moved to theInverness Justice Centre.[145][146]
The oldest church is theOld High Church,[147] on St Michael's Mount by the riverside, a site perhaps used for worship since Celtic times. The church tower dates frommediaeval times, making it the oldest surviving building in Inverness. It is used by theChurch of Scotland congregation ofOld High St Stephen's, Inverness[148] and it is the venue for the annual Kirking of the council, which is attended by local councillors.
There is noCatholic cathedral in the area, as theDiocesan cathedral (St Mary) is atAberdeen. The Catholic population is served by two parish churches:St Mary's, Inverness founded in 1837, is the older of the two and the first Catholic parish founded and built in Inverness after nearly three hundred years ofreligious persecution was ended byCatholic Emancipation in 1829.[149] St Ninian's was built during the 1960s and 1970s.[150]
Porterfieldprison, officiallyHMP Inverness, serves the courts of the Highlands, Western Isles, Orkney Isles and Moray, providing secure custody for allremand prisoners and short-term adult prisoners, both male and female, who are segregated.[151]
Inverness Caledonian Thistle -Caley Thistle is the city's primary football club, founded as Caledonian Thistle in 1994 from the merger of Highland League Clubs,Caledonian andInverness Thistle, to gain election into the Scottish Football League. The club rose all the way to the top flight of Scottish football in 2004, being a mainstay in the league, and winning the Scottish Cup and playing in the UEFA Europa League in 2015, until 2017, when the club was relegated back to the Scottish Championship. Despite a second Scottish Cup final in 2023, the club was relegated to League One in 2024. The club play in the Longman area at theCaledonian Stadium, which replaced their Telford Street ground in 1996.
Clachnacuddin -Clach are the oldest football club in Inverness and are one of only two founding members of theHighland League still competing. They hold the record (alongside Caledonian) for most Highland League titles won, most recently in 2004. Their name is an approximate anglicisation of "Clach na Cuddain", meaning "Stone of the Tub", referencing a landmark that currently sits outside theTown House. Clach play their home games at Grant Street Park inMerkinch, where they have done since they were founded in 1885.
Inverness Athletic -Athletic were formed in 2016, and currently compete in theNorth Caledonian League. Since founding, Athletic have been a nomadic side, due to so few pitches being available in Inverness. They currently play at Pavilion Park, inMuir of Ord, 13 miles west of Inverness
Inverness Thistle -Thistle were founded in 2024 as a new club, with no relation to theoriginal club other than name, they also compete in the North Caledonian League. Thistle play at Ferry Brae Park inNorth Kessock.
Alongside the four teams in the pyramid, Inverness has been home to many smaller football clubs, mainly in theHighland League due to the inaccessibility to be promoted into theSFA Pyramid until 2013, and it being the most senior league in the area available to clubs.Inverness Union,Inverness Citadel, Clachnacuddin, Caledonian and Inverness Thistle were all founder members of the Highland League in 1893, withInverness Celtic joining in 1897 before disappearing a few years later. Inverness Union merged with Inverness Thistle in 1895, and Inverness Citadel folding in 1937. In 2006,Inverness City was founded, playing in theNorth Caledonian League and theNorth Region Junior Leagues until being folded in 2019. In 2020,Loch Ness joined the North Caledonian League, making the step up from theInverness and District League, before withdrawing in 2024.
Shinty is an integral part of the Highlands and Islands. As the capital of the Highlands,Camanachd Association is based in Inverness and the city often hosts a wealth of Shinty finals such as theCamanachd Cup Final (the pinnacle of Shinty) as well as the international game of Shinty andIrish hurling. DespiteInverness Shinty Club not being particularly successful in recent years, some of the towns and villages that surround the city have been, such asKiltarlity who are the home ofLovat Shinty Club (recent winners of theMacTavish Cup 2013) andGlen Urquhart.
Highland HC is the local hockey team, it consists of two men's teams, two ladies' teams and a junior team.[152] with both Men's & Ladies' 1st teams in Scottish National Division 2. The Men's 1st team successfully gained promotion from Scottish National Division 3 in 2011.[153]
Inverness Blitz is a charity that promotes the development ofAmerican football in the city and the surrounding area.[154] Bught Park, located in the centre of Inverness is the finishing point of the annualLoch Ness Marathon and home ofInverness Shinty Club.
In2011, Inverness hosted professionalgolf with theScottish Open on theEuropean Tour, played at Castle Stuart the week beforeThe Open Championship. Cricket is also played in Inverness, with both Highland CC and Northern Counties playing in the North of Scotland Cricket Association League and seven welfare league teams playing midweek cricket at Fraser Park. Both teams have been very successful over the years.
Stock car racing was staged in the city circa 1973. Inverness has a mixed basketball team, the Inverness Giants, who play exhibition games against local teams throughout the North and Islands.
Ryan Christie – footballer for Bournemouth AFC and Scotland
Charles Fraser Mackintosh (Teàrlach Friseal Mac An Toisich) – lawyer, author and politician. Born and raised in Inverness and represented the Highlands in Westminster.[155]
Mary Macpherson – (Màiri Nic a' Phearsain) poet and political activist, "Great Mairi of the Songs" raised her children in Inverness, where she wrote much of her work.[156]
^MacKenzie, Alexander (1894).History of the Mackenzies: With Genealogies of the Principal Families of the Name. Inverness: A & W MacKenzie.
^Burke, Bernard (1871).A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry of Great Britain and Ireland: Volume II. London: Harrison and Sons, Pall Mall.
^"Torvaine, Caledonian Canal".CANMORE. Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland.Archived from the original on 10 July 2012. Retrieved17 April 2009.. Silver chain was found atgrid referenceNH65424346 when digging the Caledonian Canal in 1809.
^"Blar Nam Feinne".CANMORE. Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland.Archived from the original on 12 July 2012. Retrieved17 April 2009.. Blar Nam Feinne is on Cnoc na Moine (grid referenceNH595433).
^"Torvaine, Torbane".CANMORE. Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland.Archived from the original on 15 July 2012. Retrieved17 April 2009.. RCAHMS locate the battle of Torvean atgrid referenceNH65414346
^"Torvaine".CANMORE. Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland.Archived from the original on 7 July 2012. Retrieved17 April 2009.. The cairn atgrid referenceNH65424346 disappeared in the 19th or 20th centuries, it has also been claimed to mark the resting place of St Bean(Beóán) theCuldee.
^"Inverness Burgh Directory 1908-1909". Retrieved27 June 2017. (The 1:2500, 2nd edition, Ordnance Survey Plan, published in 1904–1905, does not show the drill hall)
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