MY VISIT TO INVERNESS
Inverness is one of the eight cities of Scotland and is considered the capital city of the Scottish Highlands.
Inverness is a small city, and I only managed to see a portion of it, but it has a lot to offer. Known worldwide thanks to its proximity to the famous Loch Ness, there’s so much more to Inverness than legendary monsters. Nestled in the heart of the highlands on the banks of the River Ness, Inverness boasts the best of both worlds, a compact city, and a huge highland playground. Together they provide a superabundance of cultural sights, outdoor attractions, and historic gems.
Picture: Street shot of people walking in the centre of Inverness
I’ve always wanted to visit Inverness. I can’t remember when I first wanted to visit the city, but it was one of the first places on my to do list when I was beginning to plan my visit to the Scottish Highlands. Now, if you don’t know already, I am no fan of cities, I detest them immensely. I dislike the chaos and the hustle and bustle. Put me in a small town or a little rural village and I am golden, I prefer the quiet and not o many people. I feel all out of place in a city, but not in Scotland. I live in Wales, and when visit Cardiff or Swansea, I can’t wait to get out of there as soon as I can. Edinburgh, Glasgow and now Inverness and you’ll see me roaming around in awe.
Picture: Street shot of a pub in Inverness
I arrived in Inverness and parking was not a problem and although I parked in a city centre multi-storey car park it cost only £3 for the day! In the city centre! I couldn’t believe my luck. With the car parked, I started to roam the city, taking in all the sights and sounds. Inverness was bathed in freezing fog, it was the first week in December after all, but it didn’t spoil my trip. If anything, it added to the experience. The city was dressed in Christmas decorations, and it was the first time I felt Christmassy in a while.
Picture: The entrance to the Victorian Markets, Inverness
It was morning, we’d been on the road for about an hour and a half and we were feeling hungry. So, my dad, my nephew and I looked for somewhere for breakfast. We popped into the Victorian Market and found a lovely little coffee shop and had a beautiful Scottish breakfast. The staff at the Ambiance Cafe were friendly and kind, the service was fast and the food was lovely. Below is my nephew tucking into his full breakfast.
Picture: My nephew enjoying his Scottish breakfast
The Victorian Market is a place where retail therapy becomes that bit more interesting when you veer off the high street path, in search of something a bit different. The Victorian Market dates back to 1890. It has dozens of unique, independent businesses which are cloistered within, offering visitors a classic and alternative shopping experience. Red steel arches and lanterns line the main thoroughfare, while the old clock leads into a circuit of brightly coloured facades. You’ll find gift shops, tea rooms, beauty buys, a florist and a joke shop. And dressed in Christmas decorations it feels truly magical.
Picture: The Victorian Market dressed up in its Christmas decorations
This wouldn’t be the first visit to the Victorian Market though, I would return later in the day for a coffee and ginger-filled cookie from the Bad Girl Bakery in the food hall. Seriously, if you are looking for something sweet and delicious then you need to visit the Bad Girl Bakery. If they delivered to South Wales I would order from there regularly.
Picture: The best cookies you’ll ever have, the ginger filled cookies by the Bad Girl Bakery, The Victorian Market, Inverness
We walked the city for quite a few hours. Visited various outdoor stores, we went into the shopping centre, we even found a traditional sweet shop. I treated myself to some Clove Rock while Dad had himself a quarter of sherbet lemons and my nephew had something more modern. Such a lovely place and lovely people.
Picture: The old sweet shop in Inverness
Then we were off again wandering the streets looking to buy some trinkets for family members and my nephew his first penknife. We found Grahams of Inverness, a wonderful traditional outdoor and game shop opposite Inverness Castle. At this point, we were all shopped and walked out. So, it was back to the car to make our way back to Fort William.
Inverness was wonderful. There were many places I did not get to visit or explore, and I intend to correct this when I go back to Inverness on my return to Scotland. Maybe not in the freezing fog next time though 😉
Thank you for reading my blog on Inverness.
Have you been to Inverness? Where would you recommend, I go to when I return?