Inverness Walking Tour: History, Myths & Hidden Stories

The city of Inverness is known as the capital of the Highlands, and 1600 years ago it was known as the capital of Pictland. That’s more than enough time for the city to brew a heady mix of sites and stories. Welcome! I’m Hugh, your guide, looking forward to helping you wander through the most fascinating and historic areas of Inverness. The route is circular, beginning and ending at Inverness Castle. The distance is 3.5 km, and it takes me 1 hour and 40 minutes. But you get to enjoy it at your own pace. Pause where you want. Enter a visitor attraction if you wish. Then pick up the story again, whenever you’re ready. The audio will uncover each stop when you need it. No crowds, just you, me and the stories. Some highlights on this self-guided walking tour are: • Inverness Castle: A castle has stood here for over 1,000 years. The current castle dates from 1835, commands wonderful views of the city, and contains a major visitor attraction. • Inverness Town House: opened in 1882, and very much the civic heart of the city. • Greyfriars Churchyard: oldest graveyard in Inverness – both misnamed and haunted, but more about that later. • Church Street: medieval spine of the Old Town, and with several 1600's and 1700's buildings of note. • Victorian Market: a charming glass-roofed Market Hall dating back to 1870. • Inverness Cathedral: Episcopalian cathedral completed in 1869 and dedicated to St Andrew. Its interior holds a few surprises. • Eden Court Theatre: originally opened in 1976, incorporating the Bishop’s Palace, and being the largest arts venue in the Highlands, and also haunted. • Uile Bheist Distillery: a new low carbon craft distillery, brewery and visitor experience, dedicated to the arts of Scotch whisky distilling and brewing. I have always felt that the River Ness, flowing through the heart of the city, is what gives this place its character. So, after we’ve seen the Castle and medieval centre, this walk that I invite you to take with me will lead us down to the riverbank. We’ll stroll downstream, cross the river on an attractive suspension bridge, and then head upstream past cathedral and theatre, to re-cross on the infirmary bridge. You can always consider a refreshment at the Uile-bheist, if you need time to process Inverness’ story, the culture of the clans, how people lived, snippets about Outlander and the Jacobite Wars, and the various spooks and spirits. Together, we will have opened up not only Inverness but also the Highlands, for you to better enjoy and understand.