Hunters Quay: A Journey

The Highland Capital of Inverness, which gained Millennium City Status in 2001, is situated at the mouth of the Great Glen, where the River Ness enters the Moray Firth . Loch Ness, into which the river runs, is the largest and deepest expanse of fresh water in Scotland and travels 27 miles south west of the city as part of the Great Glen Fault, carving its way across country to the west coast town of Fort William.

Visitors hoping for a glimpse of the fabled monster, however, will probably have to travel south along the A82 on the Westside of Loch Ness to the ruins of 13^th century Castle Urquhart and Drumnadrochit, where there are now two visitor centres: the Old Loch Ness Visitor Centre, which provides monster spotting cruises on the loch, and the Loch Ness Centre and Exhibition Experience.

Inverness is a hospital place with plentiful accommodation for the visitor, and an ideal base for exploring the region in every direction.

Welcome to Inverness...

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Inverness is a bustling gateway town serving the north of Scotland.

                  Inverness Castle and the River Ness

Inverness Castle, the present building only dates from 1834-47 and is the Sheriff Court.

The red sandstone Inverness Castle, which overlooks the River Ness, is, in contrast relatively modern, dating only from 1836; and houses Inverness Sheriff Court. In front of the entrance there is a fine statue by Inverness-born sculptor Andrew Davidson of Flora Macdonald, the heroine of the 1745 Jacobite Uprising, gazing wistfully west towards her family home in the Hebrides.

       Flora MacDonald's Statue looking towards her home.

Did you know that Prime Minister Lloyd George held the first ever cabinet meeting outside London in 1921, in The Inverness Town House?

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            Drumnadrochit nesting in its lush surroundings.

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Inverness.. A Highland City.

Declared a city in 2001, Inverness is now a bustling home to over 65,000 people.

This city has a lot to offer, whether you are looking for history, sports, theatre, wildlife, great restaurants and bars, boutique shopping or simply and chance to relax in a highland city.

Inverness is a vibrant, historic city with plenty to entertain the visitor, both within the city itself, and in the beautiful and often dramatic countryside around it.

Inverness today is a busy shopping and administrative centre for the surrounding Highlands, essentially comprising a modern metropolis with a high-tech economy and progressive outlook.

Robert the Bruce seized the first of the city’s five castles from English forces in 1307 and, in 1562, Mary Queen of Scots had the Governor of Inverness Castle hanged for refusing her entry to the Burgh. A visit to Inverness Museum and the Castle brings the city’s history into context in engaging displays and tours that are well worth a visit.

Cawdor Castle, the romantic family home of the Earls of Cawdor, combines the appearance of a fortified stronghold with an air of friendliness. Though it has a legendary association with Shakespeare’s Macbeth, it post-dates the historical events round which Shakespeare wrote the well-known tragedy. Most of Cawdor is 16th or 17th century, though the central tower dates from around 1370, with 15th century fortifications. The castle owes much of its charm to its unaltered appearance since those days. Nearby Cawdor Castle is a real favourite, with beautiful gardens and woodland trails.

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 Author: Bill Mneimneh ... Tell us your views.