INVERNESS | INBHIR NIS
See below for:
- Travel to Inverness
- Accommodation
- Attractions
- Eden Court Venue
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Travel:
By Air:
Dalcross International Airport is 8 miles east of the city. Frequent bus service to/from Inverness (approx. every 45 minutes at peak times) (timetables online). Taxis available, also car hire. Wireless Internet access via BT OpenZone. There are flights to many airports throughout Britain and Ireland. Visit the airport website for more details.
By Train:
First Scotrail operates the 4 lines from Inverness railway station:
* South to Aviemore - Perth and then Edinburgh / Glasgow. Connections to Stirling as well.
* East to Aberdeen via Nairn and Elgin
* West to Kyle of Lochalsh on the west coast near the Skye Bridge
* North via Beauly up the coast to Wick
Visit - www.thetrainline.com for timetables and online booking.
By Bus and Car:
Megabus is a new budget double decker bus service operating between Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee, Perth, Aberdeen and Inverness. Tickets from as little as £1.The Scottish Citylink coach network operates the main routes between Inverness and other towns/cities in Scotland (e.g. Fort Augustus, Fort William, Oban, Skye, Ullapool, Wick, Aberdeen, Perth, Edinburgh, Glasgow, etc.). Visit their web site for timetables.
Stagecoach Buses and Highland Country Buses (Rapsons) operate on local routes (e.g. Inverness city centre, Strathpeffer, Beauly, Cromarty, Dingwall, etc.). These timeables can be obtained from Inverness bus station or consult travelinescotland.com
For all local transport connections (rail, ferry, air, bus), the Highland Council publishes Travel Guides which are available to purchase for a small fee - public.transport@highland.gov.uk or Tel:01463 702695 .
Distances by road:
* Edinburgh - Inverness: 157 miles
* Glasgow - Inverness: 174 miles
* Inverness - Fort William: 65 miles
* Inverness - Ullapool: 57 miles
To calculate driving distances and routes from A to B, use the RAC route planner or MSN Maps UK.
Where to Stay:
Please visit the Visit Scotland website for all your accommodation bookings...
Inverness, the capital and principal crossroads of the Highlands of Scotland, has an enviable location at the head of the Great Glen and on the shores of the Moray Firth making it an ideal base for exploring. A variety of Inverness accommodation can help you relax after a day of sightseeing. From hotels to bed and breakfasts and guest houses, Inverness has it all. Within Inverness itself, everything you need is within easy walking distance of the city centre where pipers, jugglers and fiddlers provide a welcome distraction from the serious business of holiday shopping! In and around Inverness you can choose from numerous places to visit and things to do, from River Ness to Castle Garrison Encounter to Inverness Museum and Art Gallery. With such a wide range of things to do, it is important that your accommodation provides the rest and relaxation needed after hard day sightseeing.
See here for VisitScotland's full accommodation listings:
All Inverness accommodation
Hotels in Inverness
Guest Houses
Bed and Breakfast, B&Bs
Inverness Hostels
Inverness Self Catering
Attractions:
Inverness - Highland Capital
One of the many joys of Inverness is the rich variety of places to visit and things to see and do in and around the city. The city boasts a host of historic buildings in the Old Town to appreciate while you shop. And don't forget to enjoy the views from our castle, you'll see it as you stroll along our beautiful riverside. For a bracing beach or seaside walk, Nairn is within easy reach. On route, take in Culloden Battlefield or immerse yourself in the past at Clava Cairns. Beauly , with its historic Priory and specialist shops, isn't far away. To the south-west keep an eye out for our most famous resident – Nessie on nearby Loch Ness or visit Abriachan Nurseries close by on Loch Ness-side.
Inverness City Centre
Inverness has a small compact centre that's easy to walk around. The Old Town Rose Street Car Park is situated in the centre of Inverness within walking distance of the Inverness Bus Station, Railway Station, city centre and the shopping malls. The Old Town offers a wide variety of shopping experiences.There are many specialist retailers in the city to tempt you. Products on display include outdoor clothing and equipment, traditional knitwear, books, music and crafts from all over Scotland. You'll also find many shops selling traditional goods, including food and drink products, kilts and tartan goods, jewellery, ornaments and local artwork. You'll be spoilt for choice!
Our Victorian Market, in the Old Town , is a covered arcade linking the city's busiest streets, providing a comfortable place to wander and discover some specialist shops and traditional merchants. The High Street is always busy, interesting, welcoming and entertaining – pedestrianised to provide you with a safe shopping experience. Street performers, including Highland pipers, offer interest and entertainment. You'll be spoilt for choice!
The nearby Eastgate Centre is the city's flagship retail centre, home to many large national chain stores. Recently enlarged to award-winning standards, it now provides even more in terms of retail therapy as well as complementing other city shopping experiences. Falcon Square is a great place to meet,and enjoy a variety of entertainment throughout the year.
Gaelic News
A bilingual newsletter, 'Cur is Fàs', is produced with support from the Gaelic Language and Culture Plan for the Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey area see http://www.cnag.org.uk/cuairtlitir.php
Culture
Gaelic traditions form the roots for much of the cultural heritage of Inverness, in language, music and song. The city remains one of the key locations for the annual Royal National Mod, a competitive cultural and linguistic event held every October and which moves around a circuit of Scottish towns. Inverness has its own local Mod which, along with non-competitive Fèisan (cultural and linguistic festivals), provide an ideal opportunity to see and hear some of the best of Highland and Gaelic music and song.
Language
Gaelic language plays a very important role in the life of modern Inverness. Many of the place names in and around the city are in Gaelic or are derived from the Gaelic language. Some are of ancient Pictish origin. Inbhir Nis (Inverness) means Mouth of the River Ness. Tom aiteann (Tomatin) means juniper hillock. Tom na h-lubhraich(Tomnahurich) hill-top cemetery close to the canal means Hill of the yew trees. You can still hear Gaelic spoken around our city.
Try a little-
Ciamar a tha thu? (Pronounced - keemara has oo) = How are you?
Tha mi ag iarraidh (Pronounced - ha me uk ee uray) =I want.
Drama (Pronounced drama) = a dram (whisky).
Biadh (Pronounced beeudh) = food.
For more information, a number of Gaelic organisations are based in Inverness and can tell you more about the traditional language and culture of the Highlands. The following may be of assistance:
www.bord-na-gaidhlig.org.uk
www.cnag.org.uk
www.ancomunn.co.uk
www.inbhirnis.org
www.cli.org.uk
www.gsi.org.uk
Eden Court Theatre
Eden Court is the Theatre for the Highlands and Islands and presents an extensive and varied programme of performances and films as well as providing the largest programme of arts education in the country. During the last few years Eden Court has become a great success story. They have achieved consistent and substantial growth in audience numbers along with financial stability. They are highly respected by their two major revenue funders – the Highland Council and Scottish Arts Council, who have recently confirmed Eden Court as a foundation funded organisation.
Their programme ranges from full scale opera to rock music, from large scale drama to stand up comics and from international modern dance to local community companies.
Eden Court serves the whole of the Highlands of Scotland (an area similar in size to Wales ). Over 30% of their audience travel for more than 90 minutes to attend a performance so they pride themselves on looking after their audience and ensuring that their remarkable loyalty is repaid. They deliver an education programme throughout the region. Eden Court also runs the Inverness Film Festival and Inverness Book Festival.
Eden Court's premises previously consisted of an 800 seat theatre and 74 seat cinema with associated public spaces contained in two Grade A listed buildings: the 1976 theatre and the 1878 historic “Bishop's Palace”. Eden Court also has a second theatre with 270 seats; two new cinemas; two education studios and new dressing rooms. It has redesigned all the public spaces, restored both of their existing buildings and have increased the seating in the main theatre to 860. The building has been designed by award winning architects Page / Park and is the largest arts centre in Scotland . The new building has made a striking addition to the existing theatre.