Inverness, the capital of the Scottish Highlands, is often just a transit stop for travellers making their way deeper into the highlands but Inverness has its charms and our 36 hours in Inverness itinerary will show you the best ways to get a taste of Inverness.
Inverness, Scotland | UK
Located on the River Ness is the UK’s northernmost city, Inverness. Its picturesque location on the River Ness at the northern end of the Great Glen charms tourists and travellers, many of whom only spend a couple of hours here before heading deeper into the Highlands. But Inverness is a city of lovely walks, charming markets, historic buildings, and excellent restaurants and you need more than a just few hours of transit to get a feel of this city. Spend a weekend in Inverness to savour the best that this riverside city has to offer. Our 36 hours in Inverness itinerary covers the best things to do in Inverness.
We took advantage of Flixbus’s introductory deals as they expanded their services into the Scottish Highlands and spent a sunny weekend eating and drinking in Inverness. We went on leisurely walks along River Ness and the Caledonian Canal, indulged in window shopping, and browsed old books at the city’s largest second-hand bookstore. It was the perfect weekend getaway from Edinburgh!
Inverness Highlights: 36 Hours in Inverness
- Capital of the Scottish Highlands
- Easily accessible by public transport
- Starting point of NC500
- Lovely riverside location
- Excellent restaurants such as River House, Kool Runnings, & Mustard Seed
- Multiple budget hostels including a Hostelling property
- Easy access to Loch Ness by bus
- 30 minutes by bus to Culloden
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How to Reach Inverness
Inverness is very well-connected by public transport and can easily be visited without a car.
BY TRAIN | Scotrail runs regular services to Inverness from all major Scottish cities such as Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Aberdeen. If you are travelling from London, LNER services are available from London Kings Cross to Inverness. For an indulgent experience, book tickets on the Caledonian Sleeper, an overnight sleeper train, that connects London Euston to Inverness.
BY BUS | CityLink runs services from all major Scottish cities to Inverness. Flixbus has recently started services from Inverness to Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Perth. Stagecoach is the local provider and connects Inverness to neighbouring towns and villages.
LUGGAGE STORAGE: Left luggage facilities are available for a small fee at Inverness train station and Inverness bus station.
Where to Stay in Inverness
As the base camp for the highland, Inverness has a bunch of hostels and bunkhouses. If you are looking for something fancier or a BnB, you won’t be disappointed.
BUDGET OPTIONS | Youth Hostel Inverness (clean and well-kept dorm rooms and private rooms with kitchen and laundry facilities, but a 15 min walk from the city centre), Black Isle Hostel
MID-RANGE OPTIONS | Royal Highland Hotel, Kingsmill Hotel, Glen Mhor
36 Hours in Inverness Itinerary
While this 36 hours in Inverness itinerary is fashioned as a weekend getaway, you can restructure it to fit your timings.
Friday Night | Dinner at Kool Runnings
Reach Inverness by late evening from Edinburgh or Glasgow. Check-in at your hotel/hostel and head straight to Kool Runnings, Inverness’s one and only Jamaican eatery, for dinner. We ate there and were absolutely delighted! The Jerk Pork Steak was spicy and hit all the right notes. It came with spicy Jamaican rice and plantain chips that were sweet, soft, and deliciously carby. We also ordered the vegetarian kebabs and though the quartered cabbage didn’t do it for us, we loved the kebabs (and wished there were more) and the rice. We can’t wait to go back to eat the jerk chicken and the lamb shank! They also do cocktails; we had a cocktail called “Slow Comfortable Screw Against a Wall With a Bang” and it was banging! Loved this place and the food!
If you are vegetarian/vegan, ask for the vegetarian menu. Note that they have made it mandatory to order at least one main dish per person.
Saturday Morning | Breakfast at Wild Wee Pancakes, Visit Leakey’s Bookshop
Enjoy a leisurely breakfast at Wild Wee Pancakes, a family-run business specialising in crepes, pancakes, and waffles. There are lots of options on the menu, including some savoury crepes should you not have a sweet tooth. We had the classic lemon and sugar crepes and they were perfectly made!
After breakfast, visit Leakey’s Bookshop Inverness’s largest second-hand bookstore. It is straight out of a Harry Potter book and you have to see this place to believe it! Rows and rows of books are shelved along the wall and a dusty smell, that peculiar aroma of old books hangs about the place. At the heart of the bookstore, there is a massive wood-fired stove to keep away the damp and a spiral staircase that takes you to the upper floor where there are, you guessed it right, more books! Not just books, there are shelves full of antique maps and vintage prints. It is like a candy shop but for book lovers and there are so many books that you can literally spend the whole day browsing! We bought a few books, including a Folio Society Edition of Ray’s Pather Panchali.
Leakey’s Bookshop is closed on Sundays.
Saturday Afternoon | Walk or Cruise from Dochgarroch Locks, Lunch at Victorian Market
If you have managed to escape the enchantment of Leakey’s, there are two things that you can do and both involve taking a 10-minute bus ride to Dochgarroch Locks on the Caledonian Canal. The hourly bus service 919 (Inverness to Fort William) will get you there. Once there, you can either:
- Walk to Inverness along the Caledonian Canal (2 hours)
- Go on the Jacobite Loch Ness Cruise (2 hours or 50 min | pre-booking required)
We did the first one because we just wanted to spend the day in the sun without paying for the cruise but if you are interested and would to visit Loch Ness and Drumnadrochit, see our Loch Ness by Public Transport Guide. The weather was brilliant and the path ran along the Caledonian Canal. Rowers were enjoying the day; the sound of their oars lapping against the water was the only sound besides the birdsongs. Not many people were on the path and we mostly had the place to ourselves. The last of the gorse were scattered along the foliage and foxgloves were just beginning to show. Buttercups, bluebells, and other wildflowers filled the banks. We spotted and heard a bunch of birds, including three swifts. It was a beautiful day! As you near Inverness, close to Whin Park, you can choose to either continue along the canal or walk towards Ness Island on the bridge and then take the path along the River Ness to return to the city centre.
CAN I VISIT CULLODEN BY BUS FROM INVERNESS: Yes, Culloden is a short bus ride from Inverness. If you want to visit Culloden Battlefield, note that bus 27 from Inverness to Tornagrain runs from Monday to Saturday. There are no Sunday services, so adjust this 36 hours in Inverness itinerary accordingly.
For lunch, head to the Victorian Market. Similar to the Grainger Market that we visited on a day trip to Newcastle, the Victorian Market is an arcade with a food hall where you can find some excellent options: our favourites are Salt & Fire for vegan food, The RedShank for local seafood, and Cha Chang Teng for Chinese food.
Saturday Evening | Pub Hop & dinner
Head to Castle Tavern for a pint. If you are lucky, you can hear local musicians play at this pub. Alternatively, you can also visit Uile-Bheist Distillery & Brewery.
WHERE TO GO FOR DINNER IN INVERNESS: Inverness has some seriously good food, and to be honest, we spent most of our weekend in Inverness eating or drinking.
– River House for locally sourced seafood. They have an oyster happy hour from 4:30 pm to 6 pm – perfect for a pre-dinner fix!
– The Mustard Seed for Scottish food. (Their lunch deal (£16.95 for two courses, June 2024) is great value for money.)
– Hou Hou Mei does modern renditions of traditional Asian dishes such as Tataki Sirloin Steak and Sichuan Douban.
– Love Dosa or Mumbai Thistle for street food and South Indian meals that go beyond Britain’s curry house classics.
If you aren’t ready to hit the sack yet, head for wine and cheese at The Walrus & Corkscrew, a cosy venue that offers an excellent selection of wine, including some great port and sherry options, and other liquors.
Sunday Morning | Coffee & Breakfast at Local Cafe, City Walk / Souvenir Shopping
Start your day with coffee: The Milkbar, Perk Coffee & Doughnuts, and Grain & Grind are some of the best coffee shops in Inverness. For breakfast, head back to the Victorian Market where Bad Girl Bakers are ready to tempt you with some delicious baked goodies, toasties, and morning buns. This is what we did: we took it slow and because the weather was incredible, we strolled along the beautiful riverside and admired the handsome historic buildings that line both banks. We visited the Old High Church and the adjoining graveyard and enjoyed the views of River Ness and the many bridges that span it. Bunches of golden yellow laburnum swayed delicately in the breeze.
But if the weather is dreary, there are some other options too:
SHOPPING IN INVERNESS
Should the weather not be all sparkly and bright, turn this morning into a shopping spree! Stop by Merchant Delicatessen to pick up some edible souvenirs. Owned by the couple who run the Walrus & Corkscrew, Merchant Delicatessen stocks artisan products from Scotland and beyond, and you can load up on artisan chocolates and cheese amongst other things. At Inverness Whisky, shop for some of the country’s best Scotch. If you are looking for trinkets and gifts, head to Judith Glue or Triquerta Crafts. If it is candy that you are after, Young’s Auld Sweetie Shop is the place to be!
BEST HALF-DAY TOURS IN & AROUND FROM INVERNESS
There are some excellent half-day tours in and around Inverness that you can do on a budget. We highly recommend the walking tour that shows you around the city and provides you with an understanding of the history and heritage of Inverness.
TIP: If you want to visit Inverness Castle, you will have to wait until 2025 as the castle is currently closed for renovations.
Sunday Afternoon | Depart after lunch
Grab a quick lunch at Black Isle Bar where you can find some excellent wood-fired pizza, then head to the Glenalbyn, one of Inverness’s oldest pubs, for a pint. If it is sunny, get a table outside for sun-soaking and people-watching while you wait for your train back home after spending 36 hours in Inverness.
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