Best Car Rental Inverness

History Inverness

The now calm and peaceful city of Inverness has a long history of conflict and bloodshed but also a long tradition of appreciation and love for culture, education and peace. This is the message its wondrous monuments convey and so does the tranquility of its present state. The 21st century is for Inverness a time for progress and success. Inverness was held by the Picts when in 565AD St Columba visited the area wishing to convert King Brude to Christianity. Celtic monks are said to have established a church at St Michael?s Mount close to the river where Old High church is today. Soon though, the strategic position of Inverness brought mayhem and in the 11th century groups of Vikings under Therfinn came to battle with King Malcolm and his brave troops. Medieval Inverness was under constant threat by leaders of the Western Isles and especially the McDonalds Lords of the Isles. Donald Bane lead his islanders against Inverness in an attack that claimed the lives of many men and resulted in the death of Bane himself who was buried in the area. Turmoil continued until late 15th century and in 1491 Clan McDonald together with allies attacked Inverness Castle in what is known as Raid on Ross. Mary Queen of Scots was not allowed by the governor of Inverness to visit the city. Outside of the town, the great Oliver Cromwell built a beautiful citadel that was built to accommodate 1,000 people. It was later demolished at the Restoration. In 1715 it was then occupied by the Jacobite, who used the Royal Barracks as a make shift fortress. By 1727, the local government built the first Fort George. By 1746, however, the Jacobites took it over and proceeded to blow it up.

Weather

Like any other city this place is a good place for holiday in the summers which makes it more colourful and beautiful. Check out the weather chart to decide what is best for you

Best Inverness

Seeking the best of Inverness, the first place to visit is Inverness Castle at the end of the western pedestrian zone. It was built in 1835 to replace its predecessor, a medieval castle blown up by the Jacobites. It houses the Sheriff Court and cannot be visited by tourists. Inverness Museum, Art Gallery, Castle Wynd (base of Inverness Castle), the museum has a collection of Pictish stones as well as historic weapons. In 2006 it underwent a major refurbishment, and now contains many artifacts from the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. Old High Church on Church Street is the oldest Church in Inverness, the 'Town Church' of the city. Inverness Cathedral is dedicated to St Andrew. It is a cathedral of the Scottish Episcopal Church and has a square-topped look to its spires, as funds ran out before the cathedral could be completed. Porterfield Prison serves the courts of the Highlands, Western Isles, Orkney Isles and Moray. Admiring the historical sights of Inverness and strolling through the streets of Old Town, visitors can then take a walk along the banks of the river Ness to collect their impressions and thoughts about the wonderful city of Inverness, and then relax over a glass of beer at a river pub which is Inverness at its best! Enjoying the sights combined with a nice cold pint, or a real Highlands whiskey is all people really need to enjoy the area.

Exploring Inverness

Inverness is a magical place to be. Right in the heart of the Highlands, one of the harshest yet charming environments on the planet, close to Loch (lake) Ness, a place of mystified beauty holding a dark mystery in her bleak waters. Inverness is close to the ocean and is crossed by river Ness and it is truly a place to explore and remember. Before starting out on their tour of the city and its surroundings, Inverness visitors should enjoy the ritual of a full English breakfast, one of many greatest inventions and a traveler?s best friend. It should be enough to keep you strong for the rest of the day. Public transportation in Inverness is more than adequate and since distances are short you should be at the old town center in no time. Try to make it as early in the morning as you can so as to visit the Castle, the Old High church and the Cathedral. Then you can walk on the pedestrian High Street for some afternoon shopping or go to East Gate, the impressive commercial center to choose something nice from the many shops and have some late lunch or tea. If you are not too tired you might want to catch a show or even a football match. As the evening comes, it would be time to make your dinner arrangements. When you chose a restaurant remember that smoking is prohibited by law. When you order your first pint at a cozy cheerful pub, don?t forget that there is a midnight curfew in Inverness so if you are planning to continue your night at one of the city?s bars or live music clubs you have to be there before midnight, otherwise your exploration of Inverness will end at quite an early time.

Eating drinking Inverness

First things first and for Inverness visitors to make their selection of dishes and cuisines one should start with a look of the raw materials involved in the process. Scotland is world famous for its exquisite smoked salmon and the most popular spirit in the world - Scotch whisky. The Highland?s richness in food produce is celebrated in the annual Highland Feast where seafood, game, local cheeses and certainly salmon are proudly exhibited and enjoyed every autumn. Traditional Scotch distilleries and quite a few breweries also prove the love of Highlanders for quality food. Inverness visitors will be delighted with the variety of dishes served in the town?s pubs and restaurants, many of which are on Castle Street and close to one another. Starting with a sumptuous English breakfast at their hotel, people visiting Inverness will set off to explore the Old Town. Whether it is Steak (and kidney) Pie -a delicious all time classic whose recipe remains a well-kept secret of every chef or pub cook - or the mouthwatering Roast Beef, all dishes are prepared with care and the service is always excellent. Visitors can find a complete list of restaurants and pubs at the Tourist Information Office. A nice freshly fried helping of fish and chips is also an excellent choice. A large number of ethnic restaurants (Indian, Chinese, Thai, and Mexican) and take always is becoming more and more popular in Inverness. Along with your food you will enjoy first class whisky and fine quality beer always served at the correct temperature.

Nightlife Inverness

Inverness, the proud capital of the Highlands of Scotland is a city of education, culture and sports. It is a city of warm hearted people whose humble sobriety is matched by their love of life. It is a city of young people (Inverness is the seat of quite a few Educational institutions) and strong traditions. So if you are in Inverness looking for nightlife Mediterranean style you might be somewhat disappointed at first. But soon enough you will discover - and hopefully enjoy - the city?s relaxed and casual atmosphere that will convince you that you do not have to be up all night to have fun that being said it must also be noticed that Inverness adopts a slight peculiarity concerning opening hours - or rather closing time of the city?s establishments - there is a midnight curfew. There are of course several clubs and bars that are licensed to stay open until 3 in the morning but customers are not allowed to join the fun if they arrive after midnight. This consequently means that if they leave their favorite bar a little after midnight all they can do is go home. Visitors are advised not to overlook the curfew as it applies to every place in town. This of course is no problem for the visitors of the local traditional pubs, some of them quite old, housed in picturesque houses (for the handful of people in the world who do not know, ?pub ?stands for public house). And everyone who has entered a typical pub has heard the sound of the bell signaling last order around 11 o clock. Pubs empty well before midnight and young people head for their bar or club of choice. The dress code in most cases is described as smart and casual and many of the clubs stage live music performances.

Shopping Inverness

The beautiful capital of the Highlands of Scotland is a colorful mixture of tradition and modern, multicultural spirit. A large number of students from all around the world study at Inverness College and other academies and give a different note of youthful carefree attitude to the city. Visitors of Inverness should find this to be very obvious when they visit the Old Town market for a pleasant spell of Inverness shopping. Inverness offers a variety of shopping solutions for visitors to choose from. Among the first would be Eastgate Shopping Center which serves the largest population of potential customers in Europe. Marks& Spencer and Debenhams are the two Internationally recognized brand names that occupy most of the large complex offering a huge selection of clothing and accessories. Apart from the two there are almost 60 shops all displaying Internationalbrands. There are gift shops, souvenir shops, a cafeteria, a food court, two parking sites and a small monkey climbing up a tree and ringing a bell each time the hour changes, which is part of an innovative automated clock which characterizes the building. Large shopping centers are a convenient solution for those who don?t want to spend a lot of time shopping. For others who may enjoy strolling in leisure through market streets, window shopping or looking for that special something to buy, Inverness visitors should not miss the classy Inverness Victorian Market. The Market arcade is built of bricks and the lovely shop facades are so fetching that sometimes Inverness visitors will forget about shopping and just wander through the Victorian open-air market admiring the decorations. There is also the High Street, the stylish pedestrianised market of Inverness always bustling with crowds of tourists, visiting and local shoppers who are here to enjoy their purchases from one or some- of the area?s 500 shops.

Disabled visitors Inverness

Inverness, this serene, beautiful city lying amongst the Highlands of Scotland is a truly inviting city. The warm heart of its inhabitants and the beauty of the city and its surroundings guarantee that the visitor's time will be well spent on a holiday in Inverness. And that certainly includes the disabled holiday makers of this restful place. Starting from their arrival at Inverness Airport, travelers with special needs will find all that they require for a safe transport to their accommodation. Special toilet facilities, ramps and pathways, wheelchairs and special carts will assist them for as long as they chose to remain in the Airport area. INV is a relatively small airport but local hospitality is great. And if words are not enough, disabled visitors should also keep in mind that there are strict Internationalregulations concerning the matter and any airport in the world cannot be licensed without abiding to them. There are many beautiful hotels and lodges that have prepared great arrangements for the city?s visitors who are physically disabled. Lists of such hotels and provided amenities can easily be obtained at central spots or through relevant Internet sites. In the city of Inverness there are special provisions for the disabled and many facilities are offered. Not just in hotels or lodges but also in parks and museums, special preparations have been made so that people who are physically impaired or are disabled can also visit the beautiful city and enjoy all its pleasures like every other visitor. It is also good to know that the extensive network of Inverness buses is a very comfortable way to go around the city.