Inverness Hotels - Smooth Hound Hotel Directory

Inverness is at the heart of the Scottish Highlands and is well regarded as being a leader of industry and commerce in Scotland. There is much to see and do in Inverness, including the famous Inverness Castle. The castle visitors see today was actually rebuilt in 1847. There is also a museum and art gallery that is well worth seeing. Visitors will find a variety of pubs, shops and restaurants as well as numerous watersports activities and opportunities for golfing in Inverness. There are also many mountain resorts situated throughout the Highlands as well, which make for a relaxing getaway.

Inverness is often called the capital of the Scottish Highlands and is located at the mouth of the river Ness. It has been settled since at least the sixth century AD and is close to the site of the Battle of Culloden.

The city is also close to Loch Ness which is known worldwide for being the alleged home of the Loch Ness Monster. The loch itself is the largest volume loch in Scotland and is up to 734 feet deep. Statisticians will delight in the fact that it holds more fresh water than the total of all lakes in England and Wales. Which gives any potential monster plenty of space to hide in. The sheer size of the loch helps to feed the legends of "Nessie", as the monster is popularly known.

Although Inverness was once home to a number of Scottish whisky distilleries, nowadays it is more associated with high tech businesses and is at the forefront of medical science.

Shoppers will find their needs are met in the Eastgate shopping centre, which attracts shoppers from a wide area of Scotland and has more than sixty shops for you to spend time in.

Bagpipe fans should head to the city in September when the prestigious annual Northern Meeting piping competition takes place, attracting top bagpipe players from across the globe. The city also hosts an annual Highland Games which feature all kinds of traditional Scottish sports including the caber toss, stone put and hammer throw.

Inverness castle watches over the city. Today it holds the Sheriff Court as well as a variety of exhibitions which are held in the castle's Drum Tower. If you come across certain Scottish £50 notes, the castle is featured on their reverse side.