All about the Inverness area in the Scottish Highlands

.....OutdoorInverness.co.uk

This OutdoorInverness website is a co-operative venture brought to you by the Inverness Outdoor Network. The Network came into being in December 2006 when a dozen of the most dynamic and forward-thinking outdoor companies based in and around Inverness came together to share experiences and look at how we could work closer together to attract more visitors to the region. We believe that Inverness is one of the premier Adventure Sports locations in Britain. We believe we can offer the best combination of outdoor activities, adventure sports and things to do in the Inverness area.

.....Inverness 

Inverness, 'the city in the Highlands' is a modern city that is the Highland’s main settlement and the hub of a transport network leading to and from all parts of the Highlands and the rest of the UK.

Through serving the needs of an extensive and rural hinterland as well as visitors, Inverness is a bustling place with an excellent shopping choice, including the most northerly locations of many 'High Street' retail chains.

Located at the top of the Great Glen, a great variety of different kinds of landscape lie within easy reach. Loch Ness is only a few minutes drive. To the south and west lie the big hills in the heart of the Highlands, notably within the Cairngorm National Park. North of Inverness is where the outdoor enthusiast is welcomed by the wilds of the Northern Highlands and a variety of activities are available to the adventurous.  East of Inverness, the hills gradually give way to the narrow and sheltered lowland strip around the edge of the Moray Firth, where the main town is Nairn, a long-established small resort notable for its golf and fine beaches.

Overall, this area offers plenty of Scottish strands to follow, with a good range of historic sites and castles, as well as Europe's best preserved 18th-century fort at Fort George. The sport and activity choice is also wide-ranging and includes both cruising on Loch Ness (monsters, maybe) and also on the Moray Firth (dolphins, almost definitely). Shopping for Scottish crafts, plus all the nightlife and the cultural programme of Scotland’s most northerly city, are just a few of the other options.

Getting to Inverness

For a place so remote and beautiful, Inverness is remarkably easy to get to.

By road. The A9 trunk road will take you on a very scenic drive up from Edinburgh or Glasgow in around 3 hours. Long distance coach companies serving Inverness include:

  http://www.megabus.com/uk

  http://www.scottishcitylink.co.uk/

  http://www.nationalexpress.com/

By train. Inverness is linked to all UK mainland stations and has some direct services to London.  National Rail Enquiries have a useful journey planner at http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

There is a fantastic overnight sleeper train service from London to Inverness six nights a week.  Just imagine hopping on the train at Euston station at 21.15 on a Friday night and arriving into Inverness at 8.06am, refreshed after a glass of wine and a good sleep. You can pack in two full days of amazing outdoor activity experiences, catch the sleeper back on Sunday night and be at work in London by 8.30am without even taking a day off!  Book the sleeper at:

  www.firstgroup.com/scotrail/content/caledoniansleeper

By air. Inverness has direct air links with London Heathrow, London Gatwick, London Luton, Manchester, Birmingham, East Midlands, Dublin, Belfast, Bristol, Leeds Bradford and Southampton. The best one-stop search for Inverness flights is Highlands & Islands Airports website at http://www.hial.co.uk/

Accommodation

Visit the Inverness Hotels Association website at http://www.inverness-highlands.com/

Check out Bed & Breakfast accommodation at http://www.invernessbedandbreakfast.co.uk/