Inverness Castle Tours and Activities
29 Reviews

Perched atop a hill by the River Ness, this Victorian-era red sandstone castle—built to replace the medieval fortress blown up by the Jacobites in 1746—is one of Inverness’ most prominent historic structures. Access to the castle, now occupied by government offices and law courts, is restricted but the grounds are open to the public.
The Basics
Inverness Castle has long played an important role in Scotland’s story, and is a must-visit for history buffs. Thanks to its elevated setting at the summit of Castle Hill, it also affords views over the river and Inverness, the capital of the Scottish Highlands. Most visitors explore independently, strolling around the grounds to see a Flora MacDonald statue and informational plaques detailing the site’s history. It’s a good place to get a primer on local historical information before venturing to nearby sites with Jacobite connections, such as the Culloden Battlefield or Urquhart Castle. Guided sightseeing tours of the city typically include a glimpse of the castle exterior, while hop-on hop-off bus tours also stop at the castle site.
Things to Know Before You Go
- Wear comfortable, closed-toe shoes to explore the castle grounds.
- Bring a camera, as the castle’s viewpoint overlooks the city and makes an excellent backdrop for vacation photos.
- The castle grounds are wheelchair accessible.
How to Get There
Inverness Castle is located on the east side of the River Ness in Inverness city center. The castle is a 15-minute walk from Inverness rail station. Local buses stop at nearby Castle Street and on Castle Road.
When to Get There
The views from Inverness Castle are best on clear, sunny days. The grounds are busiest during warm summer weather, but even then, crowds are rare. The setting is romantic at sunset, when the sun’s soft rays hit the surface of the River Ness.
The History of Inverness Castle
Inverness Castle has long played a prominent role in the lore of Scotland, with a history that stretches all the way back to the 11th century. It features in both fiction and history books, having been the setting for part of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and the Jacobites razed the castle to the ground just weeks before their final defeat at the Battle of Culloden in 1746.
Address: 41 Castle St, Inverness IV2 3EG, Scotland
10 Tours and Activities to Experience Inverness Castle
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Inverness City Centre Walking Tour
75
This tour is a must do on a visit to Inverness. Meaning "Mouth of the River Ness", Inverness is surrounded by the river and other natural beauty. It is the capital of the Highlands and therefore acts as a main shopping, entertainment and travel centre for the North of Scotland.
On this 1.5 hour tour, you will explore the history and modern culture of Inverness. You'll learn about how the city has grown from its humble beginnings into officially the happiest city in Scotland. This is a family-friendly, leisurely stroll around the city.
Key sights:
Inverness Castle
Eden Court
Inverness Cathedral
River Ness
The Old Town House
Old High Church
Balnain House
and many more hidden gems too
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From
$21.10
Price varies by group size
From
$21.10
Price varies by group size
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
Guides required to regularly wash hands
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Walking tour Inverness, 2.5 hrs, all points of interest included
12
An ideal way to see the capital of the highlands,Inverness with a local guide,
Visiting all the most important points of interest
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From
$26.31
From
$26.31

Inverness Bike Tour a 2 hours guided bike tour around the Waterways of Inverness
178
This biking tour around Inverness takes you to more places than you'd see on foot and to places that buses and cars cannot reach. The Waterways Tour rides along the River Ness and The Caledonian Canal, making many stops along the way to learn about the area from your guide who has lived in Inverness all their life.
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From
$33.76
From
$33.76
Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
Gear/equipment sanitized between use
Learn More

City Sightseeing Inverness Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour
71
Explore historic Inverness along the banks of the lovely River Ness on this hop-on hop-off sightseeing tour. With your 24-hour pass, create your own adventure with 11 possible stops including Abertarff House, Caledonian Canal, Merkinch Nature Reserve and Inverness Castle. As you travel via double-decker coach learn about the city’s history and culture from your expert guide.
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From
$14.07
From
$14.07
Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
Regularly sanitized high-traffic areas
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Inverness: Gateway to the Highlands Walking Audio Tour by VoiceMap
Kilts, bagpipes, Gaelic, clans and hot Jacobites (I'm looking at you, Jamie Fraser) - so many of our Scottish stereotypes come from the Highlands.
Inverness has always been the capital of the Highlands, the gateway between the Highland and Lowland communities.
Yet Inverness has a complicated relationship with its Highland heritage. On this tour, you will delve into that relationship through ancient legends, invented traditions and a battle about a cheese.
This audio tour takes you on a 3km walk around the highlights of the town. It takes an hour without stopping but you can pause the tour whenever you choose. The audio plays automatically at exactly the right time and place using your smart phone's GPS and the VoiceMap mobile app, which also works offline.
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From
$5.34
From
$5.34

Discovering Inverness: An audio tour exploring the capital of the Highlands
Join your professional guide, Andrew Baxter, as he takes you on this self guided audio tour through ancient history. Go back to a time when an almost mythical tribe made Inverness their capital, before following in the footsteps of a Celtic saint who stopped the Loch Ness Monster in her steps. Discover the strange soothsayer with an obsession with bridges as you wobble across the river, avoiding the sinister clutches of wee fairies. Enjoy the myths and legends of Inverness, whilst exploring this great city's amazing past, on this tour around the Capital of the Highlands.
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From
$6.47
From
$6.47

Bubble Tour: Inverness Walking Tour
2
Folklore, Castles & Our Happy Places
The Highlands and Islands are officially the happiest place to live in Scotland. As a result, Inverness, the capital of the Highlands, has repeatedly been crowned the happiest city in Scotland.
On our private walking tour of „Inversneckie", we will help you transforming into one of these happy locals.
Our tour will take you to the town's famous and lesser-known landmarks and to some of our happy places like „The Salad Bar". You will also hear about the sons and daughters of the town and the life in Inverness then and now.
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From
$133.65
per group
From
$133.65
per group
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
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Legendary Loch Ness Round Tour
1
Enjoy a 4 to 5 hour trip to get a flavor of the lush hills and glens in and around the world famous and mysterious Loch Ness. Experience tastes of this unique culture, history and landscape. The small-group tour will be in a comfortable, air-conditioned bus that seats up to 8 people. Relax with your professional, Scottish, tour guide, Johnny, as he takes you on a journey all the way round Loch Ness, Fort Augustus, Drumnadrochit, Urquhart castle, Inverness cathedral and what better way to complete your tour than with a visit to Inverness Castle
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From
$139.28
Price varies by group size
From
$139.28
Price varies by group size

GHD Clan Tour of Loch Ness (Round Trip)
1
There is no better way to see and hear about the views, culture and history as you travel the whole way round the Famous Loch (and it is a loch not a lake) than from a kilted Highlander. On this tour George will transport you through time and back again.
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From
$168.82
Price varies by group size
From
$168.82
Price varies by group size
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Face masks provided for travelers
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Loch Ness Inverness Tour
For a minimum of 4 hours, you can customise this tour however you want. The highlights of going round Loch Ness have been described, it is up to you how much of these places you want to stop at!
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From
$393.91
per group
From
$393.91
per group
Face masks provided for travelers
Regularly sanitized high-traffic areas
Gear/equipment sanitized between use
Learn More
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