The castle on Castle Hill above the River Ness, open since 2025 as the Inverness Castle Experience, with exhibitions and a rooftop terrace.
Inverness Castle stands on Castle Hill above the River Ness, in the centre of the city.
Visited and photographed by Simon Hird
The castellated towers you see were built in the 1830s and 1840s as a courthouse and a prison, on the site of the medieval castle, and since 2025 they have housed the Inverness Castle Experience.
The Experience is a self-guided journey through the stories of the Highlands, told in the voices of the people who live there, with an audio guide in six languages. A ticket takes you into the South and North Towers, and the roof terrace of the South Tower looks out over the city. The gardens, the Saltire Bistro and the shop need no ticket. In front of the castle, the statue of Flora MacDonald, put up in 1896, looks out to the west. Allow two to three hours for the Experience.
Arrives at 5am every day.
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Open every day except Christmas Day.
The gardens, bistro and shop need no ticket.
Opening hours
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The statue in front of the castle is of Flora MacDonald, whom many regard as a Highland heroine. Put up in 1896, it looks out to the west, and the castle's own history says it is awaiting the return of Bonnie Prince Charlie.
The South Tower roof terrace gives panoramic views over the city.
The original well from the medieval fortress can be found inside the Saltire Bistro.
The red sandstone castle on its hill above the River Ness is the landmark of the city, and after years as a courthouse it is now open to everyone. The building you see dates from the 1830s and 1840s, on a site that has held a castle since the 11th century. Inside, the Inverness Castle Experience tells the story of the Highlands, its land and its people, through exhibitions and hands-on displays. The gardens, café and shop are free to wander. Outside stands the statue of Flora MacDonald, who helped the Prince escape after Culloden, gazing out over the river.
Read moreNew places, news and stories, as we find them.
What is on in InvernessOn Castle Hill above the River Ness in the centre of Inverness, IV2 3EG, ten minutes' walk from the railway station.
River Ness WalkA riverside walk through Inverness from the castle along Ness Bank to the Ness Islands and back past the cathedral, about three miles and an hour and a half.Under a mile 1 min by road
Castle GalleryAn independent contemporary art gallery on Castle Street in Inverness since 2001, showing original work by Highland and British artists over two floors.Under a mile 1 min by road
Harry GowUnder a mile as the crow flies
Inverness Museum and Art GalleryThe museum of the Highlands, just below Inverness Castle, with archaeology, Jacobite relics, natural history and art, and a café and shop.Under a mile 1 min by road
XOKO BakehouseUnder a mile 1 min by road
Leakey's BookshopScotland's largest second-hand bookshop, in an old Gaelic church on Church Street in Inverness, with a hundred thousand books on two floors round a wood stove.Under a mile 3 min by roadPlaces to stay near the castle, and when each is next free.
Garden Cottage
Ivy Cottage
South Bothy
Gatehouse CottageWe want to show you the best that Scotland has to offer. The makers and the creatives, the enduring experiences, the evocative tales, the concealed corners. The roads less travelled that take you to places that matter. The adventures that gather you up and sweep you away. The blend of the wild and the artistic that makes Scotland what it is. We’d love for you to join us.
What we have written about it, the collections it is in and more in Inverness.
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