Walks and nature
in Inverness-shire.

It’s 22:08 in Inverness-shire.

Inverness-shire

The Ness Islands and the Great Glen.

The outdoors here starts right in the city. You can follow the River Ness from the castle along Ness Bank, cross Victorian suspension bridges onto the wooded Ness Islands and come back past the cathedral in an hour and a half. For something bigger, the Great Glen Way runs all the way from Fort William to Inverness, by the canal and the shore of Loch Ness, and is walked in stages over several days. The odd one out is Invergordon, where a mural trail turns the town's gable walls into an open-air gallery. Good shoes and a light waterproof will see you through any of them.

The Highland Wildlife Park→

The Great Glen Way by Thistle Trekking→

Loch Ness→

Invergordon Mural Trail→

Place of the day20 hours ago

Suidhe Viewpoint.

A high viewpoint on the B862 above Fort Augustus, looking out over moor, lochans and the hills of Stratherrick towards Loch Ness, on the South Loch Ness Trail.

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From our guide19 hours ago

Glen Affric.

West of Cannich, a narrow road winds up beside the river into Glen Affric, a long valley of lochs and wooded islands under high mountains that often keep their snow into spring. Around the lochs grows the old Caledonian pine forest that once covered much of Scotland, great gnarled granny pines with silver birch, heather and blaeberry beneath. There is a walk for every kind of day, from short trails at Dog Falls to paths along Loch Beinn a' Mheadhoin and the long way round Loch Affric. Come in autumn, when the birches turn gold against the dark pines.

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Free18 hours ago

InvernessLoch NessAttraction

InvernessPlodda FallsAttraction

InvernessGlen AffricAttraction

InvernessDog FallsAttraction

Inverness-shireInvermoriston FallsAttraction

InvernessFalls of FoyersAttraction

Free to visit.

Beaches, waterfalls, viewpoints and stones: nothing to pay and nobody to ask.

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Newly discovered16 hours ago

InvernessThe StrathdearnCafe

InvernessLoch Ness StatueAttraction

Inverness-shireDores BeachAttraction

InvernessBoleskine Burial GroundAttraction

InvernessFalls of FoyersAttraction

InvernessLoch Ness ViewpointAttraction

Some good places to go, newly added to the site.

The newest places on our pages in Inverness-shire.

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From our guide15 hours ago

Falls of Foyers.

On the quiet south side of Loch Ness, the River Foyers plunges some 140 feet into a deep, wooded gorge on its way down to the loch. The falls were one of the sights of the Highlands long before the monster was, and in 1787 Robert Burns stood beside them and wrote a poem in pencil. A stepped path leads down through the trees from opposite the village tearoom to viewing platforms, where the white water shows against the dark rock. It is steep in places, so wear good shoes. Come after rain, when the falls are at their fullest.

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Stay13 hours ago

Inverness-shireGlen Affric Estate5.8 miles

InvernessThe Lovat Hotel11.0 miles

Inverness-shireEagle Brae11.1 miles

Stay near Plodda Falls.

The three good places closest to it: Glen Affric Estate, The Lovat Hotel and Eagle Brae.

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From our guide12 hours ago

Ness Islands.

A short walk upstream from the city centre, the River Ness splits round a string of wooded islands, and wandering out to them is one of the simple pleasures of Inverness. Paths loop under tall trees with the water rushing past on both sides, and it feels a long way from town. The white Victorian suspension bridges went up in 1853, after a flood swept the earlier ones away. Walk out from the castle along Ness Bank, cross the islands and come back by the cathedral on the far bank. Keep an eye out for seals and otters.

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Somewhere to go11 hours ago

Invergordon Mural Trail, Easter Ross.

Scotland's first outdoor community mural trail, eleven large paintings on the gable walls of Invergordon telling the story of the town, free and open every day.

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Autumn9 hours ago

What Invermoriston Falls looks like in autumn.

Waterfalls on the River Moriston just above Loch Ness, crossed by Thomas Telford's bridge of 1813 and watched over by a small stone summerhouse.

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From our guide8 hours ago

Loch Ness.

Loch Ness runs for twenty-three miles down the Great Glen, a long, straight trench of dark water between steep, wooded hills, and it holds more water than all the lakes of England and Wales together. There are two ways round. The A82 follows the north-west shore past Drumnadrochit and Urquhart Castle to the locks at Fort Augustus. The quieter south-east side, by single-track road through Dores and Foyers, gives the best views across the water. Better still, get out on the loch itself, where the hills rise on both sides and the water runs out of sight.

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From our guide5 hours ago

Dog Falls.

A few miles up Glen Affric from Cannich, the river squeezes through a narrow gorge of grey rock in a run of white rapids and dark pools, and a footbridge crosses right over them. Dog Falls is the first car park in the glen and the start of its best-loved short walks. Waymarked trails climb through ancient pinewood to Coire Loch, a quiet lochan known for its dragonflies, and to a viewpoint looking far up the glen. The full round is about six kilometres and takes a couple of hours. Paths are rocky in places, so wear good shoes.