History

The history of Inverness is the history of the Highlands in microcosm, a story of saints, kings, clan warfare, and pivotal battles. A settlement has existed here since at least the 6th century, when St. Columba is said to have visited the Pictish King Brude at his fortress on Craig Phadrig. Its strategic position at the mouth of the Great Glen made it a vital stronghold, and a castle has stood in the city since the 11th century. For centuries, Inverness was a remote royal burgh, a bastion of royal authority in a wild and often rebellious region, caught up in the power struggles of the Highland clans.

The city’s most significant historical chapter is tied to the Jacobite cause. In 1746, just a few miles east of the city, the final, brutal confrontation of the Jacobite Risings took place on Culloden Moor. The decisive defeat of Bonnie Prince Charlie’s army by government forces was a watershed moment in Scottish history, leading to the systematic dismantling of the Highland way of life. This windswept battlefield has shaped the identity of the region, and its story is still part of modern Inverness. The city later prospered with the building of the Caledonian Canal in the 19th century, becoming the commercial and transport hub of the Highlands.