Whin Park, the Ness Islands and a hot chocolate at XOKO

Inverness

Whin Park – Play Park, Little Trains and the Ness Islands

A few hours, from Inverness station and back.

The route

Whin Park is where Inverness brings its children, and the nicest way there is on foot, along the river and across the wooded Ness Islands on their white Victorian bridges.

There's a big new play park, a little railway, and ducks to feed on the pond. Then it's a hot chocolate and a cinnamon roll at XOKO on the way back into town. A pushchair manages the whole way.

Before you go

Book accommodation nearby
If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.
The nearest of ours is Newhall Mains in Balblair, 13 miles away.

The day

Whin Park

It's a morning by the River Ness, on flat riverside paths all the way. Out along one bank and over the islands to the play park and the little trains, then back down the other bank into town for something warm.

About three and a half hours

River Ness Walk
An attraction
From the station it's a 4-minute walk down to the river below the castle, where Ness Bank heads upstream on the town side. Follow it past the war memorial and the white Infirmary Bridge, and after about 20 minutes the path crosses onto the Ness Islands. Wooded paths loop across them on the white suspension bridges put up in 1853, and the river runs fast on either side, so hold small hands near the edge. Whin Park is just over the far bridge, about half an hour from the castle at an adult's pace and longer with small legs. The paths are surfaced and flat, so a pushchair manages the whole way.
More about River Ness Walk
About 32 min on foot
Whin Park
An attraction
Whin Park sits on the west bank beside the islands, and its play park was rebuilt in 2025. There's a Legend Seeker play ship, a climbing birds' nest, swings, an interactive Nessie, and an adventure mound with a tube slide and a scramble net. Next to it, the Ness Islands Railway, which calls itself the UK's most northerly public miniature railway, carries children on a run of more than half a mile behind little locomotives. It runs from Easter to late October, from 11am to 4pm at weekends and every day in the local school holidays, weather permitting. A ride is £3 and under-4s go free, and what it makes goes to Highland Hospice, which runs it. There are ducks on the pond, toilets in the park, and a shop for drinks, snacks and ice cream.
More about Whin Park
30 min on foot
XOKO Bakehouse
A drink
From Whin Park it's about 30 minutes' walk back down the west bank, past the cathedral and over the Ness Bridge to XOKO on Bridge Street. It's a bakehouse with its ovens on show, open every day from 7am to 3.30pm, for a hot chocolate, a cinnamon roll, or breakfast or lunch at its long tables. The staff are kind to families with toddlers. The station is 6 minutes' walk on.
More about XOKO Bakehouse

If it rains

In a shower the island paths are under trees, but the play park and the railway are out in the open and the trains run only when the weather allows: on a really wet morning go straight to XOKO for a hot chocolate and save the park for a dry day.