Inverness evolved from an ancient fort to being the Capital of the Scottish Highlands, situated at the mouth of the River Ness which flows from Loch Ness to the Moray Firth. As one of Europe’s fastest growing towns Inverness is the regional and administrative centre for the Highlands of Scotland. It is a vibrant town with excellent travel, retail, leisure and educational facilities and a location for many high-tech and traditional industries.

Inverness has always attracted people from far afield. The city has welcomed Pictish, Celtic and English settlers amongst others and today a cosmopolitan mix of residents and visitors gives Inverness an atmosphere which is unique in the Highlands.

The Inverness area is home to 65,000 people and is growing at an unprecedented rate. As the regional centre for the Highlands of Scotland, it is the administrative hub of an area the size of Belgium.

It is also an award winning city, regularly recognised in the Tourism City of the Year, Britain in Bloom and Beautiful Scotland in the Bloom awards. Indeed, Inverness was recently ranked fifth out of 189 British towns and cities by the Quality of Life Research Group at the University of Strathclyde – and this does not take into account many of the city’s most pleasant attributes including its location at the heart of the Highlands of Scotland.

Click on dates in the timeline for key characters and events in the city’s history.