Inverness

Every NC500 trip starts and ends here, and honestly, Inverness deserves more than just being your launchpad. It’s a compact, walkable city with a decent food scene and enough to fill a morning before you hit the road. But let’s be real — you’re itching to get going. So here’s what to do and what to sort before you leave.

What to See

Inverness Castle got a major revamp and reopened as a visitor attraction. The viewpoint at the top gives you a proper panorama of the river, the city, and the hills beyond — worth twenty minutes. Below that, the Victorian Market is a covered arcade that’s been going since 1890. Independent shops, a decent coffee spot, and it doesn’t feel touristy.

For a leg-stretch before hours in the car, walk the river path to the Ness Islands. Wooded islands connected by Victorian suspension bridges in the middle of the river. Peaceful, green, ten minutes from the centre.

Culloden Battlefield is five miles east and you should go. The NTS visitor centre is superb — they tell the story from both sides, and walking the actual field is genuinely moving. The Clava Cairns are a short detour from there. Bronze Age burial chambers, no crowds, and they predate the pyramids.

Where to Eat

The Mustard Seed on the river does excellent Scottish food in a converted church. Rocpool is the go-to for something fancier. For a pre-road-trip fry-up, Velocity Cafe does proper coffee and breakfast. Johnny Foxes on the riverfront is reliable for pub grub and a pint.

Getting There & Parking

The A9 brings you in from the south. Multi-storey car parks off the A82 are your best bet in the centre. If you’re picking up a hire car, the airport is 15 minutes east.

Insider Tips

Fill your tank here. Seriously. Fuel prices go up the further north you get, and stations get sparse after Tain. Same goes for cash — grab some from an ATM, because card machines in remote Highland pubs are… optimistic. Stock up on supplies at Tesco or Aldi. The next proper supermarket isn’t until Thurso, and that’s five hours of driving away.

One more thing: if you’re starting your loop clockwise (east coast first), the light tends to be better for photography. Anti-clockwise means you hit the dramatic west coast while you’re still fresh. There’s no wrong answer, but decide before you leave.