Vacation Home Rentals

posted by Vacation Home Rentals on Jul 23

Inverness, commonly referred to as the capital of the Highlands, was granted city status in two thousand and one and at this time is the only city in the Highlands of Scotland. Strangely Inverness has no legal boundaries which causes problems for folk estimating population. The problem is made worse by the fact that the population is rising dramatically, the city has the United Kingdom’s highest growth rate. One certainty we know of is that the population of Inverness is fairly content, in 2008 the Telegraph ranked the city of Inverness fifth out of 189 cities in the United Kingdom for its quality of life. From this we can say that Inverness is a lovely place in which to spend time and this is most probably one of the facts which make the city amazingly popular with tourists. Crucially there is a great deal of Inverness bed & breakfast accommodations with the majority of it being available to book online.

Inverness is also frequently called the gateway to the Highlands for the obvious fact that it is best placed to make the most of the Highland public transport system and an incredible number of tourist attractions are not too far away. Possibly the best way to reach them is by going on an organized bus tour or day trip. A few coach companies visiting places such as, Culloden, Loch Ness or Urquart Castle or for the adventurous tourists it is possible to visit Orkney or John O’Groats in a day. You can also go on a few city tours, such as the Terror Tour.

A small percentage of tourists decide to stay in 2 places in the Highlands of Scotland such as Inverness and then, later, Fort William. Fort William is extremely popular with folk who enjoy sports especially hill walkers, ramblers and rock climbers who get their thrills going to the top of Ben Nevis which looks down upon the town. In a similar way Fort William bed and breakfast and rather like most bed & breakfast in Scotland it is nearly always cheap, excellent value for money and extremely tidy, clean and comfortable with world class hospitality.

One of the most important things to remember is that Inverness Airport is, approximately, 7 miles east of the city at Dalcross. It is relatively easy to hail a cab or catch a bus to the small but busy airport which is fairly reasonable. If you need maps of the area then you should get one of the free ones at the tourist office, which is on Castle Wynd. While you are staying in Inverness you should make a point to visit Inverness Museum and Art Gallery, Inverness Castle, the Mercat Cross and ‘stone of tubs’ especially the Castle Garrison Encounter, an interactive experience which is great fun.

posted by Vacation Home Rentals on Mar 30

Inverness, widely called the capital of the Highlands, was ceremoniously granted city status in the year two thousand and one and at this moment in time is the only city to be found in the Scottish Highlands. Uniquely (in Britain) Inverness has no statutory boundaries which causes problems with people estimating population. The estimations are distorted further because of the fact that the population of the city is increasing at a dramatic rate, the city has the UK’s highest growth rate. One thing we know for certain is that the city has a fairly content population, in 2008 the city of Inverness came 5th in a survey taken, by the Telegraph.co.uk, of 189 British cities for quality of life. From this we can state that Inverness is a pretty alright city in which to spend some time and this is most probably one of the facts which make the city immensely popular with tourists. Luckily there is plenty of Inverness bed & breakfasts with the majority of it being available to book online.

Inverness is also referred to as being the gateway to the Highlands of Scotland for the obvious fact that it is best placed to get the most out of the Highland public transport system and a large number of tourist attractions are relatively easy to get to. Possibly the best way to see them is via an official tour or day trip. There are a few tour companies visiting places such as, Loch Ness, Urquart Castle or Culloden or for the more adventurous tourist it is possible to visit Orkney or John O’Groats in a single day. You can also go on a small selection of city tours, such as the Terror Tour.

A small percentage of visitors decide to stay in two places in the Highlands such as Inverness & Fort William. The town of Fort William is incredibly popular with sports men and women especially mountaineers, hill walkers and ramblers who take their chances reaching the summit of Ben Nevis which towers above the town. In a similar way to Inverness Fort William bed & breakfast accommodation and like all Scotland bed & breakfast it is most often not too expensive, very good value for money and very tidy, clean and comfortable with unbeatable hospitality.

An important thing to remember is that Inverness Airport is, near enough, seven miles east of the city at Dalcross. It is easy to hail a cab to the busy but small airport which is quite reasonable. If you require maps of the area then you will find them free at the tourist office, on Castle Wynd in the town center. While you are in the city you should make a note to visit Inverness Castle, Inverness Museum and Art Gallery, the ‘stone of tubs’ and Mercat Cross especially the Castle Garrison Encounter, an interactive experience which is immensely enjoyable.

posted by Vacation Home Rentals on Mar 20

Inverness, a city in the Scottish Highlands  is situated in some of the most aesthetically pleasing countryside in the United Kingdom of Great Britain. In and around the city are many places associated with historic Scotland, often these places witnessed a great deal of human suffering and violence. Of course Inverness has a fantastic selection of tourist attractions (and the number is always growing). In the paragraphs below I introduce readers to three places to visit in Inverness Inverness Castle, Inverness Museum and Beauly Priory:

Beauly Priory

Monks, from the Valliscaulian order, set up a community at Beauly Priory in 13th century. Sadly nobody has the ability to state the factual date of foundation but it is commonly accepted that is would have been around the year 1230. During that time the landowner, and patron, of Beauly was Sir John Bisset, whose lands were almagamated with the Fraser’s of Lovat. The French monks, together with Sir John Bisset, are those who named the place Beauly, coming from the French words for beautiful place. Sadly, the priory became deserted following the Scottish Reformation and blocks of stone were used in the construction of other structures. In 1913 the ruins of Beauly Priory were passed over into state hands and they are currently in the care of Historic Scotland.

Inverness Castle

There have been many structures on the site of Inverness Castle through the centuries, as far back as 1057 there was something there. King Robert I almost destroyed the first Inverness Castle. The castle which currently sits on the site was built and designed by William Burn in 1836. The beautiful red sandstone building, resides atop a cliff looking down across the River Ness and the cathedral on the opposite side. King James I of Scotland conducted parliament at Inverness Castle in the year 1427, and called all the Northern Chieftains to be in attendance. Shockingly three of these chieftains were eventually executed for supporting an independent monarchy.

Inverness Museum (& Art Gallery)

Found in the middle of Inverness is the recently renovated Inverness Museum and Art Gallery which is well worth a visit especially if the weather is wet and windy. At the museum one can enjoy Scottish History and find out how the Highlands are associated with the rest of the world. You can also find out about the people of the Highlands, their culture and traditions. There are a lot of different collections featuring, costumes, textiles, fine arts, crafts, archaeology and wildlife.

If you are considering taking a vacation in the U.K. this year and you hope to spend some time in Scotland, take some time to consider spending some time staying in Inverness. Finding Inverness hotel accommodation online is relatively easy as many establishments have their own web site.  Hotels in Inverness, small hotels, guest houses and bed and breakfasts are always superb and Scotland is very well know for hospitality of the highest order, so you can be sure of have a wonderful time.