In September every year the world’s most prestigious solo bag-piping event, the Northern Meeting is held in the city. In July the Highland Games in Inverness are amongst the biggest in Scotland. Major attractions nearby include Fort George, Culloden Moor and, of course, Loch Ness.

FORT GEORGE is a large fortress built in the 18th Century. It has perhaps the mightiest artillery fortifications in Europe and is still in use as a military garrison today. It was built to pacify the Highlanders after the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion and cost more to build than the entire GNP (Gross National Product) of Scotland at that time. Its current garrison is the famous Black Watch, 3rd Battalion of the Royal regiment of Scotland. The fortress is open to the public.

CULLODEN MOOR is the site of the Battle of Culloden in 1746. This battle ended the Jacobite Rebellion in favour of the Hanoverian government forces. The uprising had been an attempt to restore the House of Stuart to the throne of Great Britain. Charles Edward Stuarts’ (Bonnie Prince Charlie) army had battled their way nearly to London but the expected supporting invasion of England by the French did not occur. The Jacobite army withdrew back to Scotland pursued by the Hanoverian army led by the Duke of Cumberland, nicknamed ‘Butcher’ Cumberland. Bonnie Prince Charlie fled to France in the aftermath of the brutal battle.

LOCH NESS is a 23 mile long freshwater loch famous for sightings of The Loch Ness Monster, ‘Nessie’. It’s very deep, up to 755 feet (230 metres), and is the largest Scottish loch by volume of water (Loch Lomond has a larger surface area but is not as deep as Loch Ness). In fact Loch Ness holds more water than all the lakes and reservoirs in England and Wales combined. It was written that Saint Columba saved the life of a man from the monster in 565A.D. Whether Nessie is there or not Loch Ness is a beautiful place to visit, and that’s a fact.