Inverness Castle

Woke up to snowfall overnight and then spent our last morning in Inverness visiting the Castle. The Castle Experience is wonderful and new and interactive and should not be photographed. The photos I was able to get were from the tower overlooking the city. Despite the no photo rule, the visit was interesting and added a nuance to our understanding of the Scottish identity. BTW, the Laird’s Breakfast in the bistro is really worth it!

The castle is very beautiful from the outside, but the interior has been completely changed and renovated. It focuses more on the history of the Highlands than on the castle itself. It’s well designed, as it has an audio guide available in several languages. I would recommend it only if it’s raining heavily in Inverness and you have nothing else to do. There is one section of the castle dedicated to a musical group, which has no real relevance to the place being visited.

The castle has undergone an extensive renovation internally and externally to which i am amazed at the work completed. I would recommend buying the tickets in advance as the booking process can take a while if you turn up on the spot as it requires you purchasing from your device. The whole experience was impressively put together and well researched, with staff also being very knowledgeable about the building and the history of the area. However i found the use of the portable speakers when given to us in the tour a bit hit and miss in terms of volume and some minor playback issues but nothing that took away from the experience maybe a little distracting having to hold something to your ear like your on a phone call. Overall the Inverness castle experience is most definitely worth a trip if you’re travelling to Inverness. PS when i visited, the 360 tower view was amazing so i highly recommend a photograph from there

Historic landmark overlooking the River Ness with great views across Inverness. Inverness Castle is worth seeing from outside and a good stop while exploring the city centre.

Very cool castle with an intriguing history! I didn’t visit inside but the outside is free and give you great views of St. Andrew cathedral and river ness!

I won't spoil it for you with more photos, so you can enjoy it yourself, great experience 💫 Thanks to all the stewards navigating us, bistro/cafeteria staff, shop assistants. It was worth the waiting (came last year with the idea to visit it to see its going through renovation😅🙈) Hope to be back one day for the afternoon tea🧁🍰🫖

Its OPEN Now!! I still can’t believe how lucky we were today — being among the first 50 people to step into the newly opened Inverness Castle felt like walking into a moment that’ll stay with me for a long time. The place doesn’t just open its doors; it opens a whole new way of seeing the Highlands. What struck me first was how modern and alive everything felt. Instead of focusing on battles or old conflicts, the castle invites you into the real soul of the Highlands — the nature, the culture, the people, the rhythm of life. There’s this beautiful immersive nature section where, for a moment, I honestly forgot I was indoors. The sounds, the movement, the atmosphere… it felt like the Highlands had reached out and wrapped itself around me. Then there’s the Gaelic habitat area — gentle, thoughtful, and so full of character. It felt like being welcomed into someone’s home rather than an exhibit. But the part that surprised me the most was the section about wool and stitching. It sounds simple, but the way they show the richness of Highland sheep wool and all the different types of stitches made me pause and really appreciate the skill and history woven into every thread. And just when I thought the experience couldn’t get any better, Dougie MacLean began to play. His music filled the space with warmth, depth, and that unmistakable Highland spirit. It was the kind of moment that makes you stop, breathe, and take everything in more deeply. Walking out, I felt this deep sense of connection. If you get the chance, truly, go experience it for yourself. It’s not just a visit — it feels like being gently invited into the stories and spirit of the Highlands.

Inverness Castle is a beautiful landmark with incredible views over the River Ness and the city. Unfortunately, it was under renovation during my visit so I couldn’t explore inside, but walking around the grounds was still well worth it. The setting is lovely, and the castle makes a great backdrop for photos. I look forward to coming back once it reopens to see the interior as well.

Due to extensive renovation projects and remodelling the castle and grounds were closed to the public in 2021. So, we could only see the site from a distance. The site is scheduled to re-open to the public in 2025. Fun fact, an illustration of the castle is featured on the reverse side of a £50 note was introduced in 2005 and issued by the Royal Bank of Scotland, which

Lovely castle building that looms over the city of Inverness and is visible from almost everywhere in the city. There's been a castle on that very site since 1057 - but they've been raided and destroyed numerous times. The current castle was built back in 1836. Until 2021 it was used as the courthouse and prison. You could walk the grounds but not inside since it was a working courthouse. But it's currently being renovated and will reopen to the public as shops and museums and music venues - the goal is to give people a taste of Highland life according to the website. So visiting it is short and sweet - not much to it at the moment but it's a lovely landmark and I'm sure it'll be magnificent when it's all finished and opened to the public!

Any Scottish castle is worth a visit, but Inverness...the city, the castle, what have you...is exceptional. If you can get in.

The Castle is closed! We walked all the way around it. Scaffolding and fences shroud the route in mystery

I was in Inverness for a weekend break and of course had to check out its local castle!! However was surprised to realize from the other reviewers that's it a working Courthouse housing the Inverness Sheriff's Court and so we couldn't actually go inside, unless were in trouble with the law! So on Monday morning, as had some time to chill before heading to the airport, we walked around the castle grounds and its battlements, which are the areas that are open to the public. The castle is fabulously located on the sides of a cliff overlooking the swiftly flowing River Ness (which I heard from one of our taxi-drivers that it had superb salmon fishing). At the front of the castle, I would suggest taking the time to admire the statue of Flora MacDonald who is commemorated for helping Bonny Prince Charlie escape British government troops after the Battle of Culloden in April 1746, by disguising him as her maid and getting him to Portree Harbor so he could safely sail to France. Also, this castle was built in the 1830s, which is why it looks so clean and modern but according to the information boards, there has been a castle on this site since the 12th century. I really had an enjoyable walk checking out the views, and so indeed recommend checking it out! Yelp 88/ 2019

Ok for a quick pic We've seen lots of Castles on our Road Trip this year.Old ones, new ones - impressive ones.....and mediocre castles, like this one. It sits nicely on top of a hill, offering some nice views. If you want good pics of the Castle you should head across the river. From the area of the St. Andrews Cathedral you get a good view. The Castle was partly under construction at the time, but if you play a bit with the angle, you can manage to get some good pics anyways. But besides taking some pics and views this castle doesn't offer much. It is quite modern and not open to public. But Inverness itself is a lovely town. Good for a stroll and some shopping.

It is strange to me to be able to say that a castle was "lackluster" but in this case...it truly was. Inverness itself is rather small but full of beautiful architecture. The castle seemed like a bit of an afterthought or even a loose thread of that grand architecture. For starters, the castle is rather small in comparison to most European castles. It is also very clean looking and almost resembles a modern interpretation of a castle, much like those found at renaissance festivals and other events of the like. Sadly, what really made this castle a disappointment was the fact that we could not even go into it. It seems to be used in legal manner these days. However, all of that being said it did have other things to offer. The location is superb and offers a great view of the town from all angles. It is also something truly unique to the area and if you are passing through it may be worth a visit.

Sadly, Inverness castle is not open to the Public and serves as a Sheriff Court in Inverness. The current sandstone structure was only build in the 19th century, but there had been a castle build far before the 1800's. There is a story that Mary, Queen of Scots asked a Clan Gordon member for entry and it was denied. Such her faithful supporters, the Frasier's and Munro's conquered the castle for her. You can imagine what happened to the person who had denied her access!

This "castle" was built in the mid 1800s as a government building and is still a functioning court house for the city of Inverness. As a result, you can't go inside or do any tours without getting in legal trouble. They have an observation tower for £5 which gives you a bit of the history of the city and a 360 view of the entire city. Pretty lame castle

Been to Inverness castle before and it's always nice to pop in for a visit. A small castle but full of charm and history. Not a place you can really go in and walk around but the building itself is worth a visit. This is due to the fact it is a court house now so unless you decide to rob a bank, don't expect to go inside.