River Ness Garden at Inverness
Inverness (Inbhir Nis in Scottish Gaelic) is the only city in the Scottish Highlands. The city is the administrative centre for the Highland council area and of the Inverness committee area of the council. Between 1975 and 1986, it was the administrative centre of the Inverness district, which was carved out of the local government county of Inverness-shire. The area of the district became the committee area. Until 1975, it was a burgh and county town for the county. The Inverness name is also given to the most extensive of the Lieutenancy areas of Scotland. The city is the self-proclaimed "Capital of the Highlands". Inverness was granted city status by the Queen in December 2000, and celebrated its new status officially in March 2001. This city status was granted, however, without definition of either boundaries or representative corporate body. The right to speak for the city is assumed by the Highland Council, in association with a local enterprise company. In 2001, the population of Inverness, the urban area centred on the former burgh, was 51,832[1] and is expected to double over the next 30 years. Recently, Inverness was named the fastest growing city in Western Europe, with many new housing estates being built around the city. Tourism is important to the city's economy, as are administration and healthcare. Inverness was one of the chief strongholds of the Picts, and in 565 was visited by Saint Columba with the intention of converting the Pictish king Brude, who is supposed to have resided in the vitrified fort on Craig Phadrig (168 m), km west of the city. The castle is said to have been built by Malcolm Canmore, after he had razed to the ground the castle in which Macbeth according to tradition murdered Duncan, and which stood on a hill around 1 km to the north-east. William the Lion (d. 1214) granted Inverness four charters, by one of which it was created a royal burgh. Of the Dominican abbey founded by Alexander III in 1233 hardly a trace remains. On
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Photo credit: © David Gowans / Alamy / Afripics
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Keywords: capital, castle, city, fishing, flowerbeds, highlands, historic, industry, places, recreation, salmon, scotland, scottish, sightseeing, sport, theater, tourism, travel
