Churches (250) : Old High St Stephen, Inverness

The former parish church of Old High St Stephen in Inverness mainly dates from the late 18th century though the site has been used for worship since the Saxon period, it is said to be on the site that St Columba converted a Pictish king in 565. The clock tower is 16th century though the top is a 17th century addition. The nave has seven bays with porches to the south east. There is a semi-octagonal apse.

The church is built from rubble, reusing material from a medieval kirk. It is no longer used for services.

Castles (24) : Inverness

Inverness castle stands on a strategic hill overlooking the river Ness and the town of Inverness. The first castle was built on this site in 1057 by Malcolm III of Scotland. The castle was destroyed in 1307 by Robert the Bruce. A later castle was also the scene of conflict between James I and the Highland clans in 1428.

A new castle was built in 1548 and was involved in a number of sieges in the following centuries. The numerous battles left the castle in a poor state. The current castle dates from a rebuilding in 1836 in the style of earlier castles, it included a prison and later was used for meetings of the county council and sheriff court though these have both now moved out of the castle. The castle is currently undergoing a major renovation.

Nairn

Based in Inverness for a few days of course i wanted to visit a couple of other places too, Nairn is a town just a couple of stops down the line and is rather nice too. Unfortunately due to time constraints i wasn't able to reach the coast (the beach is apparently pretty good) but maybe another time? You can see my photos here.

Inverness

I've been to the Far East, Europe even London but i haven't been to Scotland. Well until last week anyway when i finally made it! I have a very enjoyable trip to the Highlands, flying to Inverness. I also visited Nairn and Elgin but more about them another time.

Inverness is a superb city on the river Ness (no sign of any monsters unfortunately). You can see my photos along the Ness here and the other photos from Inverness here. I have no hestitation to say its one of the best places i have visited on my many travels, I certainly will be returning to the Highlands some time within the next couple of years.