Inverness (Inbhir Nis in Scottish Gaelic) is the only city in the Highland council area and the remote Highlands of Scotland (and is considered the unofficial capital). The name of the city is closely associated, however, with various other senses of place and area:
In 2001, the population of the city, or the urban area centred on the former burgh, was 51,832, 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.
The city is the self-proclaimed 'Capital of the Highlands'. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area and for the Inverness committee area of the Highland Council. Between 1975 and 1996, as a town without even the status of a local government burgh, it was the administrative centre of the Highland region and the Inverness district of the region.
The district was created, under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, by combining the royal burgh and the district of the county with the Aird district of the county. The rest of the county was divided between other districts of the Highland region and the Western Isles islands council area.
The area of the district became the Inverness area committee of the Highland Council (see below). Highland Council was created as a unitary council when districts were abolished under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994.
City status was conferred on Inverness in 2000, it being chosen as one of three Millennium Cities in the United Kingdom.
GeographyInverness lies at the mouth of the River Ness as it flows into the Moray Firth in north-east Scotland. It is from this that the city derives its name: Inbhir Nis Scots Gaelic for 'mouth (or confluence) of the Ness'. The river flows from nearby Loch Ness and the Caledonian Canal connects Loch Ness, Loch Oich, and Loch Lochy.
Islands in the River Ness, the Bught and the river banks form a pleasant series of walks, as do the forested hills of Craig Phadraig and Craig Dunain. The city is well served with shops, as it is the main shopping centre for an area of nearly 26,000 kmē.
EconomyMost of the traditional industries such as distilling have been replaced by high-tech businesses, including the design and manufacture of diabetes diagnostic kits. Retailing is another big sector.
Inverness is the new home for Scottish Natural Heritage following that body's relocation from Edinburgh under the auspices of the Scottish Executive's decentralisation strategy.
Inverness is linked to the Black Isle across the Moray Firth by the Kessock Bridge. It has a railway station[2] with services to Perth, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, Aberdeen, Thurso, Wick and to Kyle of Lochalsh. Inverness Airport[3] is located 15 km east of the city and has scheduled flights to airports across the UK including London, Edinburgh and the islands to the north and west of Scotland. Three trunk roads (the A9, A82 and A96) provide access to Aberdeen, Perth, Elgin, Thurso, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
BuildingsBuildings in Inverness include Inverness Castle. Built on the site of its medieval predecessor in 1835 it is now a Sheriff Court. Inverness Cathedral, dedicated to St Andrew, is a cathedral of the Scottish Episcopal Church and seat of the ordinary of the Diocese of Moray, Ross and Caithness. The cathedral has a curiously square-topped look to its spires, as funds ran out before they could be completed. The oldest church is the Old High Church [1], on St Michael's Mount by the riverside, a site perhaps used for worship since Celtic times. The church tower dates from mediaeval times, making it the oldest surviving building in Inverness. Used by the Church of Scotland congregation of Old High St Stephen's, Inverness [2], it is the venue for the annual Kirking of the Council attended by local councillors. Information about all the historic riverside churches is available on the riverside churches website.
Inverness College is the hub campus for the UHI Millennium Institute.
Culture & sportsInverness is an important centre for bagpipe players and lovers. Every September the city hosts the Northern Meeting, the most prestigious solo piping competition in the world. The Inverness cape, a garment worn by pipers the world over in the rain, is not necessarily made in Inverness.
Another major event in calendar is the annual City of Inverness Highland Games. In 2006 Inverness hosted Scotland's biggest ever Highland Games over two days in July, featuring the Masters' World Championships, the showcase event for heavies aged over 40 years. 2006 was the first year that the Masters' World Championships had been held outside the United States, and it attracted many top heavies from around the world to the Inverness area.
Inverness has a blossoming music scene which offers lots of young, new bands exciting opportunities. The current music scene within Inverness generally leans towards an emo/punk style, but there are also bands who show features of different genres such as rock, metal, pop, classical, grunge, industrial and traditional Scottish music. There is also a small Hip Hop scene featuring unsigned artists. Inverness is currently celebrating its Highland Year of Culture, in which Inverness is displaying the wide range of talent around.
The city is home to two football clubs. Inverness Caledonian Thistle F.C. was formed in 1994 from the merger of two Highland League clubs, Caledonian F.C. and Inverness Thistle. 'Caley Thistle' play at The Tulloch Caledonian Stadium, and are currently in the Scottish Premier League. The other football club Clachnacuddin F.C., play in the Highland League. Bught Park, located in the centre of Inverness is the finishing point of the annual Loch Ness Marathon and home of Inverness Shinty Club.
In 2007, the city is set to play host to Highland 2007, a celebration of the culture of the Highlands.
Area committeeThe committee area consists of 23 out of the 80 Highland Council wards. Each ward elects one councillor by the first past the post system of election.
The area is represented by 13 independent councillors, six Labour councillors, two Scottish National Party councillors and two Liberal Democrat councillors.
The chairman and vice-chair of the Area Committee are the Provost and Depute Provost.
Parliamentary burgh and constituencyAs a component of Inverness District of Burghs Inverness was a parliamentary burgh from 1708 to 1918. The other burghs of this district of burghs constituency were Forres, Fortrose and Nairn. It was a constituency of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1708 to 1801 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1918.
In 1918 the Inverness burgh was merged into the then new Inverness constituency. The other components of the district of burghs were divided between the Moray and Nairn constituency and the Ross and Cromarty constituency.
The rest of the new Inverness constituency consisted of the mainland and Inner Hebridean areas of the former Invernessshire constituency. The Outer Hebridean area of the Invernessshire constituency was merged into the Western Isles constituency.
In 1983, eight years after the local government county of Invernessshire had been divided between the Highland and Grampian regions and the Western Isles council area, the Inverness constituency was largely replaced by the Inverness, Nairn and Lochaber constituency. Since 1964 except for an 8 year period following the Labour landslide of 1997 it has returned a Liberal or Liberal Democrat MP before which Conservative predominated.
Ex-Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Charles Kennedy was born in Inverness.
Inverness PrisonPorterfield Prison, officially HMP Inverness, serves the courts of the Highlands, Western Isles, Orkney Isles and Moray, providing secure custody for all remand prisoners and short term adult prisoners, both male and female (segregated).[4]
Areas of the city
