39 Facts About Inverness

Inverness is one of Europe's fastest growing cities, with a quarter of the Highland population living in or around it, and is ranked fifth out of 189 British cities for its quality of life, the highest of any Scottish city.

Inverness is twinned with one German city, Augsburg, and two French towns, La Baule and Saint-Valery-en-Caux.

Inverness was again found to be the happiest place in Scotland by a new study conducted in 2015.

Inverness was one of the chief strongholds of the Picts, and in AD 569 was visited by St Columba with the intention of converting the Pictish king Brude, who is supposed to have resided in the vitrified fort on Craig Phadrig, on the western edge of the city.

Inverness had four traditional fairs, including Legavrik or "Leth-Gheamhradh", meaning midwinter, and Faoilleach.

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Medieval Inverness suffered regular raids from the Western Isles, particularly by the MacDonald Lords of the Isles in the 15th century.

In 1187 one Domhnall Ban led islanders in a battle at Torvean against men from Inverness Castle led by the governor's son, Donnchadh Mac An Toisich .

In 1783, the year that saw the end of the American Revolution and the beginning of the Highland Clearances in Inverness-shire, Cionneach MacCionnich, a poet from Clan MacKenzie who was born at Castle Leather near Inverness, composed the Gaelic poem The Lament of the North.

Inverness accuses King George III of England both of tyranny and of steering the ship of state into shipwreck.

The Inverness Formula composed at this meeting was the basis of the Anglo-Irish Treaty.

Inverness is known by its nicknames Inversnecky or The Sneck, with its inhabitants traditionally known as Clann Na Cloiche owing to the importance of the Clach Na Cudainn stone in the city's history.

Inverness is situated at the mouth of the River Ness and at the south-western extremity of the Moray Firth.

Inverness is home to Scottish Natural Heritage following that body's relocation from Edinburgh under the auspices of the Scottish Government's decentralisation strategy.

Inverness is catered for by about a dozen primary schools including Bun-sgoil Ghaidhlig Inbhir Nis, a specialised institution situated at Slackbuie.

Inverness College is situated in the city and is a part of the University of the Highlands and Islands, a federation of 15 colleges and research institutions in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland delivering higher education.

Inverness is linked to the Black Isle across the Moray Firth by the Kessock Bridge.

Inverness is connected to London Euston by the Caledonian Sleeper, which departs six times a week and by the London North Eastern Railway operated Highland Chieftain to London King's Cross which runs daily.

Inverness was an autonomous royal burgh, and county town for the county of Inverness until 1975, when local government counties and burghs were abolished, under the Local Government Act 1973, in favour of two-tier regions and districts and unitary islands council areas.

The royal burgh was then absorbed into a new district of Inverness, which was one of eight districts within The Highland Council region.

The Inverness committee represented 23 out of the 80 Highland Council wards, with each ward electing one councillor by the first past the post system of election.

In January 2008 a petition to matriculate armorial bearings for the City of Inverness was refused by Lord Lyon King of Arms on the grounds that there is no legal persona to which arms can be granted.

Inverness Burghs was a district of burghs constituency, covering the parliamentary burghs of Inverness, Fortrose, Forres, and Nairn.

The Inverness constituency included the former parliamentary burgh of Inverness.

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.

Inverness has gained notoriety as well for being featured in the Outlander novel series by author Diana Gabaldon.

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Inverness is the location of Macbeth's castle in Shakespeare's play.

Inverness Library is located in Farraline Park, housed in what was originally the Bell's school, designed by William Robertson in the Greek Revival style.

The clear dialect of Inverness Gaelic was held in high regard by speakers of other forms, such as those from Lewis, Sutherland and Ross.

Inverness hosted the Royal National Mod in 2014, a festival celebrating Gaelic culture.

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 Catholic population is served by two parish churches: St Mary's, Inverness founded in 1837, is the older of the two and the first Catholic church founded in Inverness since the Reformation.

Porterfield 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, who are segregated.

Inverness Athletic became the third, joining the North Caledonian Football League in 2016, with Loch Ness, becoming the 4th in 2020, after stepping up from Amateur Football.

Inverness Citadel was another popular side which became defunct, but had its name revived.

Inverness City played in the North Region Juniors and were formed in 2006, but folded in 2019.

Inverness Blitz is a charity that promotes the development of American football in Inverness and the surrounding area.

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 2011, Inverness hosted professional golf with the Scottish Open on the European Tour, played at Castle Stuart the week before The Open Championship.

Inverness has a mixed basketball team, the Inverness Giants, who play exhibition games against local teams throughout the North and Islands.