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A mini guide to
Inverness & Loch Ness: getting there
Stops, stations and how to reach Inverness & Loch Ness
Stops and stations
Getting to Inverness & Loch Ness
Choose the stop closest to where you are going.
| Stop or station | Services | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Inverness | Rail | City-centre station and the terminus of the Highland Main Line, the Aberdeen line, the Kyle of Lochalsh line and the Far North Line |
| Caledonian Sleeper | Overnight from London Euston | The sleeper lists Inverness among its Highland destinations |
| Inverness Airport | Flights | Highlands and Islands Airports lists flights to London, Manchester, Amsterdam, Dublin and other destinations |
| Citylink | Coaches to Fort William, Skye and Ullapool | Citylink lists routes from Inverness to Skye, to Fort William and Oban, and to Ullapool |
Walking from nearby areas
- The Black Isle & Easter Ross: 13.7 km from Inverness & Loch Ness, better by public transport
- The Cairngorms: Aviemore & Grantown-on-Spey: 39.4 km from Inverness & Loch Ness, better by public transport
- Fort William, Glencoe & Ben Nevis: 90.4 km from Inverness & Loch Ness, better by public transport
- Isle of Skye: Portree & Dunvegan: 118.1 km from Inverness & Loch Ness, better by public transport
Reaching the Scottish Highlands
Official travel information
Inverness is the main air and rail gateway to the Highlands, and Glasgow is the usual starting point for Fort William and Oban. Always check each operator for current times, fares and disruption, particularly for ferries in bad weather.
- VisitScotland → — the national tourism site
- VisitScotland: driving in Scotland → — single-track roads and passing places
- Traffic Scotland → — roadworks, incidents and route checker
- Inverness Airport (HIAL) → — flights and passenger information
- CalMac → — ferries to Mull, Skye and other islands
- Citylink → — long-distance coaches
- Caledonian Sleeper → — overnight trains from London to the Highlands
- ScotRail → — trains in Scotland
- National Rail Enquiries → — train times and fares
- The Highland Council → — local information
- Cairngorms National Park → — the national park authority
- Mountain Weather Information Service → — hill forecasts
- Scottish Avalanche Information Service → — winter hill hazards
Times, fares and disruption change: use the operator pages above for live information.
Plan your journey here
Enter your starting point and Google Maps will show routes to Inverness & Loch Ness. Public transport is selected; change it on the map. Check operator sites for live disruption.
While you are here
Things to see in Inverness & Loch Ness
A few of the sights in the area. The Things to do page lists them all, with directions and official links.
Fort Augustus
Village at the south-west end of Loch Ness, where the Caledonian Canal meets the loch.
Inverness Castle
Red sandstone castle above the River Ness, completed in 1836 on a site fortified since 1057, now a Highland heritage visitor attraction.
Inverness Museum and Art Gallery
Museum and gallery on Castle Wynd, managed by High Life Highland on behalf of Highland Council.
The Scottish Highlands
More areas to explore
Fort William, Glencoe & Ben Nevis
Base for Ben Nevis, Glen Nevis, Glencoe and the Glenfinnan railway line
Open the mini guide →
Isle of Skye: Portree & Dunvegan
Harbour town, clan castles and the Cuillin, reached by bridge or ferry
Open the mini guide →
The Cairngorms: Aviemore & Grantown-on-Spey
Mountains, ancient pine forest, steam trains and wildlife around Strathspey
Open the mini guide →Photo credits
- Falls of Foyers: User:Zenit, CC BY 2.0, source
- Inverness & Loch Ness (area photo): dave conner from Inverness, Scotland, CC BY 2.0, source
- Fort Augustus: Bewahrerderwerte, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Inverness Castle: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Inverness Museum and Art Gallery: Ian S, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Fort William, Glencoe & Ben Nevis: Viewfinder at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
- Isle of Skye: Portree & Dunvegan: Lauwz The Kiwistralian, CC0, source
- The Cairngorms: Aviemore & Grantown-on-Spey: dave conner, CC BY 2.0, source
- Oban, Argyll & the Mull ferry: Mike Hudson, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- The Black Isle & Easter Ross: Vcarceler, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, used under the licences shown. All photo credits
Keep exploring the Scottish Highlands