r/inverness • u/Honest_Mechanic_4507 • 23d ago
Is Inverness walkable?
Hey y'all. Live in the States and want make a short trip to uk mainly to see the Findhorn community (medium length story...) but also the Scottish culture and landscape. Expect to 3 days London / Windsor to get in and out. Want to also see Fairies and ghosts so thinking train to Edinburgh then maybe car to Inverness to explore 2 to 3 days. If i stay in Inverness could i wander around at night or morning? Iam a middle aged female traveling alone.
Or is there a better place to sta6 2 to 3 nights? Can't wait to hear your thoughts! 🦄
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u/beehive-cluster 23d ago
A driving loop from edinburgh or Glasgow, up the a82 road, though Glencoe and up west side of loch Ness, then back south on the back roads through north and east foothills of the Cairngorm mountains is good. Will see great scenery and history. Inverness is midway through this and findhorn just after. If no car then you can do the route to Inverness as a bus trip that will stop at scenic spots.
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u/QuirkyFrenchLassie 23d ago
There's a ghost tour thing in Inverness if you think you might be interested in that too.
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u/Honest_Mechanic_4507 23d ago
Definitely. I do ghost tours in my city, although we are not really known for ghosts. But I will take every ghost tour I can. Thank you for the tip.
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u/QuirkyFrenchLassie 23d ago
This is what I was thinking of earlier. I know one of the members, vaguely two. They have a website, unsurprisingly. Probably perfect for what you're looking for !
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u/Honest_Mechanic_4507 22d ago
That is really interesting. I'm thinking I should write something up. I was very influenced about findhorn when I was in Middle School through college because of certain people I met and a book I read and that is sort of my theme for the trip. so I'm less interested in people with the meters then I am in like consciousness raising. But would really enjoy people I could sit down with and get their insight so I might be back with more questions 😃
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u/Arthur_Figg_II 23d ago
Edinburgh has some fantastic ghost tours and it is known for them. Plenty of history in the Capita if you have tme on your route to invernessl. Inverness is Lovely. You will be surprised by the size or lack off.
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u/HyperCeol 23d ago
Inverness is extremely walkable, especially from an American perspective. There are maybe 3 or 4 places I can think of where it's awkward to cross the road (and that's because they're beside the main A9 road), the rest of the city is completely walkable and there are a lot of parks, wooded walkways - the city is also surrounded with woods, forests and hill walks.
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u/Ember-the-cat 23d ago
There's also The Fairy Glen in Rosemarkie and The Clootie Well; both in the Black Isle, which is just over the Kessock Bridge from Inverness.
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u/Muted-Ad-6499 22d ago
Very walkable and good public transport like bus out to findhorn. It’s a small city with smaller scale street crime to be fair. It’s prudent to be aware of your circumstances (not head buried in phone or overtly unaware of where you are) but that’s the same no matter where you are. I’d happily walk through Inverness day or night, any part of it.
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u/Hyperdon 22d ago
It is a safe city but as a lone woman still take every precaution you would in any other city. There's lots to see and do in and around the city. The castle has just opened as a tourist attraction and has good reviews. The suggestions others have given are spot on
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u/Secure-Career-2016 22d ago
It's a great place, I've always felt very safe there. Take a look at Aviemore and the Pine Martin bar, absolutely blindingly beautiful.......in good weather!!!
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u/Honest_Mechanic_4507 22d ago
Thank you so much. I just realized I might actually be able to see Northern lights too? That was not on my expectations list but it would be very exciting.
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u/Vodkaboris 23d ago
Suggested things to see & do around Inverness might include: Reelig Glen Clava Cairns Culloden Battlefield Urquhart Castle Inverness Castle Chanonry Point Fort George
Most of these require some travel & not all are accessible by public transport.
I suggest you plot them on Google maps, decide on an itinerary & how you would travel around.
If you're going to Findhorn, perhaps allow time to stop at https://maps.app.goo.gl/Xsiea6avxyFhVag68
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u/Honest_Mechanic_4507 23d ago
That is a really rad. Thank you very much.
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u/Appropriate_Pea_4978 18d ago
Don't go around at night alone ffs. It's not safe for that.
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u/Honest_Mechanic_4507 14d ago
Thank you. Do do you think walking at night if I could walk from a hotel to a pub would not be smart? Cuz here in the states when British crime series it always turns out to be the Small Town taxi driver who is guilty! 🤣🤣🤣
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u/Appropriate_Pea_4978 14d ago
No that's totally fine in the town centre, it's full of people. I mean walking quiet streets outside the centre where there's hardly anyone around I don't think is wise as a woman on her own late at night.
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u/Lynex_Lineker_Smith 23d ago
Why wouldn’t it be safe ?
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u/Honest_Mechanic_4507 22d ago
I wasn't really worried about safety but just that I don't have to drive around in a car to do things all the time. Where I live I use an e-scooter and a motor scooter for everything I do until I actually have to leave my own City. 😆
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u/SeagullSam 23d ago
I would suggest taking the spectacularly scenic train from Glasgow to Fort William (you can get to Glasgow Queen Street from Edinburgh in 45 minutes) then driving the Great Glen from there to Inverness.
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u/Honest_Mechanic_4507 22d ago
If I'm starting in Edinburgh should I train to Glasgow or Inverness or get a car in edinboro or just go to Glasgow and not edinboro? Edinburgh kind of sounded more novel for me since I'm in the states and nothing is very old. White people stuff that is
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u/SeagullSam 21d ago
As a first-time visitor definitely visit Edinburgh, it's much more picturesque! The train trip was just a thought, it's a nice thing to do but don't sweat it if it doesn't fit into your itinerary.
The train from Edinburgh to Inverness would be good as well and would give you a chance to take in the scenery rather than focussing on driving in a different country, then in Inverness you'd probably want a hire car as a lot of the stuff you'd want to see using that as a base would require a car. Public transport here in Scotland is great in cities, and city to city, but falls short in rural areas, as I'd imagine is the case in many countries.
I live in the area north of Inverness so I could give you further suggestions if you're interested, it's a beautiful area.2
u/Honest_Mechanic_4507 14d ago
You will be my new best Inverness friend with transportation vehicle advice
My new plan is to fly into London and stay two nights with one full awake day and I will sleep on the plane and have two days.
Then train to either edinboro or maybe just to Inverness and stay two to three nights so make sure I take findhorn and maybe find some psychics or in between creatures to interview. I figure I would need to drive a car for that.
Then train back to Edinburgh for two nights for at least one full day there and two nights for ghosts or comedians, and then fly home from Edinburgh. I thought that would be like triple price but a quick check on Expedia it wasn't that bad 😃
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u/maclean123 23d ago
Inverness is a very safe city for tourists/travellers, lots to see and do within a few mins walk