Inverness is said to be the fastest-growing city in Great Britain - some say in Europe - but it's still really only a large town with sprawling, and in some cases somewhat disconnected suburbs. This means that any two places in the town itself are within easy walking distance - which is just as well since the traffic in the centre is appalling - but it's a bit of a hike out to some areas where many of the city's inhabitants live, and to the malls and retail parks where far too many now shop. 

Though the historic centre of the city is as a consequence rapidly becoming a shopping desert, it does now boast some fine restaurants, civilised pubs, and entertainment venues - notably the Eden Court theatre and cinema complex - though, like most British urban centres of a similar size, getting to and from them late on a weekend evening can be a bit of an ordeal. Apart from the binge-drunken weekend evenings, when the youth of the highlands show they've absorbed all the worst habits of their Sassenach cousins, Inverness is noted as one of the friendliest cities in the country, and one in which it is said the purest English in Scotland is spoken - probably because it was only relatively recently that the majority of the inhabitants converted from being Gaelic speakers. 

As Priomh Bhaile na Gaidhealtachd ("Capital of the Highlands") Gaelic is still to be heard from time to time on the streets of Inverness, and Gaelic medium education is making a considerable comeback in the city as the culture of the Gael becomes popular again in the Highlands - and indeed in many other parts of Scotland. 

Inverness's location makes it a wonderful base for touring the Highlands, most of which can be reached with ease in a few hours by car. The city does not however boast many tourist attractions of its own - though plans for a new Museum and Art Gallery will hopefully improve matters before too long. Many visitors indeed miss what is probably the most beautiful bit of Inverness - the River Ness Islands - and fail to find the unspoilt areas of architectural interest in the Victorian and Edwardian inner suburbs.  Many of the best B&Bs are however to be found in lovely stone-built villas in these areas, so even if you can't afford the extravagant delights of the wonderful country house hotels that circle the city, it's still possible to taste a bit of Highland hospitality in traditional surroundings. 

For a comprehensive guide to Inverness - including travel to & from, and accommodation - see www.inverness-scotland.com