The 14 best parks and gardens in Inverness

Currently undergoing renovation there is no access to the interior of this, relatively modern castle. Closed or not it does dominate views of the River Nis and can be seen easily along Nis Walk

Only saw from the outside but was spectacular colourant looks new compared to some we have seen.

In my previous reviews also I have said the same thing that all castles are almost similar and they have nothing extraordinary to showcase except that they are castles & that’s it. The only one castle to see is the Edinburgh Castle on top of the Hill. Worth seeing. But if you can’t reach Edinburgh then any castle is good to see. As we were doing a road trip & we saw 3-4 castles. The only EXCEPTIONAL CASTLE was Edinburgh Castle. Must visit!!

Lovely place to visit ... YouTube : Drone View 120

The castle on 5/20/23 is undergoing restoration work and will be opened in a year or so as city services. It is a good walk around and is easily in the middle of the nightlife. There are storage and bars nearby open seven days a week. The Edinburgh Museum and Art Gallery are part of the same complex. I recommend a visit there.

Not currently open to the public. You can walk up the hill to the castle and get great views of the city and river. There are some tablets set in the ground on the city side near the car park which have some interesting historical facts about the castle. It is going to be open to the public in the next few years.

The following review is based on a pre-pandemic trip going old school and only using paper maps and brochures to find places to stop at on a 3-week adventure to Ireland, Scotland, and England. No cell phone or internet. We were not able to enter the castle but were able to walk around the grounds when we visited. The castle blends into the hill side so it looks like it is part of the terrain at some vantage points. If coming from the west, you can get some great shots from the river when walking across the foot bridge. It would have been cool to see inside but even walking around the outside of the castle was fun and the town around the castle has some great shops and restaurants. In our visit we were lucky enough to have live music at one of the pubs.

What a lovely and amazing place! It's not the biggest botanical gardens (especially compared to the ones in big cities), but the variety of flowers is amazing! They keep it slightly wild for all the bees, flies and other animals! It's got some cactuses, tropical plants and (rather poor) fish. You can even "purchase" plants against donations. Cafe and toilets available. If you are in Inverness and have a spare hour or two: visit the Botanical Gardens!

Inverness Botanic Gardens is a place we visit every so often, and there’s always something interesting to see. The gardens change throughout the year, so there’s always something new to admire. We especially love the greenhouse and the cacti collection. Whenever we visit, we pop into the café — the food is always very tasty, and you're welcomed with a smile. It’s a great place to bring visiting friends and family, find inspiration, or simply relax.

Cute but unfortunately too much is inaccessible. I would say if you are not s confident all terrain wheelchair user (which I am not), probably only about 40% of the space outdoors and in the greenhouses is accessible to you. As everyone says, it is really a lovely space but if you are parked in the corner while the others are exploring it's not great. Getting there, main entrance and cafe are all fab but it did suddenly get very crowded when we were about to leave.

A truly fantastic hidden gem in the heart of Inverness! The gardens are beautifully maintained, offering a peaceful escape with a vibrant tropical glasshouse and a stunning cactus collection. A must-visit for anyone seeking tranquility and natural beauty.

I liked Inverness botanic gardens but when we visited there was a wedding in the tropical house so we couldn't see in there, I was gutted as that's the bit I was looking forward to most. We still had a nice time. My boyfriend and dad sat in the cafe (my dad has mobility issues and can't walk much) and my mum and I wandered round the gardens, the flowers were beautiful!! They had a wee quiz about bees for the kids, I did it aswell ( and I'm 44 😂), it was fun though and a good way to keep the wee ones interested. It was a wee trail you follow, you do a different thing on the sheet as you go round, answering questions and drawing pictures. There are toilets and a cafe here. It is accessible for wheelchairs. Plenty of parking available

Very nice botanical gardens. Located right off the river adjacent to the Ness Islands it’s a great walking destination from town. Gardens are on the smaller side but there’s plenty to see and some very neat greenhouses. We found it to be a nice stop while in Inverness and relatively empty when we visited on a weekday afternoon.

The Inverness Botanic Gardens are such a peaceful escape beautifully maintained and full of vibrant plants, flowers, and tropical greenery. The tropical house and koi pond are especially lovely, and the whole place has a calm, relaxing atmosphere. A must-visit spot in Inverness for nature lovers or anyone wanting a quiet moment surrounded by beauty!!

This cathedral is beautiful! You do have to pay to actually walk around the cathedral, but it is a small pay (I paid £6 as an 18+). It’s definitely worth visiting this cathedral as the stain glasses are beautiful and the history behind it is special. I am not sharing much photos as I do not want to spoil the inside of this cathedral. I definitely recommend coming here and taking the time to walk around inside it.

Inverness Cathedral is such a stunning and peaceful place to visit. The architecture is impressive, with lovely stained glass windows and detailed stonework that give it a special charm. Inside, it feels calm and welcoming — perfect for a quiet moment of reflection. The location is fantastic, right on the banks of the River Ness, so you can enjoy a scenic walk before or after visiting. The volunteers are friendly and happy to share the history of the cathedral, which makes the experience even more meaningful. Whether you’re interested in history, architecture, or just looking for a peaceful spot in Inverness, this cathedral is well worth a visit.

new on the scale of cathedrals we seen in UK ...definitely worth a visit ...Inverness Cathedral, dedicated to St Andrew, was built in the 19th century, with its foundation stone laid in 1866 and opening for services in 1869. It was finally consecrated in 1874 after the remaining debt was paid off. The cathedral serves as the Mother Church for the Diocese of Moray, Ross and Caithness within the Scottish Episcopal Church.

A nice little Cathedral. There's some great information inside ( self guided tour ) some beautiful woodworking. The only disappointment is it seems overrun with 'nick nacks' While I understand it's a working church. It takes away from the feel of the expierence.

Beautiful church and everyone there was so kind and informative. They explained so much. Just a lovley experience.

On 6th October, my son’s family and my family were visited there. Staff lady was very kind. This cathedral was very good.

Peoples Show Choir performed here with 180 singers from across UK, and 20 musicians. It's an amazing venue, ideal for small concerts, and set in a beautiful city..

Fantastic walk through the park. A play area for kids and relatively easy paths for folk of all abilities. An oasis just on the doorstep of a vibrant town that is well maintained! We stopped at the mini golf and had a great time - really recommend for a fun day out with kids of all ages!

A peaceful place to walk around and relax. Many benches and view points all around the islands 🏝 River Ness flows from each and every corner with a few cascades and small islands. Well lit and tarmacked paths. Victorian bridges and colourful trees. You can have a good walk around from city centre on one side through the Ness islands and bridges to the other side and back. It's an hour walk if you're not stopping but you better dedicate more time as you would likely stop enjoying the scenery.

Ness Island offers some really unusual views of the River Ness. It is a special area. We met loads of dog walkers. If you have a dog best kept on a lead but there are areas you can let them off. It was quite busy the day we visited but it was school holidays and it was a lovely day. Take your time to enjoy it is a nice area.

Very pleasant and relaxed green space not far from the city centre. Very pretty walk around the island. Highly recommended.

Beautiful islands in the river,with lots of tall trees,and interesting benches,and even an old fallen tree I named The Log Ness Monster. The suspension bridges to the islands are good too.

A must-visit if you‘re visiting Inverness.. you can walk from town down beside the river on one side, cross the bridge to Ness Islands, enjoy a beautiful walk, cross the bridge on the other side of the Ness Islands and walk back to town on the other side of the river.

Nice for a short walk or relaxing besides Ness River

An interesting insight into the Highland Games. Close to the same as a county or state fair, the pitch itself was a great location. An easy walk from the center of Inverness, with beautiful scenery along the route, and ample facilities take care of the people’s needs.

Camping ground was ok. Located very well with a short walk along the river to Inverness. It's OK for 1-2 nights. Toilet/Showers are a nightmare. We were located near block 3 and I do not recommend the showers there at all. Apparently the showers near the reception are more modern, so I presume the water pressure is more sufficient there as in block three ("I can pee harder than the water presser in the showers....")

The highland games were going on. Fun to watch all the activities. Everything from highland dancers, throwing pokes and heavy weights (balls), to shopping at the craft tables. It was good for this American. There were activities for the kids, including a small carnival with rides

Great space for local events! Went for bonfire night and was well organised and great fun for everyone!

Inverness Highland Games in Bught Park was very well organised with plenty of places to eat and drink, lots to see and do. Plenty of toilets, free water bottle re fill station too. Fun day was had by all and the sun was out!

European Pipe Band Championships first time to see them live instead of on the tv,and I would recommend that you go and see them as they are going to be held In Inverness for another two years until 2021. Unfortunately the weather was not kind to us very hot with the occasional waft of air, and then it started to rain but just an occasional spot or two, no need for the brolly,and then the heavens opened very,very heavy rain. So next year remember to take raincoat as well as brolly. Lots of food vans and refreshment tents so you won't go hungry or dry! Craft tents and other smaller exhibits,and I think there might have been a bouncy castle for the kids. Altogether a great day out for all the family.

Alleyways rubbish left pitch side after football or shinty have used the site. Groundskeeper then has to clean it up

Many spaces have been sectioned off and closed for a long time now. It just says closed for maintenance. There doesn't seem to be any remedial work taking place.. Other than that, it's a good central car park, that isn't too expensive. Spaces are narrow and top floor isn't covered, which is fun in the winter....

The road surface is terrible. There are no paystations near the EV chargers, they're not even close for someone able bodied nevermind for someone like me who walks with a stick. When I did get to the paystation one of the staff was talking to another customer through the speaker, the customer was needing a receipt to claim back expenses with her employer and the machine was out of receipt paper. The staff member was rude and basically told the customer nothing could be done. She said to the customer that the machine tells them when the paper is low, so she more or less admitted to she couldn't be bothered to walk for 30 seconds and replace the receipt paper or give the customer a hand written receipt. Awful customer service, lazy and rude.

You have to pay your ticket at a separate kiosk before leaving, instead of just paying with a card at the exit. This is amazing when 5 people are behind you and you can't back up, you have to get out and walk 100 yards to a kiosk that is around the corner, and then come back. 2 thumbs down for that.

I had an absolute mare of a day yesterday. Lost my ticket in Liverpool then arrived back in Inverness and my battery was flat. The guys in the office were absolute legends. Printed me a new ticket and got my battery charged. Seriously saved my bacon for the trip back up to Caithness after 9 hours on trains.

4 easy to get to with plenty of parking. The location of the carpark is perfect, along with what it costs to park. Highly recommend using this carpark

Easy to find but old and narrow. Apart from that it is at a good location. The ticket machines can be tricky when playing you up. It happened to us twice now

Good place to park, walking distance to city centre. All Indian restaurants are nearby.

Charged £3:50. Compares with zero charge for Tesco Retail. 50p for 30 minutes Think I might know how you have vacant shops and an empty car park

Do NOT use the carwash facilities in the East gate carpark, paid £30 for a basic clean and all they did was a very quick hoover which was a poor job, left marks on my seats and did a terrible job of the hoover.

Great shopping centre with a lot of choice and easy parking

It's OK some shops it's OK for you people nothing for the elderly

Car park closes at 7, machine didn’t give a receipt when asked, anpr doesn’t work to open barriers. Ended up heading to a car park just across from it near the station, says closes at midnight on the narrow ramp, you get to the barrier with no way back out and it says it closes at 9pm. Then you come out of the lift and and up in the same shopping centre as this car park. So got charged £3.30 twice for no reason.

Right, OK,umm this review is for the car park, NOT the shopping centre. OK? Got that? Firstly it is bright and well laid out, one level on top of another with handy ramps to take you between the levels in you car. Once out of the car there are stairs AND lifts to take you back out to the shops, though you can't fit your car in the lift, so don't try. Seriously DO NOT try and fit your car into the lift. They do want paid for getting your car back but it's relatively cheap so I was cool with it. Though there's no valet service so after paying you need to go and get your car yourself (if you remembered where you parked it, that's always a bonus). Car park is handily close to the shops, bus and railway station. Though if you've brought your car I'm not sure why you'd need a bus or a train (maybe for the wife if the two of you have an argument whilst out shopping) Oh, back to the valet service, seriously if someone takes money and your car keys you've just been robbed. This car park do NOT do valet parking. Will definitely use again when I go back to Inverness (unless I'm going by train.

Avoid the bulgarians / albanians washing the cars, total rip of and they won't wash your car if it's dirty. They also smoke weed in the car park and the place stinks.

Generally spaces in the car park, especially the ground floor. Since Debenhams closed you are limited to two places to take the lift up to the shops. Unfortunately one set of lifts, we're both out of order along with the pay machine so everyone was having to use the other set which if it was a busy day would be difficult. Granted there were technicians fixing the faulty ones by the look of it. If you could pay for less time parking as well, it would also be a bonus. Not everyone needs 4 hours worth in town

CLOSED AFTER SHOPPING CENTRE OPENING HOURS!!! It’s a disgrace. The sign at the entrance is extremely misleading. The posted opening hours actually apply to both the car park and the shopping centre—but the way it’s written makes it seem like they only refer to the shopping centre. Several other drivers faced the same issue. We ended up being stuck and had to wait for the night-time security to open the car park for us. There was no clear information provided that we needed to use the intercom to buzz security after hours. This crucial detail was completely missing. The limited information that was there was vague and highly misleading. There really needs to be a clear and detailed information board to prevent this from happening to others in the future. Poor communication and disappointing experience.

Good size parking spaces and only just over £3 for a couple of hours

As we gracefully descended into this underground car parking location we were greeted by information about the reasonable car park tariff. Finding ourselves with plenty of spaces to choose from, we picked one with a large amount of space for us to evacuate ourselves and our bags. The exit was easy to find and the lifts were easy to operate. On our return, the payment system was straightforward and quick to use and the ticket barrier worked faultlessly. All in all a wonderful car parking experience.

Bit small and the first time we used it so finding our bearings. We needed to go to M&S but the lift we took wasn't that close so if you get a load of shopping you'll need to take a rest before getting back to your car( in saying that, we are a bit older and it might be OK for others.) Not really complaining just stating a fact.

£3 for about 20 mins in there ,was only in to get booster COVID injection,should have a cheaper rate if you only in for less than an HR ,will never be back in with a car 😥

Great car park allowing easy access to the shops, with a valeting service if you wish your car to be cleaned whilst you shop.

I see there are a lot of recent poor reviews and I can understand why. This park seems forgotten. It is a lovely park with nice walks around the boating pond. I visited Whin Park in Inverness in October and the Autumn colours were lovely. I hope this park will be restored in time, meanwhile it will probably receive poor reviews.

I loved Whin park. We stopped there after visiting Inverness botanic gardens. We had lunch at one of the many picnic benches. It was so nice sitting next to the duck pond which was full of baby ducks, it was like "duck nursery" as there were no adult ducks around, just ducklings playing 🦆🦆. The children's play park looked so much fun, one of the best public kids play parks I've seen, lots to do for the wee ones. There are loads of slides, swings, roundabouts you cycle, things to climb/jump on, made me wish I was a kid again. There are no dogs allowed in Whin park which was nice as there was no chance of stepping in something nasty. There is a boating pond but it was closed when we were there. If you go through the park and out the other side it brings you out on the banks of the river Ness, there is a nice walk along the riverside (not a proper path though, just where people have made a path overtime). There are toilets and plenty of parking

“Fantastic family park in Inverness!” Whin Park is such a wonderful place to spend a few hours, especially with kids. The play areas are spacious and well-kept, with plenty of equipment for different ages. My son loved the adventure playground and the little boating pond — it was the highlight of our visit! There’s also a miniature railway (seasonal), lovely walking paths, and lots of green space for picnics. The park feels safe, clean, and full of life, yet still peaceful with beautiful views of the trees and water. Parking is convenient, and it’s only a short walk from Ness Islands. If you’re visiting Inverness with children, Whin Park is a must — it’s free, fun, and full of happy memories waiting to be made.

Lovely park for the kids. I recommend to bring a towel to dry the swings, etc as they are often wet in the morning. While there is an outer perimeter fence it does have openings so you need to keep an eye of for your children.

Lovely place with lots of new and innovative activities for kids of all ages.

Well designed and maintained playground on a beautiful location.

Fantastic brand new play area with loads to do for all ages of children, none of them are on the pictures posted previously by other reviewers but since the area was filled with kids I didn’t feel right taking any updated ones. Great to have the toilets right beside it and the little shop and very cute wee train ride for the little ones.

It's a good place to stop and eat, lots of benches looking over the waters. Lovely views, and I like the bridge too. Good parking and easy to get to although when we were there it was a little rough. I know that isn't anyone's fault but it was a little immidating being surrounded by a group of youths.

Merkinch Nature Reserve is such a peaceful spot, and visiting in the evening to watch the sunset made it extra special. The light over the water and the sky changing colors was just beautiful. It’s a lovely place for a quiet walk, with plenty of wildlife and great views. Hard to believe it’s so close to the citi, it really feels like a hidden escape. Definitely worth a visit if you’re in Inverness 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Wonderful walk along the firth. Relax, take some deep breaths and watch the fishermen go by.

Merkinch local nature reserve is one of the best place for peace seekers, I visited the place while I am in inverness on my holidays. We spent more than 3 hours here exploring nature, wild life is great, specially we loved the sunset there.

Nice quiet place for walks along the Beauly Firth and the Clachnaharry sea locks.

A secret corner of paradise. The perfect place to walk and be inspired by nature.

Great place for a nice walk along the shoreline, with the family, or take the dog for a walk.

Abriachan Gardens is a hidden gem! Beautifully maintained by a very experienced and passionate gardener, the flowers are absolutely stunning and full of life. There's also a lovely free nature walk that’s perfect for a peaceful stroll. Entry isn't mandatory, but it's definitely worth leaving a donation to support this amazing place. A must-visit if you love nature and gardens!

A beautiful place with a breathtaking vista of Loch Ness. The entry fee goes to charity. It was so nice talking to the kind gardeners. I'll come back here one day.

The flowers are all in full bloom at the moment (early July). Many unusual plants for sale, several with fragrant leaves. Lovely view of the loch as promised on the website.

Absolutely magical! It's a wonderful place to stop by on your way back from Loch Ness. It's surprisingly quiet, and you can easily get lost (in a good way) and enjoy yourself!

We visited and this is certainly an experience! £4 honesty box entry. Very nice to wander around on a warm day. Quite wild with a decent amount of walking upwards is involved. They also have lots of plants for sale. The owner was lovely to talk to.

This is a proper plant nursery...no scented candles!...where it's all about the plants, including unusual and speciality ones, that thrive in the Highlands. This highly regarded nursery is testament to the highly knowledgeable and generous Davidson family. The garden walk is full of interest with fine views across Loch Ness. Close by are lovely woodland trails; great for stretching legs, human and canine! Dinnae dither, visit Abriachan Nursery!

Simply wow all round!! Between the stunning surrounding garden grounds (so glad we did the tour) and the exeptional service and advice we received from Donald, we cannot recommend Abriachan Nurseries enough. One of only two highland nurseries who uniquely grow/harden off their plants within the grounds of their beautiful 4 acre gardens, the plants are ready prepared for the highland climate - be it coastal, inland or the harsh environments of the west coast, islands, outer hebrides and Shetland beyond. Owned by the same local family for the last 40 years, owner Donald kindly went out of his way to explain each of his many plants which are suitable for our coastal position in Nairn. He even returned a call after our visit, to advise on the best compost mix 'start' for the plants we selected. We cannot express our gratitude enough Donald, with us not having a clue about gardening before meeting you, and the ease at which we were able to choose our plants further to your expert advice. Thank you so much again, your nurseries are a gem of a find and we will both be highly recommending you to home owners/west and east coast family and friends going forward :)

Excellent trail for walking the dog with some great views

A very beautiful place in nature that is very well taken care of . Very relaxing place.

AmaIng place to take kids for a walk and explore. Some wooden structures are a little rotten and can be wobbly. So take care. But everything held up to me and my shenanigans

This place is AWESOME. It was the highlight of my trip to Scotland. My husband and I were heading back to Inverness from Loch Ness and decided to take back roads. We stopped at The Falls of Divach and my husband said he found a cool nature park that had some quirky interesting things. It was an unplanned stop and I'm so glad we went. We arrived around 7 or so I'd say and stayed for well over a good hour. The camp/park was closed, after hours. We ran into only one other group of people. I got summer camp murder vibes from the area. The decorations and things around the camp had such a creepy eerey vibe. There seemed to be a fae or some paranormal super natural presence there. I'd recommend going off season or off hours. I ran through the forest rows, bopped around. I truly felt like a kid again. Amazing time!

What a wonderful place! Not far from Loch Ness yet far from the madding crowd and endless coach tour groups! This really is a magical forest oasis, packed with fun things to do. Bike and walking trails. Adventure playground and bike track. Campsite and bbq. Treehouses and hides. Good sized free car park. Composting toilets. Most areas are level access for all.

What an amazing, inspiring place! It shows what community power can do for the good of the community and much further beyond. This place builds community through the strength of those who created it and inspires those to continue it.

found this place whilst we were at kiltarlity great walk plenty of paths to go off onto if wanted we did a circular root that followed the blue/purple posts which were easy to spot and follow unfortunetly was very cloudy at the top so couldnt see anything but i imagine its a great view of loch ness and was a great walk regardless

Visited this park often around 2005 when it was busy including wee outdoor pool for kids best part! Sadly no longer in use, shame. This park still has attractions like tennis courts outdoor fitness equipment and bike hire even have few for sale at great price have a wee kiosk lovely to wonder around only wish it was popular as back when pool was taken care of I would even be the warden just ask😁!

This is a lovely park near the centre of Inverness. I love the big trees and often they have nice flower arrangements. There are tennis courts here and also a children's playground. There is also a small cafe kiosk which was open on the day I visited. One last mention for the bandstand which is impressive. The bandstand is dedicated to Aircrew and the various places of service during the great wars. It is a nice place to visit away from the City Centre.

Beautiful park in May. Flowers were blooming, grass and trees were green. Kids playing tennis. Bike rental available.

Lovely park in the centre of Inverness. Tennis courts, pool and toilets. there is a nice kiosk open in the summer that sells cooldrinks, ice cream, coffee and sweets. Plenty of space for a picnic. Lots of parking available, free on Sundays. Well worth a visit if you're in the area

Nice place for the kids to run around. Better than the other park nearby as some reviews state. Pickleball area and cafe too!

Beautiful little park made special by this light trail!

Lovely park in Inverness. Small, but has tennis courts, play equipment, and great trees!

Unexpectedly beautiful and calm. We were amazed that we managed to have the whole park to ourselves.

Lovely little garden to walk around. Dog friendly and great for kids. highly recommended coming here. Definitely coming back again

A really beautiful garden with views across Inverness. This is such a peaceful place to visit and is a bit like stepping into a fairytale. There is a donation box at the entrance and some plants for sale, with all proceeds going to local charities. Dogs are allowed in the garden as long as they are on a lead

Absolutely beautiful gardens! How I've never been here before when I live in Inverness I'll never know! Love the peace and quiet!

Such a beautiful place, lots of hidden seats to appreciate the garden and all the hard work that goes into it.

Amazing place. The owner has created a magical garden.

Beautiful, peaceful place, nice views and relaxing percussion instruments.