A monster trip to Inverness

I've visited Inverness a few times in an electric car, and it never fails to impress both in terms of things to do and charging options.

A great central charging option is the Cathedral car park. It's right by the river and an easy walk to local sights, places to eat and drink, and shops.

📍 Location

Bishops Road, Inverness, IV3 5SBT

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🔌 Charging info

• 2 x CCS and 2 x CHAdeMO connectors (up to 50kW), plus 2 x Type 2 AC connectors (up to 22kW)
• Provided by ChargePlace Scotland
• Prices from £0.35/kWh
• Supports Zap-Pay
• Parking charges also apply

Other chargers in Inverness

If you're looking for other options for electric car charging in Inverness, you have plenty to choose from:

• Eastgate Shopping Centre - 4 x CCS (25kW) and 2 x Type 2 AC (22kW) connectors. Provided by FOR EV. Prices from £0.60/kWh.
• Morrisons Inverness - 2 x CCS rapid chargers (50kW). Provided by MFG. Prices from £0.60/kWh.
• BP Longman - 2 x CCS (180kW) and 2x CHAdeMO (120kW). Provided by BP Pulse. Prices from £0.88/kWh.
• Inverness Supercharger - 6 x Tesla and 6 x CCS connectors (150kW). Check the Tesla Public Supercharger app for prices and availability.
• Rose Street Multistorey car park - 4 x CCS and 4 x CHAdeMO connectors (50kW). Provided by ChargePlace Scotland. Prices from £0.35/kWh.

There are also several hotels with EV charging in Inverness, including the Premier Inn, Best Western Hotel & Spa, and the Kingsmills Hotel.

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⚡ Why it’s great

There's plenty to do in Inverness, whether you're using it as a base for an adventure or just want to see the fastest flowing river in the UK. There are castles, dolphin spotting tours, great restaurants, and more. Plus, it's only 30 minutes from Loch Ness.

Food and drink

You've got so many options for food and drink in Inverness. I wanted to include this section so I could personally recommend XOKO Bakehouse. I had one of the most wonderful breakfasts there on a recent Inverness trip. The food is excellent, as is the coffee.

If you're staying in Inverness and want to sample some proper highland Scotch, The Malt Room is the city's first dedicated whisky bar. It also serves other types of whisky, as well as cocktails. If that's not enough, book a tour at the Uile-bheist Distillery & Brewery. I didn't get a chance to do a tour the last time I visited, but the locally brewed beer was lovely!

For other places to eat, there are loads of choices along the river, including Rocpool (a much-loved independent restaurant serving seasonal dishes), the River House Restaurant (locally caught seafood and shellfish), and McBains Restaurant By The River (Scottish dishes made with local produce).

If you find somewhere you like the look of, I'd recommend booking.

Walks and nature

You don't even have to leave the city to experience some great walks and wildlife. An easy option is the flat 2.6km loop that takes in Markinch nature reserve up to Carnac Point, which has great views over the water.

You can also pick up the Dolphin Spirit wildlife cruise nearby. This two-hour tour takes you to popular dolphin feeding grounds. The guides will share history and folklore as you travel, and will be on hand to help you spot wildlife.

A short walk from the city centre are the Ness Islands, which sit in the middle of the river. They're connected to the mainland by lovely Victorian footbridges.

A few minutes' drive from the centre is Craig Phadrig, the site of an Iron Age hill fort. There are two walking routes up the hill, both with moderate slopes, but the views are worth it.

Sightseeing

You can find out about the history of Inverness and the Scottish Highlands at Inverness Museum and Art Gallery. You can also go and admire the architecture of the Inverness Townhouse and the Inverness Castle. Be aware that at the time of writing (Aug 2025), Inverness Castle is closed for refurbishment. However, it's set to reopen later this year. Keep an eye on progress here.

Inverness Botanic Gardens and Café is also worth a visit. The gardens are splendid, plus there's a tropical house and a cactus house. Café Botanics is open seven days a week with indoor and outdoor seating.

Loch Ness

Just 30 minutes from Inverness is the famous Loch Ness, where you can hike, explore, and monster hunt. Start your visit with a trip to the Loch Ness Centre. You'll find out about the story of the famous Loch Ness monster, as well as the history of the area dating back 500 million years.

There are rapid chargers in the car park of the nearby Loch Ness Hub, which is a great place to book tours and find out more information about the area.

NOTE: If you're interested in the story of Nessie, I recommend the two-part Unexplained podcast episode Under The Black Water (season 7, episode 3). It's told in a narrative style, so it's a great one to listen to during your drive to the loch.

Situated on the edge of the loch is Urquhart Castle, one of the largest castle ruins in Scotland. There's plenty of history here, and you can freely walk the ruins. If you're after a different type of history, head for the nearby Boleskine House.

Once a private residence with a host of famous owners, Boleskine House has a little something for everyone, from its musical legacy to occult purposes. I first became aware of the house as the site of Aleister Crowley's rituals to summon demons. (Actually, there's another great Unexplained episode about that, too.)

Later, the house was purchased by Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page. He planned to refurbish the house with a Crowley theme. It changed hands a few more times before being purchased by The Boleskin House Foundation, which owns it today, meaning it's open for visits, tours, and events.

If you want something a little less spooky or history-focused, there are plenty of places to hire bikes to cycle around the local area. If a slower pace suits you, there are boat tours you can pick up from around the loch. Beastie Boats operates a RIB tour from Foyers Pier. There are also plenty of other tours that start in Inverness.

If you're traveling around the whole loch, make sure to stop in Fort Augustus in the south for some great shopping options, places to stay, and a few EV chargers as well.