Brewtiful Inverness

“All roads lead to Inverness to-day as they did several hundred years before Christ.”

Highland Holiday by F.A.Wills (1947)

The geographical importance of Inverness continues today with its status as the only train hub in the north of Scotland. Relying on the Scottish rail system won’t give you many options for exploring the remote parts of Scotland, but if you stay in a town along one of the few train routes, it is a nice option to have to give the rental car a break and take a relaxing scenic journey. Aviemore, where I was staying, conveniently sits just two stops away from Inverness. After a few days of intense hiking, I was ready for the convenience of hopping on a train and being in the heart of Inverness in 30 minutes.

As my train was rolling into Inverness station from Aviemore, I was following in the footsteps of some other historic arrivals, such as St. Columba showing up in 569 to convert the Picts to Christianity or more recently Prime Minister David Lloyd George and the UK Cabinet arriving by train in September 1921 to make the final negotiations for the creation of the Irish Free State. Understandably, my arrival occurred with much less fanfare.

“It is the natural charm of the people of Inverness… their traditional hospitality; the outstanding tradition of Highland life. It is there; it is real; it is not the ‘smiling service’ for tourists only; it is the remaining aura of a noble historical pageantry.”

Highland Holiday by F.A.Wills (1947)

If I was going to experience this aura of a noble historical pageantry, it would need to come within the cozy confines of its pubs and taprooms. I have to admit that I was not well-prepared as a tourist. In between my drinking stops, aside from discovering one of the best used book stores I have ever seen, my wanderings were rather aimless and unfruitful. That is not to say that Inverness is not an interesting and attractive city. I think its appeal may be more on a macro-level with its surrounding scenery and location at the head of the River Ness than it is on a street level. Either way, this post has very little to offer on the look of the city and its historical landmarks.

“Inverness, commonly called the Capital of the Highlands, is a city beautiful for situation, with its noble river flowing through the midst of it.”

Rambles through Scotland among the Bens and Glens by W. Cowan (1933)

The Castle Tavern

The downfall of my sight-seeing started when I chose to make a beeline from the train station past the Inverness Castle and the Flora McDonald statue directly to The Castle Tavern for lunch. In the fervor of being seated in this cozy tavern, I might have had more than one ale there (editor note: it was two) along with a delicious serving of fish and chips.

In case you are curious, the castle is the castellated building in the distance behind the scaffolded tower in the next photo. That’s the only picture I have of it, folks. It is one of many iterations of castles situated on this spot. The prior one was blown up by the clansmen of Bonnie Prince Charlie in 1746¹. It was Flora McDonald (statue not visible) who helped Bonnie Prince Charlie escape in 1746 after the nearby Battle of Culloden.

Uile-bheist Distillery & Brewery (link)

Uile-bheist is Gaelic for monster and refers to the Loch Ness Monster haunting the waters of the River Ness for the last 1500 years or so. In the previous photo, the infamous creature can be seen lurking about with its head and neck rising inconspicuously out of the river (editor note: that’s a fisherman). It was quite an unexpected surprise to find a large, modern craft brewery (and distillery) in the middle of an old Scottish town, and it made a welcome contrast to the usual classic pubs. It might have been a bit too soon from my previous stop for the next round of beer, but I couldn’t resist ordering a flight and logging five beers in one go into my Untappd app. I had been in Inverness precisely an hour and a half and the beer buzz was in full pub crawl mode.

Leakey’s Book Shop

It was now time to take a breather and spend a little time strolling around the city. The look of the city with its grey and copper-colored brick and stone was unmistakably Scottish. It feels a bit antiseptic in a Presbyterian kind of way and probably teeters too much on the modern side of the Old World ledger, but it has its charm. And no place exemplified this charm better than Leakey’s Book Shop. Here is a living Cemetery of Forgotten Books² one could easily spend hours browsing. Aisle after aisle of dusty books with that familiar aroma that all book lovers cherish; that beloved papery bouquet that makes digital books anathema. With the still-lingering beer buzz, the possibility of an irresponsible impulse buy was high, but I managed to resist all temptations.

The Kings Highway

It didn’t take long after emerging from Leakey’s Book Shop to find myself under another temptation. Just a few doors down is this Wetherspoon pub which always means cheap food, cheap ale, and cask ales on tap which are probably different and unique than anywhere else. I admit to you now without the aid of an editors note that I couldn’t resist ordering a second helping of fish and chips to go with another ale. Despite these places often exhibiting a bit of chaotic rowdiness, especially with families taking advantage of the bang for the buck, I have never had a problem with the quality of Wetherspoon fare.

Black Isle Bar

I barely had time to catch my breath from The Kings Highway when I arrived at this craft beer bar. In fact, it is just next door so I hardly had time to even take a breath let alone catch it. Black Isle Bar has a spectacular selection of beers and ciders on tap, around 26 in total. I sidled up to my table for what would be my final beer of the visit, a refreshing pale ale to cap the day off with a little welcome carbonation.

Final Remarks

Oh Inverness, how I failed to get to know thee when I had the chance! Shakespeare placed Macbeth’s castle in Inverness and perhaps the previous iteration of Inverness Castle (the one that was blown up) stood in for the fictional one. In Macbeth, Duncan states:

This castle hath a pleasant seat; the air
Nimbly and sweetly recommends itself
Unto our gentle senses.

And I completely missed it.

I also wasn’t successful at converting any Pagan natives or influencing the freedom of a nation. But I did discover that Inverness has a worthy beer culture and a bloody good bookstore. For me, that is historic enough.

1. Wanderings In Scotland by William T. Palmer ↩︎
2. Fictional place created by one of my favorite writers, the late Carlos Ruiz-Zafon which was a major plot point in his series of novels ↩︎