The Only Honeymoon Guide to Inverness You’ll Ever Need!

Inverness isn’t one of your average honeymoon destinations, like the Maldives or the Caribbean. You’ll only be able to wear your new bikini at a spa hotel here! But the scenery and the mythical magic of the Scottish Highlands mean it’s a popular, and fantastic, choice for newlyweds.

This Honeymoon guide to Inverness will show you exactly how to plan the perfect romantic break that you will never forget.

Inverness is known as the unofficial capital of the Highlands of Scotland. It’s an ideal place to base yourself during a Scotland honeymoon because it’s close to Loch Ness, the Cairngorms National Park and famous Outlander locations.

This city is also not too far from other popular Scotland honeymoon destinations like Glen Coe, Loch Lomond and the Isle of Skye so you can enjoy a long, romantic trip around the country.

It’s also known for Scotch whisky tastings, mythical creatures like the Loch Ness Monster, selkies and fairies, spontaneous folk music in pubs and so much more.

While you can never predict the weather in Scotland and should always dress as if you expect it to rain, if you’re visiting on your honeymoon it’s best to visit in summer.

Yes, the accommodation and flight prices are at their highest and the crowds are at their busiest but at least you won’t have to deal with horizontal rainfall or muddy fields.

This honeymoon guide to Inverness includes absolutely everything you need to know including where to stay in Inverness, things to do, tours to take, and where to eat.

It will guarantee that you made the right decision choosing to spend your honeymoon amongst the breathtaking beauty of the Scottish Highlands.

Where To Go in Inverness On Your Honeymoon

The city of Inverness is a small city of fewer than 47,000 residents. While there are different neighbourhoods, you should really only consider staying in a hotel in the city centre of Inverness or in elegant and cosy lodges that are dotted around the countryside outside of Inverness.

Nearby neighbourhoods of Crown, Dalneigh and Ballifeary are also nice places to stay if there is a particular hotel located in these areas that you’re interested in staying in. There aren’t many nice restaurants or activities in these areas, however, as everything is in the city centre.

Important Information for Your Honeymoon in Inverness

Scotland is a safe, developed country and shouldn’t cause much of a culture shock to most honeymooners! The tap water here isn’t just safe to drink, it’s incredibly high quality. Some might say the food in Scotland is bland (it’s not!) but it’s definitely healthy and safe to eat.

Whilst natural disasters and the opportunities for extreme sports are low in Scotland, you should always buy travel insurance no matter where you go. Always check to see if you need a visa or vaccines before you travel, but this is unlikely for most visitors travelling to Scotland.

As you travel further north in Scotland, public transport increasingly becomes less easy and convenient. Buses are the norm over trains here and even then, they don’t go everywhere.

If you are keen to explore outside of Inverness then it’s strongly recommended that you rent a car. Don’t forget, they drive on the left in the UK and you’ll need to request an automatic as they mostly drive a stick shift.

The UK uses Great British Pound (GBP) currency and it’s a good idea to bring a travel credit card too. Whilst bringing some cash is essential for car parks and other small incidentals, cards are widely accepted in 99% of places. Pack a travel adapter with a voltage convertor as the UK uses the Type G plug with three rectangular prongs.

Inverness is far from one of the most expensive cities in Scotland, but since you’re on your honeymoon, you’ll be going all out. Budget £250-£300 a day for accommodation (more if you want to stay in the best of the best) and around the same for your daily costs in Inverness.

Best Hotels for Your Honeymoon in Inverness

Foyers Lodge

If you want to know where to stay in Inverness on your honeymoon but the views in Inverness city centre don’t appeal to you, how about a hotel overlooking the banks of Loch Ness?

Foyers Lodge is a luxury, authentic Scottish guesthouse perfect for honeymooners. With unrivalled views of the loch and the countryside and lots of luxe decor touches, it ticks all the boxes.

Ness Walk Hotel

Located on the banks of the River Ness in the Ballifeary neighbourhood of Inverness, this five-star hotel is a modern and elegant alternative. Ness Walk Hotel is a huge complex with large, bright rooms, swanky bars, lounges, terraces, and fine-dining restaurants.

It’s the perfect blend of clean minimalism and opulence with nice touches like twin sinks in the bathrooms and afternoon teas available every day.

Bunchrew House Hotel

Bunchrew House is around 15-minutes drive (4.3 miles/7 km) west of Inverness on the coastline but it’s well worth the extra effort to reach. This four-star hotel looks more like a Disney castle than a countryside lodge!

With an entirely pink exterior, Bunchrew House is everything you’d expect in a Scottish stately home. Tartan bedding, dark wooden furniture, and a stormy sea right outside your window.

Culloden House Hotel

Just a 10-minute drive east of Inverness (4.2 miles/6.8 km) is the small town of Culloden, where you’ll find Culloden Battlefield and Culloden House Hotel. This four-star hotel is slightly dated but if you’ve grown tired of every luxury hotel looking like it was lifted straight out of an IKEA catalogue, it’s perfect!

Glenmoriston Townhouse Apartments

Glenmoriston Townhouse Apartments offers both recently refurbished fully-functional apartments as well as hotel rooms. This four-star hotel is situated on the east banks of the River Ness in Inverness City Centre.

As well as offering gorgeous views across the water, they serve upmarket Scottish cuisine in their onsite restaurant and have the friendlist staff. Don’t forget to stop by their bar to check out Glenmoriston’s impressive menu of Scottish gins.

Rocpool Reserve Hotel

Only a street or two behind the Glenmoriston Townhouse Apartments is the Rocpool Reserve Hotel. This five-star hotel is hidden down a residential street and you would never believe the glamour hidden inside.

The Rocpool offers everything you could possibly need in a city centre honeymoon hotel. This includes a soaking tub, onsite parking so you can rent a car for local adventures, and rooms with their own private balcony.

Things To Do in Inverness On Your Honeymoon

Discover Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness

Of course, you cannot visit Inverness without exploring Loch Ness and one of the most iconic landmarks on the banks of the loch.

Urquhart Castle is a ruined 16th-century castle that sits on the west banks of the loch. It offers gorgeous views of the waters and surrounding countryside and it’s only a 30-minute drive from Inverness city centre.

Book a Scotch Whisky Tasting

If you even have the slightest taste for whisky, you need to book a Scotch whisky tasting or simply head down to your hotel bar and ask for a selection!

There are five whisky regions in Scotland which are Campbeltown, Highland, Islay, Lowland and Speyside and they all offer different flavour profiles.

Inverness sits on the border of the Highland and Speyside regions so concentrate on those two first! You could also head to the nearby distilleries of Tomatin Distillery or Glen Ord Distillery for a tour and a tasting.

Stroll Around Inverness City Centre

Though Inverness is not as pretty as somewhere like Edinburgh, there’s still lots of landmarks landmarks that are historic and beautiful if you know where you look.

Check out Leakey’s Bookshop, the largest second-hand bookshop in Scotland housed inside a stunning former church. There’s also Inverness Castle, Inverness Cathedral, the Victorian Market and the picturesque Greig St Bridge.

Watch Dolphins Chanonry Point on the Black Isle

Only a 30-minute drive northeast of Inverness (16.2 miles/26 km) is Chanonry Point, one of the best places to spot bottlenose dolphins and grey seals in Scotland. There’s also a gorgeous daisy-coloured lighthouse here and the whole landscape is extremely romantic.

Romantic Places to Eat on Your Honeymoon in Inverness

Rocpool Restaurant

Not an onsite restaurant at the Rocpool Reserve Hotel but a brasserie in Inverness City Centre, Rocpool Restaurant is even mentioned in the Michelin guide! Sadly, it doesn’t have an actual star (not yet anyway) but it serves modern Scottish gourmet cuisine in an unfussy setting.

River House Restaurant

You can’t have a honeymoon in Scotland without eating upmarket fish and chips during your trip! Head to River House where they specialise in serving upscale, seasonal and local seafood in a sleek and elegant dining room.

Fig & Thistle

The Fig & Thistle is a slightly more relaxed, cosy bistro that attracts a lot of diners with it’s crowd-pleasing cocktails and elevated but not pretentious Scottish and Mediterranean menu.

It’s the perfect palette-cleanser once you’ve had enough of stiff fine dining as the food is utterly delicious but you won’t have to worry about remembering which is the wine glass and which is the water glass!

Tours to Do in Inverness On Your Honeymoon

Romantic Walking Tour

You can’t honeymoon in Inverness and use it as a base for other trips around the Scottish Highlands without exploring the city centre too.

Join a walking tour led by a knowledgeable guide will will be able to make sure you don’t leave without seeing the main attractions.

Even better, this is a romantic and private walking tour! They will take you to all the best photo spots so you can fill up your honeymoon photo album plus tell you lots of historical love stories about the city.

Loch Ness and Canal Boat Cruise

Visiting Loch Ness and attempting to spot the mythical Loch Ness Monster (affectionately known as Nessie) is probably a big reason of why you chose to visit Inverness!

You can’t miss it. Book this beautiful Loch Ness and canal boat cruise and get your camera ready to snap a photo of the elusive creature.

Highland Dining and Storytelling Experience

Telling stories is an important part of the Scottish culture. Why not combine a night of learning about local folk tales with a Scottish fine dining experience?

Devour seasonal, local cuisine washed down with a dram or two of whisky with your new spouse while enjoying tales from the local culture. Hire a kilt for the occasion if you want to get into the spirit of the evening!

Day Trips from Inverness On Your Honeymoon

Eilean Donan Castle

The second-most photographed castle in Scotland after Edinburgh Castle, the Eilean Donan Castle looks more like a painting than a real-life stronghold.

Sitting on an inlet between three lochs, this romantic and cinematic castle is a must-visit on a day trip from Inverness.

This tour drives you 90 minutes along the banks of Loch Ness to the castle in time for lunch. It also takes you on a whistle-stop tour of Portree, the main town on the Isle of Skye before heading back to Inverness.

Outlander Filming Locations

Let’s face it, there’s a good chance you’re visiting Scotland on your honeymoon because you got swept up in the romance and dreamy scenery of the Outlander TV series, right?

If that’s the case, you should visit the real-life Outlander locations and turn your silver-screen dreams into a reality!

On this day trip, visit the Culloden Battlefield, Clava Cairns with its iconic standing stones and the Cairngorms National Park. You can also visit other fairytale Scottish castles to bring your other cinematic fantasies to life.

Glenfinnan Viaduct and Jacobite Steam Train

Speaking of cinema, there’s no more iconic location than the bridge the Hogwarts Express crosses in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. This is the Glenfinnan Viaduct, close to the town of Fort William.

You can book this day trip which will take you to Fort William and allow you to cross the West Highland Line bridge on an authentic Jacobite steam train. Just like in the movie!

Recommended honeymoon tours in Inverness

• Isle of Skye Full Day 8-Seater Bus Tour from Inverness
• Skye and Eilean Donan Castle Small-Group Day Tour from Inverness
• Inverness Bike Tour a 2 hours guided bike tour around the Waterways of Inverness
• The Complete Loch Ness Experience Small-Group Day Tour from Inverness
• Dunrobin Castle and Glenmorangie Distillery 8 Seater Bus Tour from Inverness
• Private Bespoke Skye Tour
• GHD Clan Tour of Northern Whisky Distilleries
• VIP Whisky Masterclass of new and old favourites + 3 Highland Distilleries
• Scotland Whisky Distilleries and Tasting Private Day Tour by Luxury Car
• Legendary Northern Distilleries Tour
• Create Your Own Special 2 Day Tour
• Bespoke 5 day Tour – your personal itinerary
• Private Outlander & Cawdor Castle Tour
• Your Bespoke 4 Day Tour – tailored to your specific requirements
• Winter Tour of the Highlands of Scotland from Inverness

If you’d like to save it for later, please save it to Pinterest.