Highlands
Cheap date ideas in Inverness
Updated
Inverness is full of dates that cost little or nothing. In town, walk upstream to the Ness Islands and over the Victorian footbridges, then into the free Botanic Gardens next door, or climb Craig Phadrig for an Iron Age fort and a view over the Beauly Firth. When it’s dreich, Leakey’s second-hand bookshop has a wood-burning stove, and the Victorian Market’s food hall makes lunch cheap and cheerful. A short drive out, Clava Cairns and Chanonry Point’s dolphins are free, Culloden’s battlefield paths are free too (the visitor centre charges), and Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness is the classic Highland day out. Finish at Hootananny, where there’s live music every night.
Our picks
The Ness Islands
Ness Bank and Bught Park, a 15-minute walk south of the city centre
Address: Ness Islands, Inverness IV2 4QS- Outdoors
- Free
- Best in Spring, Summer, Autumn
- Romantic
Follow the river upstream from the city centre and cross the Victorian footbridges onto the wooded islands in the middle of the Ness.
Why it's a good date: It's an easy loop with the river on both sides, and you can talk the whole way round. Go on a summer evening, when it stays light until late, and walk back along the opposite bank for a change of view.
Photo: dave conner, CC BY 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Leakey's Bookshop
Greyfriars Hall, Church Street, city centre
Address: Greyfriars Hall, Church Street, Inverness IV1 1EY- Culture
- Rain-proof ☔
- Free
- Best in Autumn, Winter
- Cosy
Browse Scotland's biggest second-hand bookshop, inside an old Gaelic church with a wood-burning stove and a spiral staircase up to the gallery.
Why it's a good date: Give each other ten minutes to find the other person a book, then swap. It's warm and quiet, and ideal when the weather turns.
Photo: LeamingtonBooks, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
The Victorian Market
Academy Street and Union Street, city centre
Address: Academy Street, Inverness IV1 1JN- Activity
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Foodie
Wander the covered Victorian arcades, then pick lunch from the food hall's independent stalls.
Why it's a good date: Order from two different stalls and share, so you both get to try more. It's covered, so it works in any weather.
Photo: Daniel Kraft, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)
Hootananny
Church Street, city centre
Address: 67 Church Street, Inverness IV1 1ES- Bar
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Big night
Spend an evening at the city's best-known live music pub, with trad sessions downstairs and gigs upstairs.
Why it's a good date: There's music every night, so you don't need to plan much: just turn up. Arrive early to get a seat near the session.
Photo: Ian S, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Inverness Botanic Gardens
Bught Lane, beside the Ness Islands
Address: Bught Lane, Inverness IV3 5SS- Outdoors
- Free
- Rainy day
Walk through the tropical house and the cactus house, then round the outdoor gardens, and finish with a coffee in the café.
Why it's a good date: The glasshouses are warm and green even on a dreich day, and it's free, with donations welcome. Pair it with a walk round the Ness Islands next door.
Photo: Craig Wallace, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Craig Phadrig
Leachkin, on the western edge of Inverness
Address: Craig Phadrig car park, Leachkin Brae, Inverness IV3 8PN- Outdoors
- Free
- Best in Spring, Summer, Autumn
- Active
Climb the forest trail up the wooded hill on the west side of the city to the remains of an Iron Age fort at the top.
Why it's a good date: It's a proper uphill walk without leaving town, and there's a view over the Beauly Firth near the top. Wear decent shoes, as the paths get muddy after rain.
Culloden Battlefield
Culloden Moor, about 15 minutes' drive east of Inverness
Address: Culloden Moor, Inverness IV2 5EU- Trip
- Cheap and cheerful
- Culture
- Out of town
Walk the moor where the last pitched battle on British soil was fought in 1746, then see the visitor centre's exhibition.
Why it's a good date: It's moving rather than grim, and it gives you plenty to talk about on the way home. The battlefield paths are free; the visitor centre charges for entry.
Photo: Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net)., CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)
Clava Cairns
Near Culloden, about 20 minutes' drive east of Inverness
Address: Balnuaran of Clava, near Culloden, Inverness IV2 5EU- Trip
- Outdoors
- Free
- Best in Spring, Summer, Autumn
- Out of town
Wander among Bronze Age burial cairns and standing stones in a quiet grove of trees.
Why it's a good date: It's peaceful and a bit mysterious, and it's free to visit at any time. It's only a few minutes from Culloden, so you can easily do both in an afternoon.
Photo: Daniel Kraft, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)
Urquhart Castle and Loch Ness
Drumnadrochit, about 30 minutes' drive south-west of Inverness
Address: Urquhart Castle, Drumnadrochit, Inverness IV63 6XJ- Trip
- Outdoors
- Cheap and cheerful
- Best in Spring, Summer, Autumn
- Culture
- Out of town
Drive down the side of Loch Ness to the ruined castle on its shore, and climb Grant Tower for the view up and down the loch.
Why it's a good date: It's the classic Highland day out: a ruined castle, a huge loch and hills all around. Go early or late in the day to miss the coach tours, and keep an eye on the water.
Photo: Daniel Kraft, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)
Chanonry Point
Near Fortrose on the Black Isle, about 25 minutes' drive north-east of Inverness
Address: Chanonry Point car park, Ness Road, Fortrose IV10 8SD- Trip
- Outdoors
- Free
- Best in Summer
- Out of town
Watch for bottlenose dolphins from the shingle spit by the lighthouse, where they come in close to feed.
Why it's a good date: Waiting on a beach together for dolphins to turn up is a lovely way to spend an hour. Check the tide first: they're most often seen on a rising tide, about an hour after low water.
Photo: Vcarceler, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)
Quick answers
Are the Inverness Botanic Gardens free?
Yes, with donations welcome. The tropical house and cactus house are warm even on a dreich day, and the Ness Islands are right next door.
When is the best time to see dolphins at Chanonry Point?
They're most often seen on a rising tide, about an hour after low water, so check the tide times before you drive out to the Black Isle.
Save these to your jar
Dote keeps every date idea you find in one jar you share with your partner, and tells you which ones suit the weekend weather. It's free on iPhone and Android.
