The UK’s most northerly city has some spectacular cycling on its doorstep, and its small size makes urban cycle commuting an easy option
Inverness lies just north of Loch Ness, where the river of the same name empties into the Beauly Firth. Despite its small size – around 48,000 people live in the city – it’s the capital of the Highlands and the biggest settlement for miles around. That makes it geographically, politically and culturally more important than many far larger towns and cities further south.
Inverness is the place you pass through if you’re heading to or from the far north by road or rail. It’s home to NatureScot (formerly Scottish National Heritage), the body that cares for Scotland’s nature and landscapes. It’s a university city: Inverness College is the largest institution of the University of the Highlands and Islands, and its students account for a large chunk of Inverness’s population. While the city’s traditional industries, such as distilling, have largely disappeared, there are now high-tech industries instead. Diabetes diagnostic kits are made here.
Like many places in northern Scotland, Inverness was deeply affected by the Highland Clearances from 1750-1860. Before that, in 1746, it was the site of the last pitched battle in Britain: the Battle of Culloden, where Bonnie Prince Charlie’s Jacobite uprising was terminated. Further back still, Inverness had a castle owned by the 11th-century Gaelic king, Mac Bethad Mac Findláich, who was the inspiration for Shakespeare’s Macbeth. There still is an Inverness castle, although the current one was built in 1836.
Today Inverness is one the UK’s fastest growing cities. It always scores highly in quality of life surveys. And, of course, it’s surrounded by stunning scenery – which you can easily access by bike.
Inverness Castle by Duncan Cumming
The best type of bike for cycling in Inverness
Being so far north, Inverness is chillier than most of the UK and has more extreme night and day cycles. There’s more than 18 hours of daylight in the height of summer but less than seven in winter. So whatever kind of bike you choose, you’ll need to factor in reliable lighting if you’ll be riding year round.
Whether you need electric assistance or a wide gear range will depend on where you ride. Inverness itself is low lying and relatively flat but once you go west of the Caledonian Canal or south or east of the A8082, you’ll find yourself climbing. This is the Highlands, after all. For purely urban riding, almost any bike will do. If you’ll be heading further afield for recreational rides, you’ll want those low gears – or a helping hand from an e-bike motor.
Caledonian Canal (on right, River Ness on left) by The Poss
The Orbea Carpe 15 (RRP £899) is a good example of the kind of hybrid that suits Inverness well. As well as mudguards and a rear rack, it’s equipped with hub-dynamo powered lights. Although the gearing is only 1x9 Shimano Cues, a big (11-46) cassette gives gears that are low enough for recreational riding as well as cross-town commuting. The bike’s 38mm tyres are wide enough to tackle towpaths and unsurfaced forest roads, making it easier to escape the traffic.
If you want to travel further on your out-of-town excursions, a gravel bike will eat up the miles more quickly. Wide tyres (40mm-plus) are again well worth having to take advantage of all the off road tracks and trails that Scotland’s liberal access laws gift to cyclists. Do make sure there are mudguard mounts for the daily commute as well. The Merida Silex 200 (RRP £1,255) is a good value all-rounder that ticks the boxes for both commuting and gravel riding.
Inverness’s transport network
Inverness sits at a crossroads, joining the A9, A96 and A82 as they head north, south, east and west across the Highlands. A fair amount of the traffic using these routes is funnelled through the city rather than around it, making Inverness more congested than you might expect from its size.
As long as you avoid key roads, however, cycling in and around Inverness is generally pretty good. As the Inverness Active Travel Map shows, most of the cycling network within the city is made up of quieter on-road routes. But there are plenty of traffic-free cycle paths around Inverness Campus and alongside the bigger roads – including across Kessock Bridge. There are also the towpaths either side of the Caledonian Canal. These routes make it easy to get in and out of Inverness by bike without jostling with cars.
Inverness is well connected by rail for a city so far north. It’s the terminus of the Highland Main Line, the Kyle of Lochalsh Line and the Far North Line. There are regular services to Perth, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Thurso, Wick, and Kyle of Lochalsh. These are operated by ScotRail, whose trains carry up to six non-folding bikes (reservations required for some journeys). There are also two long-distance services to London and various stations en route: the Highland Chieftain, run by LNER (four reserved bikes per train – assuming you can wrestle yours into the little cupboard); and the Caledonian Sleeper (six bikes, which must be reserved)
Bus services are operated by Stagecoach. Folding bikes are allowed “it can fit in the luggage pen and you can lift it in and out yourself”. National Express coaches also serve Inverness; the one from London takes over 15 hours. Bagged folding bikes are usually fine in a National Express coach’s hold; full-size bikes in a bag are carried at the operator’s discretion and subject to an oversize luggage fee.
Inverness Airport at Dalcross is another, less carbon-friendly option for getting to or from Inverness. One plus point, which other transport providers could learn from, is that airlines are more than happy to take your bagged bike – so long as you pay a supplement for it.
Local rides in Inverness
While there are lots of roads around Inverness with little traffic, there are few tarmac options that are traffic free. So escaping traffic calls for a wider-tyred bike such as a hybrid, gravel bike or mountain bike. For family cyclists, the ride through Whin Park and Ness Island is a short one with lots of opportunities for off-bike fun. The Caledonian Canal is great for traffic-free leisure rides of any length. A mountain bike loop in Culloden Woods would suit keener family cyclists.
There are some outstanding little roads in the vicinity of Inverness, some of them singletrack with passing places. One nice route is to head south-west on General Wade’s Military Road and make for Foyers on the banks of Loch Ness. If you want an easier route, how about a loop of the Beauly Firth? For a longer day out, the route of the Etape Loch Ness circumnavigates the reputedly monster-inhabited loch. If you want to explore further, it’s worth joining a local club such as Inverness Cycle Club or Cycling UK Highland.
As in much of Scotland, the off-road cycling opportunities around Inverness are almost endless thanks to the country’s right to roam. The north-eastern end of the Caledonia Way between Inverness and Fort William is a great 66-mile for gravel bikes, taking in forest roads, canal towpaths and minor roads. If it’s a mountain bike trail centre you want, Learnie Red Rocks is less than 20 miles away and offers green, blue and black trails. Contin Forest, home of the annual Strathpuffer event, is also nearby.
Strathpuffer in Contin Forest
Bike shops in Inverness
Inverness is well supplied with bike shops. Here are three of the more highly-rated Cyclescheme retailers.
Highland Bikes is the Highlands’ biggest and, they say, best cycle shop. The main shop is on Shore Street in Inverness, while a second was recently opened in Elgin. Bike brands stocked include Bianchi, Genesis, Giant, Haibike, Marin, Ridgeback, Surly, Tern and Transition. Cyclescheme customer comment: “Everyone was friendly and helpful, service was excellent. Will definitely be back.”
Bikes of Inverness on Grant Street has been in business since 1988. Its bike brands are Specialized and Trek, and the shop also runs training sessions for customers to address issues like fixing punctures. Customer comment: “Amazing customer service. Knowledgeable, helpful and friendly. Thank you :)”
Monsterbike on Canal Road specialises in mountain bikes, although also stocks hybrid, road and gravel bikes. The shop has a good demo fleet if you want to try before you buy. Bike brands include Cannondale, Cube, GT, Merida, Mondraker, Nukeproof, Pivot and Yeti. Customer comment: “Rory and his team were excellent with the advice and service. Strongly advised me to take along test ride, then ordered correct size of frame.”
Keeping your bike secure in Inverness
Bike theft levels are low in Inverness, especially compared to big cities like Edinburgh and Glasgow. But low doesn’t mean never.
Always lock your bike whenever you turn your back on it, ideally with a Sold Secure Gold or Diamond rated lock. Lock the bike through the frame to a sturdy piece of street furniture or a dedicated cycle stand. If you have a high value bike or will be leaving it locked up for an extended period – for example, overnight – use two locks.
The vast majority of bike thefts take place not on the street but in ‘semi-private’ locations at home. That means on your property but not in the house – for example, a garage, shed or garden. Lock your bike to a wall or ground anchor if it will be in one of those locations. Alternatively, park it indoors.
Comments: