Name: Ness Islands
Rating: 5.0

Ness Islands

Ness Islands, Great Glen Way, Inverness, UK

1-90 Years

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Description

Ness Islands is a peaceful natural attraction located on the River Ness, just a short walk from Inverness city centre. It offers a scenic escape with beautiful greenery, walking paths, and riverside views. It’s an ideal destination for nature lovers, walkers, and anyone looking to relax in a tranquil environment.

The islands are connected by charming Victorian footbridges, allowing visitors to explore a network of woodland paths surrounded by tall pine trees and mature greenery. Visitors can enjoy leisure walks, wildlife spotting, and scenic views of the flowing river, with chances to see seals, birds, and salmon fishing in the summer. Unique features include carved bench sculptures and a fun “Nessie” sculpture made from a fallen tree. The walk also passes landmarks like the Inverness War Memorial, with beautiful seasonal floral displays, making it perfect for photography and relaxation.

Entry to Ness Islands is completely free, and the area is open 24 hours, making it accessible at any time.

Overall, Ness Islands offers a calm and refreshing outdoor experience close to the city. Its mix of natural beauty, walking routes, and wildlife makes it perfect for a relaxing day out. It is a must-visit spot for anyone exploring Inverness.

Features

Free
Host birthday parties: No

Features

The Ness islands are a collection of natural islands that sit in the middle of the River Ness, connected from the river banks and throughout by beautiful Victorian footbridges.
Just a short stroll away from Inverness city centre it is a place of natural beauty to take a breath, get some exercise or just watch the world go by.
You can walk from one end of the islands to the other entering on one side of the river and exiting on the other winding your way around the paths through imposing tall pines and matures trees.
You will find carved bench sculptures to sit on, make sure to hunt down the fallen tree Nessie sculpture, it’s perfect for a fun photo opportunity!
Watch the river flow past, it really is fast flowing after heavy rain fall and watch the fishermen in the water during the summer months catching salmon.
Inverness must be one of the few cities in the world where you can take a short walk starting from the city centre and feel as though you are right in the middle of the countryside.
Occasionally you can see seals, you will certainly see a variety of seagulls and maybe one or two other wild creatures too. The best place to spot seals is between the two road bridges in the centre of Inverness.
Seals are very timid creatures and wary of humans, so do not make it obvious that you have spotted a seal, and you will often be able to watch it for ages, bobbing up and down.
There are a number of footbridges along its length of the River Ness where you can cross from one side of the river to the other.
We would recommend walking upstream alongside one side of the River Ness to Ness Islands and returning down the other bank, this allows you to have two totally separate views of some magnificent buildings.
On the walk look out for the Inverness War Memorial, if you do the walk in the summer or early spring, the floral gardens here can be spectacular, thanks to the Inverness Council parks and gardens team.