The Inverness Castle Experience: “Discover the Spirit of the Highlands”
- 13 hours ago
- 5 min read
Storytelling has been an important part of the cultural fabric of the Scottish Highlands for centuries. We were fortunate to witness this for ourselves recently when we visited the new Inverness Castle Experience. So, join us as we head to the picturesque city of Inverness and share a bit of our discovery of the "spirit of the Highlands".
Before we get to the Castle as it is now, we should discuss how it started. The first castle that was built on this site was established by Malcolm III in the 1000s. Over the centuries, Inverness Castle experienced a great deal of change in the form of war, ownership, and general upheaval. It also has connections with some famous royals including Mary, Queen of Scots and Prince Charles Edward Stuart (aka Bonnie Prince Charlie). In fact, Bonnie Prince Charlie ordered the Castle to be destroyed in 1746 so it wouldn’t fall into the enemy’s hands.
It lay in ruins until the early 1800s when a new courthouse and jail was built on the site. The courthouse was built in the 1830s and the prison in the 1840s. It remained the home of the Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service until the Courts moved to a new location in 2020. The Inverness Castle Experience opened at the end of 2025.
When you visit Inverness Castle, be sure to also take your time to explore the grounds and gardens. There are some lovely sculptures that are beautiful day and night. As you approach the Castle, you are greeted by Flora MacDonald and her dog- recently given the name, Cuillin. It was the name given by a local primary school student who won the naming competition.
Flora is a notable person in Scottish history- especially in the Highlands- as she helped Bonnie Prince Charlie escape Scotland after the defeat of his army at the Battle of Culloden. She famously had the prince dress in disguise as her maid and took him in a boat to the Isle of Skye. There was a song written about it, ‘Skye Boat Song’, that many people now know from the television show, Outlander (however, the lyrics were changed for that version).
Her statue was erected in 1899 with a plaque in Scots Gaelic and English that says, “The preserver of Prince Charles Edward Stuart will be mentioned in history and if courage and fidelity be virtues, mentioned with honour”.
Speaking of Scots Gaelic, it is one of the native languages of the Highlands and it is great to see it featured throughout the Inverness Castle Experience (outside and inside). Let’s head inside and learn more.
What is particularly special about the Inverness Castle Experience is that it is filled with stories of the Highlands and Islands as told by those who live there. This is apparent as soon as walk into the main entryway of the Castle’s South Tower and see ‘The Whisper Sculpture’ display. As you examine this unique installation, listen carefully because the whispers you hear are meant to represent the important oral storytelling tradition that has existed in the Highlands for centuries.
Remember how we met the famous heroine, Flora MacDonald, in the front of Inverness Castle? Well, her dog, Cuillin, is also there to greet visitors as they enter and is an adorable guide for children throughout out the Castle.
You can get some beautiful 360-degree views of the city from one of the towers.
The Inverness Castle Experience is the perfect introduction to the Highlands as it is filled with stories and immersive experiences about Highland culture. What’s particularly great about it is that it is accessible for all ages and has some fantastic exhibitions that help capture the imagination. For us, that is a crucial part of storytelling. We don’t want to spoil all the fun surprises, but here are some photo highlights from our visit:
Nestled between the South and North Towers of Inverness Castle is the Saltire Bistro. It is the perfect place to take a break during your visit and enjoy a wee treat (although you don’t have to have a ticket to the Castle to visit the Bistro).
While you are in the Saltire Bistro, don’t miss the timeline informational boards that provide some fascinating history of Inverness Castle during its time as a prison. Also, just off of the Bistro, is the West Tower, where you can learn more about the diversity of distilling across the Highlands.
After you’ve had a chance to refuel and rest, your experience of the Highlands continues in the North Tower. The Castle describes it as the place where “the stories come to life through music and tapestries”. And boy do they ever! One of our favourite exhibitions was the section devoted to one our favourite bands, Runrig. Long-term readers of this blog will know how much we love Runrig’s music and how much they mean to us. We even wrote an article about it if you want to check it out.
Therefore, you can only imagine how thrilled we were to 'explore and discover' the incredible memorabilia, artefacts, and music that they had on display. The whole exhibition is incredibly well done and is an excellent way to bring the stories, culture, and music of Runrig to life for older and newer fans.
It’s incredible to think how one Scots Gaelic-speaking band from the Isle of Skye would grow into such a global force- influencing people around the world. One particularly touching story relayed how their fandom even extended into space. You see, U.S. astronaut and Navy Captain, Dr. Laurel Clark, was a huge Runrig fan. So much so, that she brought a limited-release fan club live CD into space with her onboard the Columbia space shuttle. On that ill-fated last morning of their mission, the 7th of February 2003, Runrig’s ‘Running to the Light’ was the crew’s wake-up call. As many of us sadly remember, the space shuttle, Columbia, exploded during re-entry and all seven astronauts were killed.
However, somehow Laurel’s Runrig CD was later recovered intact in Texas. According to the Castle, Laurel’s husband, Jonathan, presented the band with the CD in person. He said, “I felt it was important to thank the group for what they did for Laurel. Her time on earth- and in space- was enhanced by their music”. As a tribute to Laurel, the band’s last track, ‘Somewhere’, of their final album, ‘The Story’, ends with a recording of her speaking from the shuttle. Laurel’s CD is now on display at Inverness Castle and is a true testament to the power of Runrig’s music.
The last exhibition at Inverness Castle is ‘The Tapestry of the Highlands and Islands’. The Castle highlights how it was brought to life by over 600 community stitchers from every part of the region.
We highly recommend that you visit the Inverness Castle Experience if you are in the area. We think their tagline, “discover the spirit of the Highlands”, is the perfect way to describe this immersive attraction and historic site. Head over to their website for more information.
While we thoroughly enjoyed hearing these beautiful stories of the Highlands, we love to tell stories of our own in the Lowlands. So, if you happen to be in Edinburgh, join our resident storyteller, Sami, who is accompanied by one of our Golden Retriever co-guides, Walter or Arthur, as he loves to regale people with stories on one of our Edinburgh walking tours. For there is one thing that is certain about Scotland, it is filled with amazing history wherever you go.
Until next time- Explore & Discover!
