Inverness
Inverness is the capital of the Scottish highlands. It was made a city in 2000 - beating Preston by two years! It is at the northeast end of the Caledonian Canal, which follows the the Great Glen. Loch Ness empties into the Beauly Forth via the River Ness, which flows through the city. The river is less than seven miles long, but has one of the highest flows in the country at 300 m 3 /s. It gives its name to the city - Inverness means mouth of the River Ness. The River So let us start at the river mouth! This is the Kessock Bridge, which spans the Beauly Firth, and was built in 1982, taking the A9 into the Highlands beyond Inverness. On the far side is the Black Isle, which is neither black nor an island. To the right is the Moray Firth, while Inverness is behind us. The bridge is notable as the only one in Britain that is proofed against earthquake. Inverness experiences an earthquake about every three years, mostly unnoticed, as the Black Isle, and indeed northwest Scotland, heads sl