Mardon B&B accommodation, Inverness Scotland UK
A comfortable B & B in the heart of Inverness, Scotland

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Things to do in and around Inverness


B & B in the heart of the Highlands.
Inverness today is modern and go-ahead - a small, fresh northern city with its streets in summer a busy mix of residents and visitors. The new extension to the Eastgate Centre, with its many High Street names, reflects the city's important commercial role, while the refurbished Victorian Arcade nearby, with its smaller businesses, is a reminder of the continuity as well as the variety of Inverness shopping. Accommodation is not in short supply, with many guesthouses and b and b establishments available for the discerning traveller. In summer however it can become very busy with tourists planning to centre their exploration of the Highlands on Inverness. It is therefore advisable to book accommodation in advance

Mardon is an ideally placed Guest House offering bed and breakfast (B & B) and private parking while being only a very short walk from all the City’s attractions and a 10 minute drive to the beginning of Loch Ness.

The city has an excellent selection of pubs, restaurants and late-night venues, as well as Scottish Showtime, traditional music and dance performed in costume, said to be Scotland's longest running show. Another important cultural centre is the Eden Court Theatre and Cinema which has undergone a complete refurbishment, with an entertainment programme to suit all tastes.

Culloden Battlefield       Inverness Botanic Gardens

The city environment is very attractive, with Inverness a Britain in Bloom award winner. Among its parks and gardens, the tropical gardens under glass in Inverness Botanic Gardens are notable. Nearby are the attractive walks by the Ness islands on the river. This famous walk can be undertaken with ease from Mardon and often provides a pleasant early evening stroll before dinner for our guests

Inverness is truly "the city in the Highlands" - a well-resourced small city and an ideal touring centre with plenty to see and do all around by way of sport and leisure activities.

Inverness is an exceptional place – the real ‘in’ place to be – a busy, modern, vibrant city with a real buzz. Looking for the perfect destination for short breaks and holidays in the highlands? – look no further.

Discover Culloden, Loch Ness and the monster Nessie, fantastic scenery and Highland glens, lochs and mountains. Enjoy Loch Ness cruises and tours, dolphin spotting trips, visitor attractions, restaurants and shops. Visit the beautiful west coast, the Cairngorm National Park, the Isle of Skye, Orkney and Royal Deeside. Explore castles, Stone Age ruins, Pictish and Whisky trails, standing stones and circles, distilleries, wild life, gardens, forests and quiet beaches

And vibrant Inverness has an ever-increasing number of restaurants, pubs and cafes offering food from around the globe – Chinese, Indian, French, Italian, Mexican, Irish etc. and even Scottish, while the new Eastgate shopping development houses many multiple chain shops. The older part of the town is where the smaller, individually owned shops are to be found

The lighthouse at Cromarty       The Black Isle

The Black Isle is not an island but is, in fact, a peninsula, in the Scottish Highlands.

It is about 23 miles long by about 9 miles wide at its broadest point and is more or less oval in shape. Situated just to the north of Inverness with Dingwall to the west, it can be reached via the A9 from the south or north, or the A832 from the west.

It is attached to the mainland at the heads of the Cromarty and Beauly Firths, and the description 'Black' is no more correct than 'Isle'. The exact origin of its name is unknown, though there are at least six possible explanations of why it became the "Black" Isle, ranging from the most intriguing, through its association with witchcraft and the black arts in mediaeval times, to the more prosaic, that the soil here is very black, or that it has so many trees that it looks black when viewed from surrounding areas in Winter.

Cromarty, poised on the tip of the Black Isle at the mouth of the Cromarty Firth is the Highlands' best preserved historic town. But Cromarty is more than just an 18th century town in stasis. For modern travellers and holidaymakers it can provide a wealth of attractions: sandy beaches, unusual architecture, Bottlenose Dolphins, eating places, a multi-award winning museum, beautiful countryside, wildlife, and bird reserves of international importance, to name but a few.

The Moray Firth is a very special place - home to one of only three resident bottlenose dolphin populations in the United Kingdom. There are thought to be approximately 130 dolphins living in this part of Scotland and they can be seen in the Moray Firth all year round. However, during the winter months, the population is spread out over a wider area - so your best chance of seeing dolphins is from about May to September.

Dolphins can be seen off the coast       Sunrise on the Moray Firth

During the summer dolphin watchers can see herds of 15 or more leaping from the water near the shore.

There are many places in the Moray Firth where dolphins can be spotted from land - Chanonry Point (probably one of the best places), North Kessock, Cromarty, Fort George, Nairn, Lossiemouth, Spey Bay, Cullen etc. But don't forget to take warm clothes, waterproofs & sunscreen - the weather can change quickly here in Scotland! Binoculars would also be useful & you do need to be patient! But it is definitely worth the wait.

Alternatively, there are many companies offering dolphin-watching boat trips in the Moray Firth. Choose an operator that is registered with the Dolphin Space Programme - this means that the company has agreed to a code of conduct in order to minimise their impact on the dolphins. There is never a guarantee you will see dolphins on a boat trip - as they range in a very large area, but the coastline is quite spectacular and there is plenty of other wildlife to see.

Inverness Tourist Information Centre is five minutes walk from Mardon and the staff there will help you to organise tours, cruises on Loch Ness, trips and golf etc.
At Mardon Guest House we hope to ensure that your stay in Inverness is memorable and enjoyable.
Culloden Battlefield

Culloden - the last pitched battle fought on British soil and the beginning of the end of the traditional Highland way of life.
Culloden moor

This view of Culloden Moor shows Inverness and the surrounding countryside to the north.
Fort George Fort George. Following the defeat of Bonnie Prince Charlie and his Jacobite army at Culloden, the Hanoverian King George II put up the ultimate defence against any further unrest.
Cawdor Castle - A magical name, romantically linked by Shakespeare with Macbeth. A superb fairy-tale Castle, and just what every visitor is looking for.. Scottish history that you can touch and see and sense for yourself. Cawdor Castle
Loch Ness Urquhart Castle is one of the largest in Scotland, in a spectacular position with stunning views over Loch Ness.
Nairn Museum - for over one hundred and thirty years, Nairn Museum has fascinated generations of visitors of all ages and interests.
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James and Angela McIlraith, Mardon, 37 Kenneth Street, Inverness IV3 5DH
Telephone: +44 (0) 1463 231005    Mobile: +44 (0) 7963681894
enquiries@mardonguesthouse.co.uk