Where to stay in Inverness
By Gordon Pearson on 28th January 2026
WOW Scotland's guide to picking the best place to stay in Inverness
Are you looking for somewhere to stay when you get to Inverness?
You could just go to Booking.com or AirBnB and see what they’ve got, although nothing beats the advice of a true local! We’ve listed some of our favourite places along with the best areas to stay in. Remember, it’s always best to book direct as it keeps the money in the local area!
So first of all where is the best place to stay in Inverness? Well it really depends on what you are looking for. It’s not a big city, so getting around is pretty easy either by foot, bike, car or taxi. We’ve also got a pretty decent public bus service.
We are also often asked what’s close to the bus and train station for people arriving by public transport. As they are both next to each other, we can kill two birds with one stone and give recommendations for both.
Royal Highland Highland Hotel: You can’t get closer to the railway station than the Royal Highland Hotel. It gets mixed reviews online although for convenience it is a winner.
B&B Hotel Just a minute’s walk from the bus station, this hotel is generally well-reviewed for its location, service and spacious rooms.
Black Isle Hostel: OK, so I haven’t stayed in a hostel for about 20 years but if I did this would be the one I would stay in as it is located above of one of the most popular bars in town! It is basic and offers good value.
These hotels and guest houses are right on the River Ness, and some offer rooms with river views.
Palace Hotel : A traditional hotel with great leisure facilities (pool, sauna, steam room and jacuzzi).
Premier Inn Inverness Centre (River Ness) – of course this is part of a huge chain; some may like this, others not so much so. We mention it here as there are four Premier Inns in Inverness and, if you decide to book one, this one definitely has the most scenic and central location.
The Crown area is just next to the city centre and is home to some great bars, a really nice cafe and a deli too.
Kingsmills Hotel Inverness: A popular 4 star hotel with good leisure facilities, this is one of the best hotels in the area.
Rocpool Reserve Hotel: An elegant 5 star hotel offering excellent gourmet dining in the Chez Roux restaurant. Our go to place for eating.
Ardmeanach Guest House: Centrally located Inverness guest house with 3 doubles, 1 twin and 1 single room available.
Inverglen Guest House: Joan and Javed look forward to giving you five star service at their conveniently located guest house, which comes highly recommended by WOW and is top rated on Tripadvisor.
Ardconnel House: an attractive Victorian terraced building offering 4-star quality Bed and Breakfast accommodation in 6 guest bedrooms. Very popular with our guests.
Just over the River Ness you find ‘Central’, as you can tell by the name it’s very close to the centre and you’ll find almost everything is within easy walking distance. Note that, if you decide to stay in this area, we do offer a convenient pick-up for our Skye tours on Tomnahurich Street.
Mardon Guest House: comfortable B&B in a central location .
AyeStay: this guesthouse has a variety of room sizes and is located near Eden Court Theatre, a short riverside walk from the centre of Inverness.
Acer Glen B&B: A B&B in the heart of Inverness.
Ardross Glencairn (part of the Rowan Guest House Group) – the staff are friendly and they consistently offer great value rates, just a one minute walk from our pick up on Tomnahurich Street.
Ness Walk – a sister hotel to the Kingsmills Hotel (mentioned above) this is Inverness’ only 5 star hotel. It has a lovely riverside location which is still close to the city centre, and it boasts the level of service and dining options you would expect. However, it can be on the expensive side during the peak summer months.
We hope you have a great trip to Inverness!
