Inverness: don't just pass through

Fancy a touch of medieval romance? Head to Inverness, the capital of the Scottish Highlands. The landscapes evoke the image of gentle countryside, but they are rich in history, and its hills are home to the kingdom of whisky. A report by Françoise Marissal.

Inverness . Fans of the film Titanic are obliged to take the train to reach the Royal Highland Hotel right next to the station: its magnificent staircase is said to have inspired the one in James Cameron's film. You almost expect to see Rose descending the steps to join Jack.

Turrets, corbels and chimeric sculptures: the city is full of buildings typical of the medieval romanticism of the Victorian era.

Inverness Castle, perched atop its hill overlooking the city, is the most iconic example. Built in 1836 on the site of a former fortress, which served successively as a courthouse and then a prison, it has recently been converted into a museum. Between sensory installations and digital experiences, a visit is a fascinating immersion into the history, culture, and legends of the Highlands. A tour with a Seanchaidh (a storyteller in Gaelic) offers the opportunity to discover the tales for which the Highlands are so rich.

If the weather is fine, a visit to the Isles of Ness is a must. Victorian footbridges lead to this lovely green haven along the river, home to salmon, otters, birds of prey, and deer. And why not take a cruise to see the dolphins and seals that inhabit the Moray Firth?

If it were to rain, don't panic, because you mustn't miss Leakey 's bookshop , the second largest second-hand bookshop in Scotland.

This former Gaelic church houses shelves overflowing with tens of thousands of books around a fireplace and the old pulpit where the bookseller once sat. It's a magical, timeless place.
An atmosphere reminiscent of Flourish and Blotts, the bookshop from Harry Potter.

Culloden . It is impossible to understand the often tragic history of Scotland without visiting Culloden.

It was here that the Scottish Jacobites' dreams of restoring the Stuart throne were shattered by English troops. On April 16, 1746, clan members, swords in hand, were decimated by the guns and cannons of the English army. In less than an hour, some 1,500 men were killed, including over 1,000 Jacobites. Highland customs were outlawed by England, and their culture was erased for decades.

Even today, the name Culloden remains etched in the memory of every Scot…. The Highlander series masterfully recounts this painful episode.

Castle . Scotland rhymes with castle, like  Brodie Castle.  Their lineage dates back to the 12th or 13th centuries and the oldest parts of the castle date from 1567.

Between the guardroom, the reception rooms, the impressive library, the woodwork, and the works of art, the castle is exceptionally rich. Its 71 hectares of grounds invite wonderful walks.

There are plenty of anecdotes, from the heir who squanders the family fortune, to the one who finds love on a ship bound for India, and the last of the Brodies, who was an actor before World War II.

Cardhu . For whisky lovers, the name Speyside is legendary; it is home to the most renowned distilleries in Scotland, such as Cardhu,  which  has the distinction of having experienced its rise thanks to two women, Helen Cummings and then her daughter-in-law Elizabeth, in the 20th century.