Inverness was the capital of the Picts (Pict) under King Brude, who was visited and converted by St. Columba (Columba, Saint) about 565. By the 12th century Inverness had become a burgh nestling under the castle attributed to King Malcolm III (Malcolm III Canmore) (Malcolm Canmore), which remained a royal residence and fortress for centuries. The present 19th-century castle, on the site of a fortress destroyed in 1746 by the Jacobites (Jacobite), overlooks the river and houses law courts. The few old surviving buildings include the old Town Cross (1685), the Town Steeple (formerly a prison), the old High Church (1769–72), and St. Andrew's Cathedral (1866–71).

Inverness is the commercial, educational, and tourist centre of a large area and has light engineering, woolen, and food-processing industries. Both manufacturing and services have expanding to meet the needs of the offshore oil industry. Inverness Airport—at Dalcross, 8 miles (13 km) northeast—provides service to domestic destinations. Pop. (2004 est.) 40,880.