Inverness

Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands in the north of Scotland. Long regarded as the de facto capital of the Scottish Highlands, it is the administrative centre for The Highland Council region whose headquarters are located close to the city centre. A regional hub for healthcare, education and research, business and economic services, public administration, culture, music and entertainment, media, communications, transport and leisure, the city provides a range of services for the wider Highlands and Islands Region, a large hinterland encompassing a population of around half a million people and an area of some 39,911 km² or 51% of Scotland's total landmass. Inverness previously served as the county town of the county of Inverness-shire before becoming the headquarters of the larger Highland Council region. With human settlement dating back to circa 7000 BC and permanent human settlement established by 5,800 BC the city has remained a strategically important location since antiquity and has periodically experienced armed conflict. Today, Inverness lies near two important battle sites: the 11th-century battle of Blàr nam Fèinne against Norway which took place on the Aird and the 18th century Battle of Culloden which took place on Culloden Moor, the last pitched battle fought in the United Kingdom. Lying within the Great Glen (An Gleann Mòr) at its northern extremity, the city's River Ness flows from Loch Ness via Loch Dochfour before it empties into the Moray Firth where the historic Beauly Firth and Inverness Firth met at the Kessock Crossing. The northernmost city in the United Kingdom, it was granted city status in the year 2000 as a Millennium City, having become more prominent in its economic and population growth throughout the preceding decade. Following the early settlement of Inverness, the city became an established self-governing settlement by the 6th century with...