House sitting London guide – how to: house and pet sitting

House sitting London guide – how to: house and pet sitting

As I write, I’m house sitting in London. I’m in the loveliest of places we could never afford in the north of the city. A few minutes up the road is Alexandra Palace!

I’m gazing upon the prettiest of gardens that you’d not imagine to be in central London. Rain is coming down hard outside, and all is quiet. Well, except for Alexa pumping out choice House tunes, perfect for a Friday after lunch.

There’s a sleeping dog next to me. His name is Blue, and he’s a short-haired lurcher. Blue’s family are on the other side of the country for a special wedding, and chose us for their London house and dog sit this weekend.

 

House sitting London: how did we get here?

Let’s rewind to the beginning of the year for a bit of context. Cooper and I decided to pursue a different direction which you’ll be reading a lot about from August 2019. Some hints were given on the blog when we started posting about digital nomad tips and tricks.

In fact, we are taking off on an epic nomad, dog-loving adventure – house and pet sitting across the UK and Europe while we work on this blog and other freelance projects.

 

 


We joined TrustedHousesitters, which requires its users to have reviews based on things like reliability and trustworthiness. (We’ll share more about these house sitting services in future posts.)

In order to increase our reviews before we travel long-term, we chose to apply for house sitting London gigs.

we love travel and dogs that why dog sitting is perfect for us

 

House sitting in London (that is, locally to where we live), meant we could:

  1. improve our rating on the house sitting service for London and beyond, and increase our chances of being chosen for sits
  2. gain more house sitting experience that we can take on the road
  3. spend time with dogs (most importantly!)

In March our house sitting London journey began. I meant to write more about it because it’s not so much the places we stay that’s appealing, but the dogs we meet. Time has escaped me up until now. Still, better late than never

 

Dog sitting: the best part about house sitting!

We chose to embark upon this new style of travel, starting with our house sitting London experience, because it is certainly a cost-effective way of securing accommodation.

But the bonus for us – if not the driving motivator – is the fact we get to spend time with dogs I say to people that we’re turning from ‘crazy dog people’ into ‘craziER dog people’. We’re totally going to own it.

For dog-lovers, this lifestyle is the ultimate, especially if you’re not in a position to have a dog yourself, and you’re keen to travel as we are.

House and dog sitting has given us the chance to experience different types of dogs and their personalities.

 

For the love of dogs

Our first dog sit

Our ‘first’ were Polly and Darcy, two cheeky Westies. Darcy is an old soul and a gentleman of 11 years young. Polly is two years old, and the ring-leader in all things barking and chasing. Gosh we loved them. We’re heading back for a second sit for these little pooches soon which is pawesome.

This pair have such funny characteristics – one being the race out to the backyard every couple of hours to ‘check for a fox’ (that was there once). Polly will rouse Darcy from slumber to pursue this task, and next thing their little paws are racing along the wooden floor boards and the dance at the back door begins until Cooper or I let them outside.

They were great off the lead at the parklands up the road, and showed me that most dogs are happy to come back even if they’re not yours!

During TV time, we were surprised to learn the lengths of their affection, as Darcy jumped up onto the sofa and then up again onto the back of it, to sit leaning into our shoulders. Polly would make herself comfortable between Cooper and I on the couch. One big happy (temporary) family.

It was sad to leave them, if I’m honest.

Catering to unique needs

But then came George and Milly. Yes, we fell in love with these two as well, but for different reasons. George is an old soul who certainly still loves adventures but his back legs have had enough and so Cooper learnt to walk George on a harness. We’d take he and his younger adopted mate, Milly, over to beautiful Hampstead Heath for a walk around the path that they’re familiar with. People would stop to make way for George, and the dog-lovers would give us a smile as if to say, ‘how lovely, bless his little cottons socks’.

Milly had a tough time when she was a baby, being mistreated by her original owners. Don’t get us started. She won the lottery with the mums she ended up with though, two inspiring women who it was an absolute privilege to meet!

This sit helped us grow as dog carers. When Milly and George’s parents left for their travels, there was an hour or two where we needed to get acquainted. Usually we’d take a dog on a walk to help them settle with us as new humans in their space. I was on my own for the first few hours of this sit and couldn’t walk George. It was Milly, George and me, sussing each other out. Milly seemed a little anxious without her mums, and I was a bit anxious worrying that the dogs seemed worried.

Cooper arrived though, we went on an adventure to the park, had some food and everyone settled. By the end of this weekend sit, we got an understanding of George’s barks and sounds telling us what he wanted. Milly would demand to be massaged on her head by pawing our legs and insisting we ‘continue’. How amazing to communicate with dogs like this.

getting to know dogs is a bonus of housesitting and pet sitting

 

Anxiety, walks and weather

Now I’m with Blue, waiting for Cooper to get in from his day at work. Blue was super happy to welcome me into his home. However, about an hour into the sit, he disappeared. I thought I’d lost him! He was hiding in the laundry room in the dark.

Fortunately I figured out it wasn’t due to me, but rather, his mum had said he is fearful of storms. There was one overhead, so we waited it out together. Blue isn’t fond of rain, or the heat, but I discovered Blue likes hugs and treats, which will do us until things are better outside and we can find adventure together.

He also likes sleeping. And he’s been doing just that while I write this piece.

Five dogs in, and I’m in love with each one – all with their different sizes, quirks, personalities, sounds, interests, affectionate traits and backgrounds.

 

 

House sitting – what’s next?

In mid-August we’re heading off on our own adventure, and we’re going to share it with you here! We’ve been asked by so many people how we got into house sitting – it seems like something you’d only see in a movie. We’re going to test it out though, and share everything with you, so you can do it too.

Crouch End is where we're hanging out for this house sitting this weekend

 

This lifestyle is ideal for us right now because we:

  • Love dogs
  • Want to travel and see new places and don’t really mind where we end up
  • Intend to work on our digital business so we just need to be somewhere there’s good WiFi
  • Enjoy meeting new people, learning new stories and cultures, and this seems like a perfect opportunity to do all that!

We hope you’ll join us for more stories as the months go by. If you’re interested to find out more about how to travel the world house-sitting, drop us a line in the comments. 

As mentioned, Cooper and I have signed up to TrustedHousesitters – click the link if you’d like to know more or join the service too!

 

Point A Hotel Liverpool Street (and things to do nearby)

Point A Hotel Liverpool Street (and things to do nearby)

A few weeks back, we received an invite from Point A Hotel Liverpool Street, asking if we’d like to take a look around the newly refurbished premises. After having the chance to stay at Point A Hotel Shoreditch we jumped at the opportunity. There’s nothing like a London staycation, after all!

The thing we genuinely like about the two Point A Hotels in London that we’ve seen: the brand has reinvented what compact is. It’s easier than you might think to get totally ripped off by hotels in London – you’ll pay a fortune thinking you have somewhere nice reserved, only to find it’s run-down, uncomfortable and dowdy.

Our experience with Point A Hotels in London is that they make great use of space, opt for stylish tech and comfy beds.

Point A Hotel Liverpool Street

Best things about Point A Hotel Liverpool Street

Point A Hotel Liverpool Street was one of the original hotels in the network. We experienced the totally refurbished version, and we’re thoroughly impressed! Point a Hotel Liverpool Street is about 5 to 7 minutes walk from the station. It’s just two minutes’ from Spitalfields, which has everything you could need for a stay in central London.

Outside of its very convenient location, there’s a spacious outdoor area that you can enjoy if the sun is out. Inside you’ll find a comfortable lounge / chill out space that is also where breakfast is served.

Like its sister property in Shoreditch, the rooms are compact but cleverly designed so that you feel like you’re in a cosy nook. There’s plenty of clever hiding space for luggage too. Topped off by fun mood lighting, black-out curtains and 43-inch Samsung Smart TV, you’ve got everything you need for a total getaway.

Find out more about Point A Liverpool Street Hotel’s refurb here.

 

 

Top 4 things to do near Liverpool Street

Old Spitalfields market

This east London hot-spot has seen market activity for over 350 years! Now, Spitalfields is a covered market, brimming with lovely eateries, lively places to have a beer and shops to browse. It’s definitely one of the best things to do near Liverpool Street, and it’s just a couple of minutes’ walk from this London Point A Hotel. There’s over 50 shops and stalls at Spitalfields.
What we like about the place is that the restaurants and bars are big. Plenty of space means a place to sit down. I even managed to get some work done so would add it to our list of fave London digital nomad working spots.

 

 

Salesforce Tower and Sushi Samba

Locals know this secret well. For one of the very best things to do near Liverpool Street, and a FREE view of London, head to Salesforce Tower (formerly Heron Tower). The glass lift is swift. That is, in less than 30 seconds you’ll be 39 floors high! The view is spectacular though.
It’s easy to pop into Sushi Samba for a drink on their outdoor deck. You’ll need a reservation to eat there though, or at the dining alternative at the top, The Duck and Waffle. The Drift is on the ground level, also another lovely venue.
Be mindful here, you’ll possibly need dress shoes to enter the building, but outside that, you can enjoy a fun free experience, just a short walk across the road from Liverpool Street.

 

Broadgate

Described as ‘a 32-acre central London neighbourhood’, Broadgate is the brand new precinct opened next to Liverpool Street station. We wandered through earlier this year just as it was opened. It’s built in a circle type shape, with beautiful restaurants and Instagrammable boutiques throughout.
This spot has everything from pubs to high-end sushi, beautiful meeting spots and table tennis. Read more here.

 

Bishopsgate road

Finally, if you’re after a bite to eat or a quick drink, there’s plenty of options along Bishopsgate road. This is the main road in front of Liverpool Street train station. Most of our high street eateries are here, including Wasabi, All Bar One, Dirty Martini… You won’t go hungry or thirsty in this part of London.
And when you’re done, head back to Point A for a dreamy sleep.

 

Point A Hotels are situated across the nation, so ideal for a value for money UK staycation escape. We were sponsored for this stay but the review is our own.



5 things to know about a Buckingham Palace garden party

5 things to know about a Buckingham Palace garden party

Following a surprise Royal garden party invitation to an event we attended this past week, here’s what it’s like at a Buckingham Palace garden party…

If you’re invited, you’ll need to know:

Buckingham Palace garden party need to know

  1. When to arrive at the Queen’s garden party
  2. What to bring to a Buckingham Palace garden party
  3. What to wear to the Royal garden party
  4. What to eat for afternoon tea
  5. How to greet the Queen, the royals and make friends

 

 

We were so fortunate to get to attend the Queen’s Buckingham Palace garden party in May 2019. Thanks for all your kind messages on the blog and on Twitter. It’s a special privilege to be invited. We certainly had a lovely afternoon.

We were blessed with probably the best day of the year – sunshine and warm. No jacket or umbrellas required! But there’s preparatory work we’d recommend if you find yourself with a ticket to a Royal garden party.

 

When to arrive at the Queen’s garden party

We turned up at the time the ticket said the gates opened. That’s fine and we were inside the Buckingham Palace garden party within an hour, in time to see the Queen arrive.

However, getting there a bit early to be at the front of the entry line would have meant more time inside Buckingham Palace without the crowds.

The benefit of going in earlier might also mean getting in first for the food. Additionally, you may have a better chance to stand at the front of the line to see the Royal family when they emerge. I can’t guarantee you’ll meet them – that seems to be ‘pre-arranged’ – but a front row seat is always worth a shot.

So, if I had the chance at a Buckingham Palace garden party again, I’d be at the gate well before entry time.

 

What to bring to a Buckingham Palace garden party

There’s strict information on the ticket about what you can and can’t bring. It’s indicated that you can’t bring big cameras. I took this to mean DSLRs.

Phones are perfectly acceptable. Some people had smaller DSLR cameras though, including ones with zoom. Helpful if you want a close-up of the Royals or celebs (in a non-stalkery way, of course).

We have a camera that would have passed muster, but our phones were fine for photos.

In the event of rain at a Royal garden party, I’d advise taking as little as possible. I’m not sure there’s much cover except in the food tents which would get very crowded if the weather was bad. Apparently you can take umbrellas if you get unlucky with the English weather.

You’re on your feet for a good few hours, so avoid unnecessary jackets and extra items to carry around. It’s just easier that way.

 

What to wear to the Royal garden party (and ladies, tips on shoes)

Everyone is dressed up. A Buckingham Palace garden party is one occasion to plan for and go all out. We did, and I’m pleased we put some thought into it.

Plan for different types of weather – light jacket if it’s likely to be cold.

Hats and fascinators are the way to go. I had the chance to borrow a fabulous fascinator which had actually been to a Buckingham Palace garden party previously!

Shoes need special consideration, ladies. You need style and comfort. The grass can be squishy or wet. You’re on your feet for a long time too, both standing in the main garden party area and wandering around Buckingham Palace’s grounds. I wore mid block heels which were fine for a few hours, but started to cut near the end. I hadn’t taken flats for my commute home – definitely would if I had my time over.

Here’s a behind the scenes guide at what to wear!

View: behind the scenes – click ‘read more’ or the arrow top right to look at our photo story:

Queen's Garden Party

 

What to eat for afternoon tea

Everything!

There’s plenty of food – sandwiches, sweets, tea, iced coffee.

The lines at the beginning can be long so wait a while until it calms down. You won’t miss out. Our invitation read a little like the food starts to run out after about an hour. It certainly didn’t appear that way to us.

You can go back for seconds too (just ask Cooper). Don’t feel like you need to pile your plate so high you risk spillage. That would be embarrassing

Queens Garden Party 2019 Kate and William

 

How to greet the Queen, the royals and make friends

Get lucky enough to shake hands with the Queen? Start with  ‘Your Majesty’, and subsequently ‘Ma’am’. Royal.uk offers a helpful guide on how to greet other members of the Royal family. Read more here

If you happen to speak to any of the royal family, stay away from personal questions.

We would have had a chat about how the Corgis must have loved playing around the palace grounds!

Of course, there’s thousands of others at the Queen’s garden party at Buckingham Palace. It’s easy to strike up a conversation with another interesting character who has received an invite. Start by asking if you can take a photo for someone, or accept their offer, and go from there. Don’t be shy – everyone’s in a happy frame of mind so you’re likely to make a new friend in the process.

Do you have other tips to share, or questions? Perhaps you have been to a Royal garden party at Buckingham Palace also? Drop us a line in the comments…

 

Staycation London – hotel review, Shoreditch

Staycation London – hotel review, Shoreditch

 

A couple of weeks ago we received some interesting survey results via Point A Hotels about ‘staycation London’ ideas and why 2019 is likely to be the year of the UK staycation. It all immediately resonated with me.

 

Like many others, Cooper and I have indeed adjusted travel plans because of apprehension over Brexit.

 

We’ve paid money for fast-track to get in and out of airports amid anticipated chaos; we have 2019 staycation London dates pencilled in the diary, and are considering more local UK travel (rather than heading to Europe).

staycation London Point A Shoreditch

 

Staycation London: value for money and a fun city break

The aforementioned survey results reflect our feelings about not letting Brexit stop us from travelling. But rather, we’re encouraged to reconsider our options, which is fine because we have strategies for exploring our own backyard!

So let me ask you a question. If you can’t jump on a plane to go on an adventure, what is it that you want to do on a Friday after a loooong week at work?

I suspect I’m not alone in wanting to grab a drink, put my feet up and chill out in comfort.

According to Point A’s survey, 76% of us also want to enjoy a fun city break. Admittedly, Cooper and I are beat by the weekend, so we miss out on all the cool London experiences we might take advantage of if we were in the thick of the action (read: little effort required).

Point A Hotels put us to the staycation London challenge by giving us a chance to experience their Shoreditch property last Friday night. As it turns out, it was right up our street.

The Shoreditch Point A Hotel is as cool as its neighbourhood. It’s situated just a short walk from Shoreditch High Street or Liverpool Street stations, so about as convenient as it gets.

staycation London Point A Shoreditch common area

 

Point A Shoreditch – the London staycation offering

I arrived a little earlier than Cooper so checked-in, eager to have a look around at our staycation London digs. My check-in experience was terrific. The staff were all lovely and offered helpful advice on what to do in the area and how to take advantage of the discounts associated with the hotel.

Zooming up to level 6, I noticed that the hotel’s tech seemed to be sleek and smooth – from the lighting to the elevator and automated options on the room doors, everything feels fresh and contemporary.

We like fresh and contemporary!

Our room, while compact, continued to impress throughout the stay. From the SMART TV to the [very] comfy bed, lighting options and importantly clear instructions on how to adjust heat, cold, brightness – everything felt nice and easy. Imperative for a short staycation.

staycation London Point A Shoreditch tv

 

To be honest, most London accommodation – even the expensive stuff – is small. We’ve stayed in rooms that were old and cramped yet still ridiculously over-priced. This we feel, is great value for money, and the design of the room made it feel bigger than it probably was.

Our room was compact, yet super stylish and offered clever storage options.

 

I really liked the offering on the television menu too – a digestible guide to the local area including bars, restaurants, shopping, attractions, coffee, culture and clubs. This helped us to not have to think too much about what to do or where to go.

Shoreditch is easy to walk around and explore. We’d forgotten how fun it is. We may have had a bit too much fun, if I’m honest, but that’s what a staycation in London is for, right?

Point A also offers a bundle of discounts and freebies to take advantage of during your London staycation, including local food and drink deals, and sometimes gym passes.

I’m not going to lie, there’s no way I was going to the gym. Not. A. Chance. It’s my staycation London time – to be treasured. Where’s the bar?

Point A Shoreditch room

 

Staycation summary

We sum up our stay at Point A Hotel Shoreditch as being stylish, convenient, comfortable and contemporary. Cooper and I were both very impressed at the effort put in to bring the latest tech and style into the space.

We enjoyed the perfect Friday night and short stay in London – with a glass (maybe more) of wine, snuggly and chic place to chill out in, and a pampering offering far better than what we have on offer at home (sorry, Cooper :). Oh, and to top things off, the breakfast (a mix of healthy and naughty) was delicious too.

 

Point A Hotels are situated across the nation, so ideal for a value for money UK staycation escape. We were sponsored for this stay but the review is our own.



Royal garden party invitation to Buckingham Palace!

Royal garden party invitation to Buckingham Palace!

Things can happen unexpectedly. Little miracles, if you will – and that’s what I spotted this week when entirely out of the blue, I received an email inviting me to a Royal garden party in London in May! The Queen’s Garden Party, no less. I squealed (fortunately not aloud), and ran over to my colleague’s office from where the email had come.

‘Are you kidding, can I go to a Royal garden party?’ I squealed (this time).

Can you go?’ She smiled, ‘Are you free on the 21st?’

‘I’ll be free for the Queen, yup, absolutely!!!’

The Queen’s Garden party – are you kidding? I’m not going to pretend I don’t care about this – I love the Royals. We’ve been in London for the excitement that was William and Kate’s wedding and Harry and Meghan’s. We even covered that 2018 event for radio in Australia. It was divine!

A Royal garden party invitation - hosted by the Queen at Buckingham Palace. Copyright royal.com

Image courtesy royal.com

 

Royal Garden parties

Every year the Queen hosts three parties at Buckingham Palace and one in Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh. These events are designed to recognise and reward public service.

Another truth, I’m a fan of Royal dramas – everything from The White Princess to The Tudors, Victoria and The Crown – count me in!

I’d spotted that Queen Victoria initiated a ‘breakfast’ (although also held in the afternoon, akin to the contemporary Royal garden party) in an effort to get more in touch with her people. Up until then as I understand it, most Royals kept themselves at quite a distance from, well, the rest of us.

With the world rapidly changing in the Victorian era (mid to late 1800s), the demand for our royalty to be more in touch with everyday life increased. And so the mingling began.

Events with the public have changed shape over the years though, and Queen Elizabeth’s summer garden parties as we know them today at Buckingham Palace have run since just after the second World War.

 

What to expect at a Royal Garden Party

Lots of people (thousands – like a very elegant festival!).

And a Royal garden party serves up loads of food. Think 27,000 cups of tea, 20,000 sandwiches and 20,000 slices of cake. Included on the menu are many of the Queen’s favourite treats.

There’s royalty too. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh accompanied by other members of the Royal family speak to a range of people throughout the afternoon.

The dress code is strict – women wear a day dress and hat or fascinator and men wear a lounge suit (or ‘morning dress’).

There’s a nice Royal garden party round-up on the Royals’ webpage.

 

How to get on the invite list to a Royal or special event in London

While the Queen’s Garden Party is invite only and I was lucky to be randomly selected through work (I had no idea it was even possible to go to something like this!), I’ve discovered there are ways you can apply to try and get yourself on the guest list.

As we did for the beautiful Anzac Day memorial service in London (VERY special if you get the chance and are from Australia or New Zealand), you can apply to attend the Queen’s Garden Party via the Australian High Commission.

Do a quick Google for the authority that relates to you to see if there are any ties that give you the chance to apply in advance for an event like a Royal Garden Party with the Queen in summer at Buckingham Palace.

Be mindful of making the best of your opportunity though. I believe that you can only receive one invitation and/or only attend once. With demand being so high for such a special occasion, frequent chances to go along simply do not exist.

If you can’t make a Royal garden party though, you can tour Buckingham Palace. It’s usually open in the summer, and you can find out more by searching for it on Visit London’s website, among other sources.

We’ll report back in May on the event. Wish me luck … that I don’t trip over my feet or my words

 

Update following the Garden Party

We had a wonderful time! View: video, photos and the 5 things to know about a Buckingham Palace garden party. We were also featured on Business Insider following the experience

Royal garden party at Buckingham Palace featured image via Royal.uk










Top things to do in Inverness

Top things to do in Inverness

My brother and I recently popped up to Scotland for a couple of days away from London. On this trip, we discovered some excellent things to do in Inverness, the capital of the Scottish Highlands.

While I am absolutely a seeker of Nessie (the Loch Ness Monster) and all good things that are the Highlands. Especially exquisite landscapes and interesting history. It hadn’t even occurred to me that we could get to Inverness so easily.

Yet, just one hour’s flight from London, you can find yourself amongst the fresh air and friendly people of Inverness. 

There's plenty of things to do in Inverness - just wander and explore the city

Things to do in Inverness

Exploring Inverness

The city of Inverness is quite small and easy to get around on foot.

There’s plenty of things to do and see in Inverness. We started with a walk through town to get our bearings. Inverness is well signed, so you can easily find your way around. We explored the older areas and Victorian market, down to the shopping pedestrian high street area. The visitor information centre staff are friendly and helpful.

From Inverness’ shopping strip, you can wander up to Inverness Castle, and then down the hill toward the Ness River. We stopped to explore beautiful churches, Inverness castle and take photos from the pretty bridges that link both sides of the city.

Things to do in Inverness: visit historical Inverness Castle

 

Exploring the area

Inverness is a tourist hub with numerous tours on offer that you can pre-book or sort when you’re there. I’d suggest you head as far out as Skye or back down to Edinburgh or Glasgow.

While in the city we stayed on foot which was fine.

Our two day itinerary was carefully considered so that we could take in a taste of Inverness without exerting ourselves.

Things to do in Inverness - go exploring on foot either side of the River Ness

 

Urquhart Castle ruins and Loch Ness

A visit to a castle is a must, and the ruins of Urquhart Castle area easily accessible by car or coach.

For about £10 you can take a coach from Inverness’ bus station (the transport centre is near/behind the train station). It’s half an hour along the shores of Loch Ness, to Urquhart Castle.

This medieval castle’s ruins date from the 13th to the 16th centuries. It’s set on the shores of the loch and a fabulous experience.

You can also reach and view the castle by taking a cruise on Loch Ness, which again, you can arrange when you’re in Inverness.

Things to do in Inverness - Urquhart Castle ruins are a highlight on the banks of Loch Ness

En-route to Urquhart you pass the Loch Ness Centre and Exhibition, which will fulfil all your Nessie needs. Keen to find out more about the story behind the folklore and buy souvenirs here.

You can also wander underneath the store and the road to the banks of the loch for more beautiful photo opportunities.

We did this trip in an afternoon and I’d highly recommend the experience as part of your ‘things to do in Inverness’ list. Just be organised with when the coach is due to return. They only run every hour or so. 

Things to do in Inverness - you can't miss famous Loch Ness

 

Culloden and Clava Cairns

For a true slice of Scottish history as well as some unbeatable landscape view. Get out of the town about half an hour to the Culloden Battlefield and visitor centre.

Culloden Battlefield is the site of the 1746 Jacobite Rising that came to a brutal head in one of the most harrowing battles in the history of this region.

There is an immersive cinema experience as well as café and rest spot. Of course you can respectfully visit the site yourself.

Things to do in Inverness – the ancient ruins of Clava Cairns

When we were heading out this way we got to chatting to a local on the bus, and she told us about an incredible ancient site called Clava Cairns.

As a fan of the series Outlander, I was actually aware of the site and to discover it was so accessible (with a little adventure along the way), we decided to go and explore.

Read about our adventure to Clava Cairns

Bus no. 5 gets you to Culloden Battlefield’s visitor centre, from where you can walk to Clava Cairns. The return trip was about £5.

Be mindful not to get other buses that say they are going to Culloden, as they are going to the residential area, not the destination intended if you’re seeking the experience outlined above.

This experience is well worth it. The weather can change though so be prepared. It’s the best part of a day trip from Inverness, but still close to town which is very handy.

Things to do in Inverness – the ancient ruins of Clava Cairns, inspiration for the books and tv series Outlander

 

Eat and drink in Inverness

I’d recommend trying a Scottish whiskey at a pub around town – there’s plenty to choose from.

Our favourite pub is The Castle Tavern, which is positioned just above Inverness Castle, and has a delicious menu, nice drinks including local options, and a cool view across the city.

Things to do in Inverness - wander along Ness River

 

Getting around

We found transport in Inverness easy and reliable. While you do need to be prepared ahead of time and know when your bus to the airport is due, for example, we found it all ran efficiently to time.

Buses to and from the airport run every half an hour or an hour at quieter times, at just over £4 each way (2018).

There’s plenty of other ferry and bus or coach options that will help you discover things to do in Inverness and on the town’s outskirts. You can find out more by dropping into the train station, bus station or the visitor information centre in the middle of the mall in town.

You’ll also find many tours that will take you around the region and up to Skye, ranging from periods of one day to three or four – these can be booked in advance online, or ask for more information in the tourist information centre.

And if you’re an Outlander fan like me, there are indeed a number of tours that will show you around famous filming sites.