Northern Highlands
Walks Near Inverness
53 hills within 50km — 12 Munros, 16 Corbetts, 25 Grahams. Sorted by straight-line distance.
Inverness is the capital of the Highlands and a base for walks across the northern and eastern Highlands. Ben Wyvis rises to the north-west, the northern Cairngorms lie south via the A9, and Glen Affric is within day-trip range. The city sits where the Great Glen, Strathspey and the northern glens meet, which gives a wide choice of hill terrain.
ScotRail trains run to Inverness from Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen. Local buses serve the Black Isle and the Beauly Firth. The A9 south gives access to Aviemore and the Cairngorms. A car is needed for most hill walks — Glen Affric, Torridon and the northern hills have little or no useful public transport. Inverness Airport has flights to London.
Top walks near Inverness
Meall Fuar-mhonaidh (Glen Urquhart)
An underrated Graham (698m) above Loch Ness with excellent views of the Great Glen, climbed from Bunloit. Good path, moderate ascent — a rewarding Inverness day walk.
31km from Inverness, straight line
Cairngorm from Aviemore
South on the A9 to Aviemore, then up to the Coire Cas car park. Cairn Gorm's summit (1,245m) is then about 6.5km return with about 625m of ascent — outstanding plateau walking.
51km from Inverness, straight line
When to go
Inverness is drier than the west coast but cold in winter. The northern Cairngorms can hold good snow cover December–March, making them good for experienced winter hillwalkers. The northern hills (Torridon, Affric) are at their best May–June and September. Midges are significant June–August throughout the region — plan accordingly. Glen Affric is outstanding in autumn (October–November) with Caledonian pine colour.
Munros, Corbetts, Grahams and Donalds within 50km of Inverness
Distance is straight-line (as the crow flies) from the centre of Inverness — not drive or walk distance. Radius: 50km. Marilyns are not included in this list; a hill on two lists appears once. Top-walk distances above are measured the same way, to the summit, car park or spot each card links to.
Current conditions near Inverness
Daylight Today
- Sunrise
- 07:26
- Sunset
- 16:35
- Civil dawn
- 06:45
- Civil dusk
- 17:16
NOAA Solar Calculator · 31 October 2026
Frequently asked questions
- What is the nearest Munro to Inverness?
- Ben Wyvis (Glas Leathad Mòr, 1,046m) is the nearest, about 31km north-west of the city in a straight line, climbed from the Garbat car park on the A835. The Glen Affric Munros, Carn Eighe (1,183m) and Mam Sodhail among them, lie further west, and the northern Cairngorms are south via Aviemore.
- Can I walk in Glen Affric from Inverness without a car?
- Not practically. Local buses run to Cannich, the nearest village — check Traveline Scotland for times — but no bus goes on to Dog Falls or the main Glen Affric car parks. A car is the most practical option for Glen Affric.
- What are the best walks near Inverness that don't require a car?
- The Great Glen Way long-distance route starts at Inverness and follows the canal and loch-side paths south-west. The Ness Islands riverside walk in Inverness itself is a pleasant local option.
- Is it worth hiring a car in Inverness for hillwalking?
- For most hill days, yes — car hire dramatically expands your options. From Inverness with a car you can reach Torridon, Glen Affric, the Cairngorms, Ben Wyvis and dozens of northern Munros that are otherwise very hard to get to.
Eat, drink and stay in Inverness
The SCOT network covering the same town — travel context, food and drink, and non-hill alternatives.
Inverness
Highland capital — gateway to Cairngorms, Affric, Far North
tripscot.co.uk
On TasteSCOTNearby distillery: Glen Ord
Muir of Ord — Black Isle distillery; the Singleton range's Highland anchor
15km from Inverness
tastescot.co.uk
On Birdie BraeInverness while they golf
Highland capital — Culloden, Cawdor Castle, Black Isle dolphin watching
birdiebrae.co.uk
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