a royal parliamentary and municipal borough of Scotland, the chief town of Inverness-shire as well as of the North Highlands, is situated on both sides of the River Ness, about half a mile above its mouth in the Moray Frith. It is a town of great antiquity, but the exact date of its origin is unknown. It is known to have been one of the Pictish capitals, and to have been early incorporated as a free town. There are on record four charters granted in its favour by William the Lion. In 1411 it was burned by Donald, Lord of the Isles, on his march to the battle of Harlaw. On an eminence to the S.E. of the town stood an ancient castle, in which Macbeth is said to have murdered Duncan. This fortress was razed to the ground by Malcolm Canmore, who erected another on an eminence overhanging the town on the south. This latter edifice continued a royal fortress till 1746, when it was blown up by the troops of the Pretender, and not a vestige of it now remains. The site is occupied by a handsome castellated building erected in 1835, and comprising the courthouse, county buildings, and jail. The ancient and principal part of the town is on the right bank of the river; but since the construction of the Caledonian Canal it has been extending chiefly on the opposite bank. The two banks are united by an iron suspension bridge, finished in 1855, and supplying the place of a fine stone bridge of seven arches, erected in 1685, but which was swept away by the great flood of 1849. In the centre of the town is the town-hall, erected in 1708, in front of which is the ancient cross and a large round pile of stones, held together with hoops, called Clach-na-cudain, or "Stone of the tubs," from having served as a resting place for women in carrying water from the river. It is reckoned the palladium of the town, and is said to have been carefully preserved after the town was burned by Donald of the Isles. In 1826 gas was introduced, and, 4 years later, water was distributed through the streets by means of pipes from the river. In 1831 the streets were paved anew with granite, and common sewers made, at a cost of about £6000. The spire of the old jail is admired for its fine proportions. At the northern extremity of the town Cromwell erected a fort capable of accommodating 1000 men, but this was demolished at the Restoration, though a considerable part of the ramparts still remains. In 1851 there were 12 places of worship in the burgh, of which 3 belonged to the Establishment, 3 to the Free Church, 2 to United Presbyterians, and 1 each to Episcopalians, Independents, Baptists, Wesleyan Methodists, and Roman Catholics; total number of sittings, 10,706. The Royal Academy is a very flourishing institution, incorporated by charter in 1792, and endowed with funds to the amount of upwards of £40,000, the greater part (£25,000) of which was left in 1803 by Captain W. Macintosh, for the education of boys of certain families of that name. There is also a public Inverness-shire.

Seminary endowed, on the Madras system, from a bequest of £10,000, made by the late Dr Andrew Bell. Inverness manufactures almost nothing except a little linen, but carries on a considerable trade with Aberdeen, Leith, and London, on the E. coast, and with Glasgow, Liverpool, and Ireland, by means of the Caledonian Canal. The number and tonnage of vessels registered at the port on 31st December 1855 were—under 50 tons, sailing vessels 154, tonnage 3651; steam 1, tonnage 19; above 50 tons, sailing vessels 87, tonnage 7,276; steam 2, tonnage 535. The vessels that entered and cleared coastwise during 1855 were—sailing vessels, inwards 1858, tonnage 99,095; outwards 1813, tonnage 87,232; steam vessels, inwards 384, tonnage 55,348; outwards 385, tonnage 52,394. Colonial trade, sailing vessels, inwards 3, tonnage 549; outwards 1, tonnage 183. Foreign trade, sailing vessels, inwards 16, tonnage 2620; outwards 43, tonnage 3643. The burgh is governed by a provost, 4 bailies, and 21 councillors; and unites with Forres, Fortrose, and Nairn, in returning a member to parliament. Pop. of municipal burgh (1851), 9969; of parliamentary burgh, 12,793.