Inverness
Inverness is a city in northern Scotland. The city is
the administrative centre for the Highland council area,
and it is promoted as the capital of the Highlands of
Scotland. Inverness is unusual, however, in that although
there are letters patent, dating from 2001 and now held
in Inverness Museum and Art Gallery, the city has no
statutory boundaries. According to Telegraph.co.uk 3
February 2008, Inverness is Europe's fastest growing
city and is ranked fifth out of 189 British cities for
its quality of life.
The
city lies where the River Ness enters the Moray Firth
and is a natural hub for various transport links. A
settlement was established by sixth century AD, the
first royal charter being granted in the thirteenth
century. It lies near the site of the eighteenth century
Battle of Culloden.
Because
Inverness has no statutory boundaries, population figures
vary from about 40,900 to about 66,600, depending on
what boundaries are used. Inverness is twinned with
three other European cities. The city is home to numerous
sporting and cultural groups and events, including the
annual Highland Games and football club Inverness Caledonian
Thistle F.C., who play in the Scottish Premier League
as well as Clachnacuddin F.C. who play in the Highland
League. Inverness College is the hub campus for the
UHI Millennium Institute. City status was granted in
2001.
Scottish
Gaelic appears on the majority of road signs around
Inverness, with around 3,555 people (5.47% of the population)
speaking the language
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