Inverness is 4th most visited city in the UK
24% increase in visitor numbers in 2015
Inverness saw its number of overseas visitors rise by 24% to 276,000 in 2015. Only London, Edinburgh and Glasgow attracted more foreign visitors last year.
An "explosion of interest" in the North Coast 500 (more than 500 miles of the best the North Highlands of Scotland has to offer - the route way runs to and from Inverness, venturing round the capital of the Highlands, up the West Coast and back via the rugged north coast); the Outlander TV programme (based on Diana Gabaldons Scottish historical novels) with a beautiful cast and stunning backdrops of Scotland; and of course the improved connectivity. Inverness City and the surrounding Loch Ness area are working hard to constantly improve the quality of the experience and to target key international markets such as the US, France, Germany and the Netherlands.
The new league table was based on the annual International Passenger Survey, compiled by the Office for National Statistics.