yes

Normal shop hours as far as I remember. As for Taxis and busses, busses are normally much cheaper and you can do even better by getting special day and week tickets. Going by bus also gives you much better views as you travel much higher up... Bus services in this area seem reliable and plentiful...

Many thanks for your questions and for your feedback. For multiple day tours of Orkney, two companies offer multiple day tours from Inverness - Highland Experience and Rabbies. Highland Experience run on the second Friday of every month starting in May until early September leaving at 9.00am and Rabbies operate every Monday from May - October departing at 8am. Both tours leave from Inverness Bus Station and offer package deals including accommodation and full information can be found on their websites. Alternatively, it is possible to fly from Inverness to Orkney or take public transport with trains/buses/ferries from Inverness and to join a multiple day tour in Orkney. There are a number of tour operators based there and they are fairly flexible with a range of options to choose from. Further information can be obtained from the Kirkwall VisitScotland Information Centre. In order to travel to Orkney you can also take the John O' Groats Ferries bus from Inverness to Kirkwall, including the ferry, from June to August. Transport from Inverness Airport into the City Centre is available either by a regular bus service or by taxi and transfer time is about 20 minutes. Regarding transport to Edinburgh, you can travel by bus or train, as well as by flying directly from Orkney to Edinburgh. If you need any more information, please do not hesitate to contact us directly via our link on the VisitScotland website. We'll be able to provide much more information including links and tour operator contact details if you contact us directly. We wish you a wonderful trip to Scotland! Kind regards Alison

Dear Rob Thank you for your enquiry. Cruise ships dock in Invergordon which is 23.7 miles north of Inverness. Stagecoach buses operate an hourly service between Invergordon and Inverness, service 25X, and the journey takes 45 minutes. There is also a limited train service operated by Scotrail from Invergordon station to Inverness which takes 51 minutes. Please be aware that timetables can change according to the time of the year and day of the week - there are sometimes more services available in the summer months for instance and fewer services on Sundays. If you require any further specific information please contact us directly via the VisitScotland website. kind regards Alison, General Manager

Dear Robert Many thanks for your enquiry. You can hire cruisers from Caley Cruisers who are based in Inverness, tel: 01463 236328, or from West Highland Sailing, based at Laggan Locks, approximately 45 miles south of Inverness on the Canal, tel: 01809 501234. You haven't said when you're interested in visiting the area - please be advised that the Caledonian Canal will be closed to sea-to-sea traffic over the winter period for repairs from 4pm Friday 6th January 2017 until 9am Monday 20th March 2017 - some sections of the canal will be accessible during this time, details of which will be available on the Scottish Canals own website. If you require further information please do not hesitate to contact us which you can do directly via our VisitScotland website. We look forward to welcoming you to the Highlands! Kind regards Alison Young, Manager, Inverness VisitScotland Information Centre