Inverness Shopping & Cakes

• The biggest Eastgate Shopping Centre – with Marks & Spencer, Starbucks, Superdry, Monsoon, Jones Boot makers, Next, Rogerson Shoes, Pizza Express, HMV and lots more it is the indoor shopping centre for Inverness.
• The newly refurbished traditional Victorian Market – for a unique selection of shops it is the perfect place for gifts or something a little bit special.  We recommend  Story Belgian Chocolatiers -fab gifts including chocolate nessies.  Plus lots more from music to jewelry – step back in time.
• The High Street Inverness – not to be forgotten Music Shops, great Footwear with Beggs to Toni & Guy hair salon.  For the guy’s there’s lots of sports and outdoor clothing shops and Slaters Menswear too. There are also Farmers markets & Winter Festival Markets.
• Inverness Retail Park  – for all the big names from New Look, Boots, Bank Clothing, Clarks, Next, Vue Cinema and more.
• Outdoor activities you’ll find Tiso on the Longman Industrial Estate,
• Garden Centres the award winning Simpsons Garden Centre and Howdens Garden Centre are all just outside Inverness city centre.

• Leakey’s Second Hand Bookshop – This is THE place to try in Inverness if you like books and / or a great bistro-style cafe with home cooking and an open fire!  Leakey’s Bookshop was established in 1979 and has been housed for the last 19 years in the old Gaelic Church (1793). It is Scotland’s largest secondhand bookshop with 100,000 selected volumes.
• Castle Gallery one of the most successful small galleries you’ll find in Scotland.
• Riverside Gallery a family run gallery with exhibitions all year.
• Inverness Wasp Creative Academy opened in 2022 see here for exhibitions
• Kilt Related Shopping – kilt See Highland House of Fraser with the Scottish Kiltmaker Visitors Centre offering bespoke Kilt Making for 50 years. Or Chisholms Highland Dress a family run kilt business looking after all the details for generations.
• The Highland Bottle Shop – a locally owned independent shop in Inverness opened in 2013 with a hand selection of craft beer, malt whisky, small batch spirits and unique malt whisky. 

Just some recommendations for local Coffee Shops around Inverness and more below in the Shopping outside Inverness.

• We Proudly Serve Starbucks Coffee here at the Palace with a delicious selection of cakes!
• Girvans Restaurant – a family run restaurant serving lovely meals and cakes its very busy.
• Coffee Affair – on Church Street a fresh and friendly local Coffee shop with a great selection of cakes and freshly made sandwiches. Recommended by Helen via Facebook.
• Rendezvous Cafe on Church Street a smaller more quirky cafe serving homemade and local produce with about 10 tables it’s busy and has friendly staff.
• Perk Coffee & Donuts on Church St on Church Street again a small cafe serving Barista coffee and hand-crafted donuts.
• Bad Girl Bakery in Inverness – inspiring and creative bakery produced in the small village of Muir of Ord and now Open at the Victorian Market for fabulous cakes. Great photos on facebook so see facebook.com/badgirlbakery/
• Coyote Artisanal Coffee – intimate coffee bar with a fabulous selection of cakes and light bites on Academy Street.
• Cobbs Café at Inverness Botanics for a tempting selection of home-baked cakes, soup, sandwiches and light snacks. The has a sunny terrace overlooking the gardens providing the perfect spot enjoying all the flowers. Recommended by Helen via Facebook.
• Simpson’s Garden Centre has a great self service restaurant and live music at weekends.
• Ice Cream Parlour – Miele’s Gellato offering an ever changing selection of delicious ice creams on Church Street, Inverness.

As well as the local shops there are also a great selection of unique shopping experiences near Inverness so here are some easy links and many offer great coffee and cakes too!

• Corner on the Square in Beauly – another great coffee shop and award winning Deli.
• Robertsons Larder and Kids Farm just outside Beauly with a Kids farm too!
• Hardmuir Fruit Farm – located close to Nairn it is open from June to Dec with a Farm Food Shop and a Pick your own fruit and veg.  Picnic tables for nibbling on the fruit you’ve just picked.
• Connage Highland Dairy – fabulous cheese makers, coffee shop and cheese pantry too!
• North to Ullapool SmokeHouse – at Ullapool Market!
• Brodie Countryfare between Forres & Nairn – with womens, mens, kids, toys, home and more it stocks major brands like UGG and has a lovely restaurant too.
• Johnston’s of Elgin Cashmere Shopping Village – offering gorgeous womens, mens, baby clothes and new home collections plus a free tour of the factor and Coffee shop – great for a visit.
• Storehouse of Foulis – 17 miles north of Inverness on the coast of the Cromarty Firth you’ll enjoy a fabulous restaurant from breakfast to a light supper of homemade delights.  Then visit the Farm shop for local produce and gifts.  A local delight well worth a visit with lovely views.
• Highland Farm Cafe – new eco-cafe near Dingwall – modern with delicious locally sourced food, freshly made cakes and home baking, play area for the kids, as well as great views and lovely gift shop it is a perfect spot for lunch or a light bite.
• Crofters Cafe Rosemarkie – on the beach front of the Black Isle village Rosemarkie you’ll find fresh made dishes and seasonal produce to tempt you, as welll as homebaking too.
• On the opposite side of the Moray Firth on Nairn Beach find Strathnairn Beach Cafe – amazing food from local scallops & mussels to local pulled pork sandwiches. It is food with no fuss but bags of punch and simply delicious.
• Munros Nurseries Coffee Shop by Munlochy (North Kessock) a hidden gem of home made cakes and delights only 6.5 miles from the Palace over the Kessock Bridge and lovely plants too – recommended by Helen via Facebook!
• The Coffee Bothy in Golspie – lovely coffee and the cakes are a work of art.  Just 52 miles north of Inverness in the lovely town of Golspie – recommended by Faith via Facebook.
• Waterlines Visitors Centre, The Harbour Lybster – for the very best crab rolls with stunning views – 90 miles from Inverness on the Caithness coast not to be driven by! Recommended by Alison via Facebook.

Loch Ness

• An Talla Visitors Centre, Coffee & Gift Shop – part of the Jacobite Cruise family it sets a great standards in its Cafe Menu, cake selection as well as beautiful gifts on the banks of the Caledonian Canal at the Inverness end of Loch Ness. Idea for walking or cycling along the canal.
• Dores Inn – a lovely pebble beach on the Inverness side of Loch Ness only 10 miles from the town centre it is ideal for kids dipping their toes into the loch and the Inn provides delicious food year round.  A great stop for any time of year.  Dores on Loch Ness.
• Fiddlers – Coffee Shop & Restaurant in Drumnadrochit (Loch Ness) ideal if you want a break from Nessie hunting.  Also offers Fiddlers Whisky Bar and Beer Cellar.
• Foyers Stores & Waterfall Cafe – 10 miles south of Dores on the quieter eastern shore of loch ness the village is just under a mile’s walk from the pier to through steep woodland where you’ll find a the highland village Stores & Tea Rooms.  Take the walk to Foyers Falls and enjoy the many woodland trails.
• Camerons Tea Room & Farm Shop – for fresh home baking, home made soup and close up viewing of Highland cows Camerons Tea Room is rated no.1 on Trip Advisor.  Find it on the south side of Lochness near Camerons Holiday Cottage.
• Glen Rowan Cafe near Invermoriston on Loch Ness side it is the perfect stop off when travelling towards Skye. All the baking is homemade and the menu includes handmade burgers, soups, & stews and fab homemade chips. Nominated for “Friendliest Cafe in the North” at the Scottish Cafe Awards and won “Best Casual Dining Restaurant in the North” at the Scottish Hospitality Awards (2019).
• The Dairy at Daviot – just outside Inverness on the A9 the Dairy offers a lovely Cafe ideal for a morning coffee or lunch.  Also offers a delicious Sunday carvery too.
• House of Bruar – a great stop if you are traveling on the A9 north or south about 70 miles from Inverness this is shopping and dining heaven – lots of scottish produce and many different shops to browse through makes a great stop off on the way up or on the way home.  We’ve even been known to go down just for Sunday lunch!