It’s 9am on a Monday and a thunder clap greets the first cruise ship passengers of the day arriving in Inverness. Another busy morning starts to unfold as visitors unload from coaches that have driven them from their docking point in Invergordon. There to greet them are Janice Worthing and Aizak McIver, two of the They have seen the numbers of tourists coming into the city grow significantly in recent years.
How does Inverness benefit from cruise ship passengers? Bid says 3,804 coaches used the drop off/pick up facility in Ardross Street last year. They brought 171,180 people into the Highland capital – more than two and a half times its population. Nearly 1,700 of these vehicles brought cruise ship passengers, the rest coming on coach trips.
Already this year numbers have risen 15% on 2023, with up to 67 coaches due in one day. So why do visitors want to come to Inverness? And, more importantly, what do they think once they have been here? The Press and Journal spent a day with Janice and Aizak to find out. By the time more coaches arrive at 10am the rain is torrential.
Umbrellas are sourced to hand out with maps as passengers disembark beside Inverness Cathedral. Some head for the cover of the cathedral tea room, but others make straight for the city centre. Honeymoon visit delayed 32 years Kathleen and Jim Nave, from Connecticut, are the among the first group of the day.
They are looking forward to visiting Loch Ness, Cawdor Castle and buying whisky. “We wanted to come here on honeymoon 32 years ago,” says Kathleen. “At the time we couldn’t afford it.
“I’m so glad we finally made it.” Having left behind 90-degree heat at home, were they bothered by the rather wet welcome? “We don’t worry about the weather,” said Jim. “But it’s the first time in 10 days in the UK that I’ve worn a jacket and long pants.
” Keith and Pat Bauer from Florida have a similar attitude to the Highland weather. “It’s not bad. I expected it to be a lot worse,” said Pat, who is used to temperatures some 80 degrees warmer.
Four seasons in one day “We’ve been told to expect four seasons in a day here,” says Keith. “But you don’t come here for the weather. “However, I can tell you I haven’t had this type of clothes on in eight years.
” What are they looking forward to? “I’ve wanted to see the city. I like the river and all the bridges. It’s a nice easy place to walk around,” says Pat.
“And we’ve always wanted to see the Loch Ness monster. We hear about it all the time.” The coaches keep coming, pouring out more tourists and sending regular pulses of economic activity into the heart of the city.
The average visitor spend is £55, which works out as more than £9.4 million a year for Inverness. Janice has welcomed many of the cruise passengers since 2015 and has seen numbers continuing to rise.
Inverness a bucket list destination “Inverness is such a go-to destination. It’s on many people’s bucket list,” she says. As well as the usual tourism haunts such as Loch Ness, Culloden, Cawdor and Inverness Castle, (currently off limits awaiting ) people are interested in visiting the city itself.
The is a popular stopping point and she estimates around eight out of 10 people ask about “The feedback we get is great. People think it is a very clean, very friendly city. “They like the architecture and the buildings which is different to what they see in other cities.
“And it’s lovely to see them coming back from the centre with shopping bags. “When you hear how complimentary visitors are about the city, I don’t think locals realise how beautiful the place we live in is.” Aizak, 18, is in his second season as an ambassador: “I love doing it.
It’s great meeting the visitors, finding out where they’re from and where they are visiting. “I’ve learned a lot speaking to them and it’s made me more confident.” Highlands ‘rivals Edinburgh as a visitor site’ By 11am the rain has eased off and the sun is out as Ardross Street is becoming increasingly busy.
Seoris McGillvray, an independent guide, is on one of the coaches ferrying cruise passengers, largely from the US and Canada. He said: “They very much enjoy the visit to Inverness, very influenced by the well-trodden path of (TV series) Outlander. ”The feedback I get from visitors is the Highlands is one of the top visitor sites in the UK and very much rivals Edinburgh.
” He said a favourite attraction has been Highland cows. “We went to a farm and saw two which people were able to get close to. “Very often that’s a highlight.
Never mind the history of the castles, getting close to a Highland cow makes their day.” It’s raining again as more buses arrive and some visitors begin returning after spending time in the city. ‘It’s absolutely stunning’ Among them are Mark Goldman, his wife Marcie and sister Paula Friedman from Minnesota.
“It’s beautiful,” said Mark. “I love the building, the architecture. I love the river, the landscape and you have convenient shops.
It’s absolutely stunning.” Clutching her purchases of jumpers and handbags, his wife adds: “I’m good for the economy. I can single-handedly keep it afloat.
“I love, love, love it here. I’m coming back so we can spend more than just one day.” A couple of hours later (sunny again) John and Janet Gorman from Delaware also return.
“It’s great. The people are nice and the food is great. It’s a beautiful place,” said John.
Janet, however, felt she had missed out: “It was kind of sad the castle is closed just now. “Also, we didn’t see (Outlander actor) Sam Heughan.” No complaints about the Inverness weather Debbi Leckie and Emery Neal from New Jersey are also new fans of the city.
Debbi said: “It’s very pretty. I loved the convenience of the different stores and craft shops in the centre. “I also found out about my name and that we are part of Clan MacGregor.
“We have 100 degree heat at home so no complaints about the weather. It’s a nice change.” Mal Harris, from Ruthin in Wales, adds: “The city is full of character, it’s magical.
“I’ll take brochures home and show them to my son and he’ll come here with his family. It’s a great place to visit.” By 1pm, 25 coaches have dropped off or picked up from Ardross Street.
Duncan Maclean, owner of Invergordon Bus Tours, arrives to help out. Cruise business keeps growing He started with a taxi in 2006 and began putting on coaches in 2011 to serve the growing cruise ship market. The firm now runs 3-4 buses on big ship days and can hire around 200 vehicles over a season.
“It keeps growing and we provide work for the coach companies, drivers and tour guides. “The feedback we get is fantastic. People love Inverness, it’s a small city but it’s got most things you want.
” A couple of hours later and cruise traffic has gone. Janice has counted 41 coaches today, including 24 from passenger ships. “We thoroughly enjoy what we do.
It’s really rewarding,” she said. “Every day is different and it’s been amazing to see it grow.”.
