Blogs > A snapshot of UK Cities

A snapshot of... Inverness

• January 18, 2021

Inverness is located in Scotland and it is the most northern city in the UK, known as the capital of the Highlands. Relocating to this fantastic city will offer you access to outstanding natural beauty and city life. In 2014, Inverness was evidenced to be the happiest place to live in Scotland and the second happiest to live in the entire UK. With easy access to glens, lochs, mountains and beaches – you can combine living in a major city with great outdoors.

The NHS in Inverness

NHS Highland see's a population of around 320,000 people and is spread over 32,500 square kilometres, making it one of the largest and most sparsely populated Health Boards in the UK.
Raigmore Hospital is the only acute district hospital serving the population of the Highlands and is located in Inverness!

Raigmore Hospital consists of 8 floors. These floors house Teaching Facilities, a Theatre Suite of 9 Operating Theatres, a 7 bed Intensive Care Unit (with capacity to flex up to 8 beds), a 4 bed Coronary Care Unit, a Maternity Unit, Chest Unit and a Renal Unit; all of which are serviced by comprehensive support services

Top reasons to live in Inverness

1. Affordable house prices
2. Compact city centre oozing with history
3. Excellent travel connections
4. Access to picturesque landscapes
5. Voted the happiest place to live in Scotland and the second happiest in the whole of the UK
6. Home to the Loch Ness Monster or “Nessie” – a creature with a long neck and humps said to inhabit Loch Ness.

Average Living Costs

Housing

One-bedroom apartment in the City Centre	£530
One-bedroom apartment outside of the City Centre	£483.33
Three-bedroom apartment in the City Centre	£825
Three-bedroom apartment outside of the City Centre	£716.67

Transportation

One-way public transport ticket	£2
Monthly public transport ticket	£45
1L of Petrol	£1.25
Taxi trip on a business day, basic tariff, 5 miles	£10

Entertainment

Basic dinner out for two in the neighbourhood pub	£39
Two tickets to the movies	£20
Two tickets to the theatre (best available seats)	£106
Cappuccino	£2.99
Pint of beer	£3.73
One month gym membership in a business district	£34

Transport links from Inverness

Living in Inverness and the surrounding areas gives you access to rail, road and air links – making it extremely easy to get around.

By Air: Inverness Airport provides you with regular scheduled flights to London (Gatwick, Heathrow and Luton), Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester, Belfast City, Dublin, Amsterdam, Geneva and other areas of Scotland.

By Rail: Scotrail provides you with easy transport from Inverness Railway Station to Edinburgh, Glasgow and London, including other surrounding towns such as Aviemore, Perth, Nairn and Elgin.

Things to do in Inverness and Surrounding Areas

Shopping: Eastgate shopping centre is the place to go for all your shopping needs. It hosts a number of popular high street shops.

The Old Town allows you to shop at beautiful boutique stores and the Old Victorian Market gives you access to traditional sellers.

Head to Castle Street or Bank Street for shops selling art, ceramics and designer jewellery.

Food and drink: To try quality Scottish produce, head to Rocpool Reserve Hotel & Chez Roux Restaurant. It’s located on the bank of the river and serves Highland beef, Black Isle pork and mussels from the Shetland Isles.

For rustic comfort, but contemporary dining, try The Mustard Seed. The restaurant is set in a former church and boasts an open fire and a double-height ceiling. Its terrace on the top floor has fine views over the river and city.

Living in Scotland means you need to sample some of the whiskies on offer. Take a tour of the Tomatin Distillery, which is just 16 miles south of Inverness. Find out how they produce their whiskies and sample a few in a tutored tasting.

Relocating to Inverness

If you are an IMG who needs support in relocating to Inverness or another area of the UK and securing your first NHS post, send your CV to [email protected] and we look forward to supporting you.

Are you a member of IMG Advisor?

By joining, you will gain access to frequent relocation blog posts, the opportunity to ask questions and receive professional support and the chance to meet some other IMGs!

References

Property, C. (2019). Moving to Inverness. All about the area, schools & transport.. [online] CCL Group Ltd. Available at: https://www.cclproperty.com/location-guides/scotland/highland/inverness/ 

Expatistan, cost of living comparisons. (2019). Cost of Living in Inverness, United Kingdom. Apr 2019 prices in Inverness.. [online] Available at: https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/inverness 

Zoopla.co.uk. (2019). Moving to Inverness - Zoopla. [online] Available at: https://www.zoopla.co.uk/discover/buying-area-guides/living-in-inverness/#3qV7WF1Mhyo2aZ6c.99 

Nhshighland.scot.nhs.uk. 2021. About Us. [online] Available at: <https://www.nhshighland.scot.nhs.uk/AboutUs/Pages/AboutUs.aspx> [Accessed 18 January 2021].