{"id":4140,"date":"2026-10-20T07:35:40","date_gmt":"2026-10-20T07:35:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mystayinn.com\/blog\/?p=4140"},"modified":"2026-10-20T07:35:45","modified_gmt":"2026-10-20T07:35:45","slug":"cathedral-inverness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mystayinn.com\/blog\/cathedral-inverness\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Inverness Cathedral worth visiting, and what\u2019s inside?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Stand on the east bank of the River Ness and look across, and you will see two square red sandstone towers. That\u2019s Inverness Cathedral<\/strong>, officially the Cathedral Church of St Andrew<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here you\u2019ll find a short history of the building, what to look for inside, current opening hours and ticket prices, what\u2019s nearby, and the easiest ways to get there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Inverness Cathedral, and why is it worth a visit?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Inverness Cathedral Scotland<\/strong> is the seat of the Scottish Episcopal Bishop of Moray, Ross and Caithness<\/em>. It\u2019s located on Ardross Street, on the west bank of the Ness, a short walk from the city centre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Inverness Cathedral holds two records:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. It was the first new Protestant cathedral completed in Great Britain since the Reformation<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. It\u2019s the most northerly diocesan cathedral still standing on the British mainland<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
    \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    History and architecture of Inverness Cathedral<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    The congregation started small, as a mission on the east side of the river in 1853. Thirteen years later, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Charles Longley, laid the foundation stone for a full cathedral, and the building was finished in 1869.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Alexander Ross created a very ambitious design with two tall spires on top of the western towers. Unfortunately, the money ran out before they could be built, so the towers that you see today stop at around 30 m, flat-topped and a little blunt. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Once you know the story, it\u2019s hard to look at them without imagining what might have been.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What to see inside the cathedral<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Most of the original 1869 architecture is still in place, along with a few later additions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Feature<\/strong><\/td>Maker and date<\/strong><\/td>Why look<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
    Great West Window<\/td>Hardman & Co<\/td>Christ in Majesty at the Last Judgement, in memory of Bishop Robert Eden, who drove the cathedral project<\/td><\/tr>
    Font<\/td>James Forsyth Redfern, 1871<\/td>Based on the sculptor Thorvaldsen\u2019s well-known font in Copenhagen<\/td><\/tr>
    Reredos<\/td>Thomas Earp, 1869<\/td>Carved Caen stone with Purbeck marble columns behind the altar<\/td><\/tr>
    Nave columns<\/td>1869<\/td>Four bays of single granite columns from Peterhead<\/td><\/tr>
    Rood screen<\/td>Sir Robert Lorimer, 1923<\/td>A war memorial by one of Scotland\u2019s best-known architects<\/td><\/tr>
    Bells<\/td>Warner & Son, 1869<\/td>Ten bells, the most northerly change-ringing peal in a church in the world<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Inverness Cathedral opening hours, tickets and practical tips<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    The cathedral is open every day of the year, from 9 am to 6 pm, and it opens earlier for services. It gets no public funding, so it charges a small entry fee to help with upkeep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Ticket<\/strong><\/td>Price<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
    Adult<\/td>\u00a36<\/td><\/tr>
    Teenager (13 to 17)<\/td>\u00a33<\/td><\/tr>
    Child (4 to 12)<\/td>\u00a32<\/td><\/tr>
    Under 4<\/td>Free<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n