Inverness is the largest city in the Scottish Highlands and the effective capital of the region, located about 160 miles north of Edinburgh on the Ness River where it meets the Moray Firth. As a city, it doesn't have an overwhelming list of sights — the red sandstone castle now operates as a visitor attraction, and Macbeth's original castle is long gone — but it makes an excellent base for exploring the surrounding countryside.
The main attraction is the landscape. Loch Ness is just a few kilometres southwest, with boat tours from Inverness in summer. Cawdor Castle, associated with Shakespeare's Macbeth, is 12 miles east. Culloden Moor, site of the last pitched battle fought on British soil (1746) and the decisive defeat of the Jacobite cause, is just 5 km from the city centre and has a well-done visitor centre. The Clava Cairns, a group of Bronze Age passage graves near Culloden, are hauntingly beautiful and often overlooked. In the city itself, the Victorian Market, the cathedral, and the Inverness Museum are worth your time.
Getting around the Highlands requires either a car or patience with infrequent buses. Inverness has a train station with connections to Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and the Kyle of Lochalsh line — one of the most scenic rail journeys in Britain.