Royal burgh (pop., 1991: 41,234), Highland council area, in the historic county of Inverness-shire, northwestern Scotland.
Located on the River Ness and the Caledonian Canal, it has long been the centre of the Scottish Highlands. In the 6th century it was the capital of the Pictish king Brude. By the 12th century it had become a burgh near the castle of Malcolm III Canmore . Inverness is now an educational and tourist centre. Its manufacturing has expanded in conjunction with the growth of offshore oil production.