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Inverness , 105 miles northwest of Aberdeen by the A96, and 114 miles north of Perth by the A9, is the only "city" in the Highlands - a status it attained in 2000 as a millennium gesture by the government. A good base for day-trips and a jumping-off point for many of the more remote parts of the region, it is not a compelling place to stay for long and inevitably you are drawn to the attractions of sea and mountains beyond. The approach to the city on the A9 over the barren Monadhliath Mountains from Perth and Aviemore provides a spectacular introduction to the district, with the Great Glen to the left, stretching southwest towards Fort William and, beyond, the massed peaks of Glen Affric. To the north is the huge, rounded form of Ben Wyvis, whilst to the east lies the Moray Firth , boasting a lovely coastline and some of the region's best castles and historic sites. The gentle, undulating green landscape is well tended and tranquil, a fertile contrast to the windswept moorland and mountains that almost surround it. A string of worthwhile sights punctuates the approaches to Inverness along the main route from Aberdeen. The low-key holiday resort of Nairn , with its long white-sand beaches and championship golf course, stands within striking distance of several monuments, including the whimsical Cawdor Castle , featured in Shakespeare's Macbeth , and Fort George , one of several impressive Hanoverian bastions erected in the wake of the Jacobite rebellion. The infamous battle and ensuing massacre that ended Bonnie Prince Charlie's uprising took place on the outskirts of Inverness at Culloden , where a small visitor centre and memorial stones beside a heather-clad moor recall the gruesome events of 1746.
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