St Andrew's Cathedral, Inverness

St Andrew's Cathedral stands on the west bank of the River Ness, its pink sandstone twin towers a familiar landmark on the Inverness skyline. Consecrated in 1869, it was the first new cathedral to be completed in Britain since the Reformation and remains the seat of the Bishop of Moray, Ross and Caithness in the Scottish Episcopal Church.

The architect Alexander Ross designed the building in an Early English Gothic style, and although the intended stone spires were never built due to cost, the interior is richly finished. Look out for the polished granite pillars of Peterhead stone, the carved font (a copy of Thorvaldsen's Angel of Baptism in Copenhagen Cathedral), five icons presented by Tsar Alexander II of Russia, and the elaborate reredos behind the high altar.

The cathedral is normally open to visitors during the day outside services and welcomes quiet browsing. Its position directly across the river from Inverness Castle makes it a natural stop on a walk along the Ness towards Eden Court and the Ness Islands.