The Inverness Courier
A twice-weekly local newspaper serving Inverness and the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
The Inverness Courier is a local newspaper based in Inverness, Scotland, and one of the longest-continuously published newspapers serving the Scottish Highlands. It publishes twice each week, on Tuesdays and Fridays, with coverage focused on Inverness and communities across the Highlands and Islands. Its reporting encompasses local government, community affairs, public services, business, education, sport, culture, and other issues affecting the region. The newspaper began publication on 4 December 1817 under the longer title The Inverness Courier and General Advertiser for the Counties of Inverness, Ross, Moray, Nairn, Cromarty, Sutherland and Caithness. The title reflected the broad geographic area in which the paper initially circulated. Its early editors were Mr. and Mrs. Johnstone, who remained associated with the publication until 1824. Christian Isobel Johnstone also became known for her cookery writing, including the influential Meg Dod’s Cookery Book. A particularly important period began in April 1828, when Dr. Robert Carruthers became editor. He held the role until his death in 1878, after which his son Walter Carruthers assumed the editorship until 1885. James Barron then succeeded him. Carruthers and Barron were also connected with the Inverness Field Club, which they co-founded in 1875. Their interests illustrate the Courier’s historic role not only as a news outlet but also as a platform for the documentation of Highland history, geography, folklore, and natural life. The paper has carried substantial contributions from regional writers. The Reverend Alexander Stewart, writing under the name Nether Lochaber, contributed a recurring column for more than four decades. Material associated with his work was later collected in books concerning the natural history, legends, and folklore of the West Highlands. The Courier is also associated with one of the earliest published reports of the Loch Ness monster. In May 1933, correspondent Alexander Campbell described an unusual sighting to editor Evan Macleod Barron. The episode subsequently became part of the newspaper’s historical identity and of the wider media history surrounding the Loch Ness phenomenon. Editorial leadership continued through the Barron family and its associates. Dr. Evan Macleod Barron became editor in February 1919, and his niece Eveline Barron later became deputy editor in 1952 before succeeding him as editor in April 1965. In more recent years, David Bourn served as editor before leaving to edit an English regional daily. The publication has since operated with a content editor serving several titles within Highland News and Media rather than maintaining a publicly identified dedicated editor. Today, The Inverness Courier is published by Highland News and Media, a regional newspaper publisher with several titles in the Highland Council area. The newspaper’s business has faced the same structural pressures affecting much of the local press, including declining print circulation and the need to reduce operating costs. These pressures contributed to its departure from its former Longman headquarters and relocation to smaller offices on Bank Street in Inverness. Despite these changes, the title remains an active twice-weekly publication and continues to function as a local reporting institution for the Highlands.
History
The Inverness Courier traces its origins to 4 December 1817, when the first issue appeared under the title The Inverness Courier and General Advertiser for the Counties of Inverness, Ross, Moray, Nairn, Cromarty, Sutherland and Caithness. The original title indicated the newspaper’s intended role as a broad regional publication rather than a paper limited to the town of Inverness. It remains one of the longest-continuously running local newspapers covering the Scottish Highlands. The publication’s first editors were Mr. and Mrs. Johnstone, who remained in charge until 1824. Christian Isobel Johnstone was also a notable writer and later became associated with Meg Dod’s Cookery Book. In April 1828, Dr. Robert Carruthers became editor. His tenure lasted five decades, ending with his death in 1878. His son Walter Carruthers then took over until 1885, when James Barron succeeded him. Carruthers and Barron were both involved in the founding of the Inverness Field Club in 1875, reflecting the intellectual and civic networks surrounding the paper. The Courier historically provided space for writing about the Highlands beyond daily news. The Reverend Alexander Stewart, using the pen name Nether Lochaber, wrote a more-or-less fortnightly column for more than forty years. His observations on natural history, folklore, and local traditions were later collected in books about the western Highlands. The newspaper therefore contributed to the preservation and circulation of regional knowledge as well as to political and community reporting. In February 1919, Dr. Evan Macleod Barron became editor. He was an author as well as a newspaper editor, and his period at the paper is associated with the title’s continuing role in documenting Highland affairs. His niece Eveline Barron became deputy editor in 1952 and succeeded him as editor in April 1965. The Barron family’s long connection with the publication is one of the most distinctive features of its editorial history. The newspaper acquired enduring popular recognition through its coverage of Loch Ness. In May 1933, correspondent Alexander Campbell reported an unusual sighting to Evan Barron. The editor is said to have responded that the sighting must involve a monster, and the report became one of the early newspaper accounts associated with the Loch Ness monster legend. In the modern period, the Courier has operated as part of Highland News and Media, which publishes several weekly newspapers in the Highland Council area. Like many local print titles, it has faced declining circulation and the resulting pressure to reduce its physical footprint. The paper moved from its Longman headquarters to smaller offices on Bank Street in Inverness. Its editorial structure also changed: after editor David Bourn left to take charge of an English regional daily, a content editor served several Highland News and Media titles, including the Courier. The newspaper continues to publish on Tuesdays and Fridays, maintaining its local and regional focus while operating within a changing print and digital news market.
- 2014
Regional newspaper award
[1]The Courier was named Highlands and Islands newspaper of the year.
- 1965
Eveline Barron becomes editor
[1]Eveline Barron succeeded Evan Macleod Barron as editor in April.
- 1952
Eveline Barron becomes deputy editor
[1]Eveline Barron became deputy editor before later succeeding her uncle as editor.
- 1933
Early Loch Ness monster report published
[1]A report by correspondent Alexander Campbell became an early newspaper account associated with the Loch Ness monster.
- 1919
Evan Macleod Barron becomes editor
[1]Dr. Evan Macleod Barron took over the editorship in February.
- 1875
Inverness Field Club founded by newspaper figures
[1]Walter Carruthers and James Barron co-founded the Inverness Field Club, linking the newspaper with regional historical and natural-history activity.
- 1828
Robert Carruthers becomes editor
[1]Dr. Robert Carruthers began an editorial tenure that continued until his death in 1878.
- 1824
The Johnstones leave the editorship
[1]The paper’s first editors, Mr. and Mrs. Johnstone, ended their editorial association with the publication.
- 1817
First issue published
[1]The first issue appeared on 4 December under the newspaper’s original, geographically expansive title.
Products and positioning
A long-established regional newspaper positioned around trusted local reporting and community coverage for Inverness and the wider Highlands and Islands. Its heritage, geographic specialization, and continuing twice-weekly schedule distinguish it from national Scottish newspapers and general digital news services.
Local newspaper · 1817
Print newspaper
The core product is a twice-weekly local newspaper published on Tuesdays and Fridays. It reports on Inverness and the wider Highlands and Islands, combining breaking local news with public-affairs reporting, community coverage, features, sport, culture, and advertising.
Online newspaper
Digital news service
The Courier also maintains an online presence through its official website, extending its local reporting beyond the physical print editions. Specific digital products, subscription terms, and audience figures are not established in the supplied sources.
Brand decisions
- Downsizing and relocating the Inverness operationStrategy
Background
A major decline in circulation created pressure to reduce the newspaper’s operating footprint.
Action taken
The publication left its Longman headquarters and moved to smaller offices on Bank Street in Inverness.
Aftermath
The relocation reflected the broader cost and circulation pressures affecting local newspapers, while the title continued publishing twice weekly.
Recent events
Inverness Courier launches End the Chill campaign[3]
Reported:
The Inverness Courier launched its End the Chill campaign highlighting fuel poverty in the Highlands.
Sources3 sources
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