Don't overpay for Inverness Airport parking. Compare prices from 8 leading sites plus independent operators in one search to find the best deal.

About Inverness Airport

Introduction to Inverness

Inverness Airport is a small, single-terminal airport at Dalcross, around 8–10 miles north-east of Inverness, acting as the main gateway to the Highlands and much of northern Scotland. It handles around 800,000 passengers a year and has picked up awards as one of Europe’s best small airports, so the experience is generally friendly and fairly relaxed. Everything is under one roof: check-in and arrivals are on the ground floor, with security, departures and gates just upstairs. The airport recommends arriving about 1½ hours before domestic flights and around 2 hours before international departures; if you’re using Long Stay or Park & Ride–style parking, allow a bit of extra time to park and transfer. Long Stay is a short walk or quick shuttle ride away, while Short Stay and Premium options are just a few minutes’ walk from the terminal.

1. How to get to Inverness Airport?

You’ve basically got four main ways to reach Inverness Airport:

Bus & coach

• Stagecoach 11 (and related services) – The main airport bus, running between Inverness city centre and the airport, with stops near Inverness railway station and along the A96 corridor towards Nairn and Elgin. Buses call right at the terminal and generally run regularly through the day (with a reduced service on Sundays).
• Other local / regional buses – Additional Stagecoach services along the A96 can connect you to places like Nairn and Elgin, where you can change onto routes serving the airport or nearby stops.
• Longer-distance coaches – Intercity coach operators mostly serve Inverness Bus Station rather than the airport itself. From there, you connect by Stagecoach 11 or a taxi for the final leg.

Train + bus / taxi

• There isn’t a station at the terminal doors, but there is now an Inverness Airport railway station on the Aberdeen–Inverness line. From the station you can reach the airport via a short bus ride, taxi or (for some) a longer walk, making it a good option if you’re coming from Aberdeen, Nairn or intermediate stops.
• Inverness station in the city centre is the main long-distance hub, with trains from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, the Central Belt and the Far North. From there, you can take the 11 bus or a taxi to the airport in around 15–25 minutes, depending on traffic.

Car

• Inverness Airport sits just off the A96 between Inverness and Nairn, with access via Inverness Airport Way. Driving time from central Inverness is typically around 15–20 minutes in normal traffic, and road connections from the wider Highlands (A9, A82, A96) are straightforward.
• Official parking is simple and close-in:
  • Short Stay / Premium – Right by the terminal for drop-offs, short trips and anyone who wants the shortest possible walk.
  • Long Stay – Slightly further out, with either a walkable route or a short shuttle ride depending on where you park.
  • Independent off-airport providers such as dedicated car parks and hotel-and-parking packages operate nearby and can be a cheaper option for longer breaks.

Taxi / private hire

• Local taxi and private-hire firms serve Inverness, Nairn, the Black Isle and much of the surrounding Highlands, with a taxi rank and pick-up/drop-off area close to the terminal. For shorter journeys or groups of 3–4 people, the total cost can be comparable to a week’s parking; for longer distances (Skye, Fort William, Speyside etc.), driving and parking is often cheaper overall, especially if you share costs between several travellers.

2. Choosing the right transport for you?

Whether you choose public transport, to drive, or to take a taxi will come down to a mix of cost, convenience and how you feel about risk and faff. Only you can balance those, and it may change every time you fly – but it’s worth thinking about a few things:

Do a price comparison

You might assume driving and parking is always the most expensive option – but that’s not always true. There are secure, trusted on-airport car parks at Inverness plus third-party options nearby, and they can be very competitive if you book in advance. Do your due diligence and check bus, train and taxi prices – but then run a quick search above for parking. It takes less than a minute and you may be pleasantly surprised.

Delays

Think about what happens if your flight is delayed.

• With parking, you may pay an extra hour or day if you overstay.
• With trains and buses, if you miss your booked service and don’t have a flexible ticket, you’re often buying a completely new ticket at walk-up prices – and late-evening services on some Highland routes can be infrequent.

Your car, on the other hand, is always “parked and waiting” when you land.

• How close is your flight to the time of your last bus or train connection? If a one-hour delay means you miss the last service and end up paying for an expensive taxi home, would driving and parking have been cheaper and less stressful overall?

Total costs

• There may be a cheap advance rail or bus fare, but how much are you spending on taxis at either end, especially if you’re travelling at awkward times or with luggage/kids?
• How much longer does it take on public transport? If you have to take extra time off work just to make it work, then add that to the bill.

Stress & peace of mind

Are you going to stay awake all night worrying whether your early-morning taxi will arrive, or whether your bus or train will connect smoothly with your flight?
If so, driving yourself might be the more relaxed option.

Safety

If you’ve got a long drive after a long flight – or you’d like a couple of drinks on board – public transport or an overnight hotel with parking might be the safer choice.

Convenience & luggage

How much lugging is involved? With public transport you may be wrestling multiple cases through Inverness city-centre streets, onto buses and trains, and up and down steps. With parking, you load the car once and unload once at the terminal or car park. For families, groups or anyone with mobility issues, that simplicity can be worth paying for.

Total time

At Airport Parking Shop, we like a bargain as much as the next person – that’s why we started the site – but time matters too. Will public transport add an extra hour or two to your journey and how is that going to make you feel?

Where will you be dropped off?

At Inverness, cars and taxis do well: the on-airport car parks are close to the terminal and taxis can drop you just outside. If you’re driving you can get near-terminal parking in Short Stay or Premium; if you opt for a cheaper off-airport Park & Ride or hotel-and-parking deal, factor in a short transfer.

Which kind of parking is right for me?

So, you’ve decided to park at or near Inverness Airport – or at least want to understand the options before you commit. Good news: we’ve all the answers in the tab to left, Parking Options.

Here’s what you’ll find there – and how it helps you decide:

• Park & Ride, Short Stay and Meet & Greet
  • Rough price differences and when to choose each one.
• How far in advance to book to get the lowest prices
  • Typical patterns for Inverness – how prices tend to move if you book a day before vs a week or a month before departure.
• Official vs third-party car parks
  • What they both mean and which one is usually cheaper.
• Key features behind the headline price
  • Walking distance vs shuttle time.
  • Whether you keep your keys or hand them in.
  • Height limits, EV charging, Blue Badge bays and security features that can make a “cheap” price either a bargain or a false economy.
• Personalised feature comparison tables
  • For Inverness, we show the main car parks side by side, with all their key features, so you can see what you’re actually getting for your money.
• More pricing detail
  • Average price comparisons for short stays vs Long Stay / Park & Ride.
  • How costs change if you book 1 day, 1 week or 1 month in advance.
  • Official vs third-party averages, so you can spot when an “official” car park is good value and when an independent option wins.

More Inverness Airport info

If you want to go beyond transport and parking, our sister site Inverness Airport Guide has more detail on:

• terminal facilities and airport layout
• shopping, bars and restaurants
• live departures and arrivals
• taxis and car hire
• nearby airport hotels

It’s a handy place to plan the rest of your journey once you’ve sorted how you’re getting to the airport.