There is a category of post-marathon recovery that involves no travel decisions whatsoever. You finish a race, you eat something, you sleep, and the following day you walk to the nearest flat, quiet outdoor space and move slowly through it until your legs have an improved opinion of the situation. This itinerary is specifically for that category.
The Ness Islands are a chain of small wooded islands sitting in the middle of the River Ness, 15 minutes' walk south from the Inverness city centre on entirely flat ground. They are connected to each other and to the riverbanks by Victorian suspension footbridges and contain a network of tarmac and gravel paths through mature conifer and deciduous woodland. The whole complex is free, always open, and approximately 800 metres from end to end.
The Loch Ness Marathon finishes in the Bught Park playing fields, directly adjacent to the southern approach to the Ness Islands. After 42 kilometres on the lochside road, the fifteen-minute walk from the finish line to the islands - along the flat Ness Walk riverbank path - is the correct recovery programme.
The River Walk
The Ness Walk is the riverbank path running south from the city centre along the east bank of the Ness. It is completely flat, well-surfaced, and leads directly to the island bridges. The walk passes the Eden Court Theatre (the regional arts centre for the Highlands, with a cafe and bar serving food from noon). The distance from the end of the High Street to the first island bridge is 1.2 kilometres.
The islands themselves are managed as a public park by Highland Council. The conifer canopy provides shelter from the October wind and rain; the suspension bridges connecting the islands (built in the 1820s, rebuilt at various points since) have a particular quality of movement underfoot. The paths through the islands loop in approximately 20-minute circuits at slow pace.
In October, the riverside birches are in full autumn colour - gold and orange against the grey water, the conifers providing the dark contrast. The river runs fast in October after the autumn rains.
Inverness: The City
The Victorian Market - a covered shopping arcade from 1870 on Academy Street - is the indoor option for poor weather: independent shops under a glass roof. The Inverness Museum and Art Gallery on Castle Wynd (free entry) covers the natural and cultural history of the Highlands; the Jacobite and clan history sections are particularly complete.
Where to Stay and Eat
The Glenmoriston Town House Hotel on Ness Bank, directly on the river south of the city centre, is the most atmospheric option: a boutique hotel with a river-facing restaurant (Abstract) and rooms that overlook the Ness.
For dinner: Rocpool Restaurant on Ness Walk is the current Inverness benchmark - modern Scottish cooking using Highland produce, particular focus on local deer and Moray Firth seafood. The Cullen skink (smoked haddock soup) appears consistently in October.
Getting to the Airport
Inverness Airport (INV) is 12 kilometres east of the city centre. A taxi takes 12 minutes and costs around £12. The airport serves London Gatwick, London Heathrow, Manchester, Bristol, Amsterdam, and several Scottish island destinations on direct services.