Inverness Airport Railway Station

What does this mean?

It means there is now a railway station for Inverness, rather than requiring a taxi or a bus from the city centre.

Okay.

I thought Inverness had long had a railway station.

There is for Inverness, there is now one for Inverness Airport as well, so there is a rail connection.

The published plans for the station always said that it would be within walking distance of the terminal, rather like Southend Airport Station, and that is what the map on the Scotrail website seems to show.
But there has also been a 1/2 hourly Stagecoach bus service running between the station and the airport terminal since the station was meant to open in December. Because of the road layout that somehow takes 6 minutes for the journey.
One service an hour is Inverness to Culloden Battlefield, and the other is Inverness to Nairn.
According to Network Rail twitter it opens today but the first public train is the 0505 tomorrow (the 0456 Inverness to Aberdeen).

Scotrail is having a lot of disruptions today.

The walking time from station to terminal, on the multi user path, is quoted in the local press as 12 minutes, and is said to be half a mile. The 5 minute bus ride costs £2.90.

It is definitely possible to walk from the new Airport railway station to the terminal building. I'd do it in dry weather and if I had wheeled luggage, as it's a paved path all the way. However, in bad weather or really heavy luggage I'd take the bus even at £2.90.

Scotrail have now announced that you can buy a through ticket from anywhere in the UK to 'Inverness Airport Bus Stance' for a £1.90 add on ie- £1 less than paying the bus fare separately.
At the moment such a ticket can only be purchased from the scotrail website or app, not from any other train company.
Doubtless that will change over time.

This is the just released Geoff Marshall video about Inverness Airport station-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvrYdPyOESg

Note one other Titbit to emerge from the video (not emerge, reminded me of)- Inverness Airport is exempt from Air Passenger Duty (Aberdeen isn't) due to it's 'lifeline' flights to Orkney, Shetland and the Outer Hebrides- which is a potential saving for long haul passengers connecting elsewhere.

I have been there today.
At the station end it is said to be a 1220 metre walk, at the airport end 1400 metres!!
The original complaints that it was not clearly signposted are gone.
Now lots of signs, and lit all the way.
The station has two platforms but only the one closest to the airport is in normal use.
It took me exactly 12 minutes to walk, sauntering.
The other platform is for future service enhancements and use in times of disruption.
Rental car companies at the airport are Budget, Avis and Europocar.
There is a nice gift shop at the airport which sells guidebooks to the NC500 and lots of Harris Tweed products (including purses both in the American and English definitions), and a cafe/bar with superb apron views.I
And WH Smith sells local tablet and fudge, for those with a sweet tooth.
The airport is a lot bigger than last time I was there, but still a very homely place.

Thanks for the update, isn31c.
I'm going to be there on Monday and I hadn't made a choice yet between bus or train to Inverness center. I'm 99% sure I'll take the train after reading your post. Thank you!