The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word UPCOUNTRY
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
U
P
C
O
U
N
T
R
Y
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "inland" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case inland = upcountry.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does UPCOUNTRY mean?
UPCOUNTRY noun- The interior of the country.
- Living or situated remote from the seacoast
- Towards the interior of the country and away from the seacoast.