Events

Here are some of the Inverness Events that are scheduled to take place in or near Inverness in 2017 & 2018. The schedule includes the First Monster Race, Loch Ness Marathon and the Inverness Highland Games. Book your stay at Royston Guest House Inverness to be part of any of the great up and coming events.

Annual Events:
To entertain visitors, the Inverness Royal British Legion Pipe Band performs in Inverness High Street every Tuesday from 8pm until 8.30pm (usually from end June until early September). You are likely to see a piper or other musicians busking in the streets of Inverness and sometimes other entertainment around the Eastgate shopping centre.

Music in pubs/bars/hotels:
Most nights there’s traditional Scottish Music at Hootananny (Church Street) and the Gellions (opposite the tourist information centre), as well as live music at Johnny Foxes (Bank Street, overlooking the river) and the Market Bar (Church Street). Also try The Waterfront Pub (Huntly Street) for traditional Scottish music.
Piano music on Friday & Saturday nights in the bar at the Glenmoriston Hotel on the riverside.
For ceilidhs, try Hootananny on a Saturday afternoon and The Phoenix Ale House on Sunday afternoons.

The invernessGiGs web site includes music news, events listings, reviews, etc.
The Ironworks Live Music Venue at 122b Academy Street features concerts in all genres of music. Tel: 07787 535306.

For more venues, see the notice board in the tourist information office or posters around the city centre.

Vue is a cinema multiplex a couple of miles outside the city centre.

Concerts and other spectacles take place at Eden Court Theatre (near the cathedral on the river).
For art events, The Castle Gallery at 43 Castle Street (tel: 01463 729512) has exhibitions of original contemporary fine and applied art.

The Farmers’ Market is held on the first Saturday of each month (except January), with stalls of local produce (meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, cheese, home baking) in the Eastgate pedestrian area of Inverness city centre.

On Sundays there’s a car boot sale at Tulloch Caledonian Stadium from March – December.

For additional events listings, see:

The Inverness City Advertiser – detailed events listings covering music, nightclubs, cinema, theatre, sports, exhibitions, restaurants, etc.

What’s on list for Inverness

Visit mi inverness for savings, discounts and deals on restaurants, retail outlets, visitor attractions and local events

invernessGiGs for live music

What’s on at Strathpeffer Pavilion

Visit Inverness & Loch Ness – events in the area

Events in 2017:

4 November: Fireworks Display and Bonfire at Bught Park

8 – 12 November: Inverness Film Festival

12 November: Remembrance Sunday

19 November: Inverness Christmas Lights switch on, and carol service

1 – 2 December: Elf on the Shelf 2017 at the Victorian Market (children’s festive event)

early December: Cromarty Film Festival

15 – 17 December: Winter Wonderland at Whin Park

31 December: free Hogmanay concert – Red Hot Highland Fling

Events in 2018:

27 – 28 January: Aviemore Sled dog rally organised by the Siberian Husky Club of Great Britain in Glenmore Forest Park

20 – 21 January: The Strathpuffer – 24-hour endurance mountain bike event at Strathpeffer

10 February: Snowman Rally (Highland Car Club)

February: Inverness Fiddlers’ Rally at Eden Court

24 February – 7 March: The Inverness Music Festival

11 March: Inverness Half Marathon and 5K

tbc April: OutDores – music gigs at Dores Inn/beach

tbc April: Whisky & Gin Festival, Bogbain Farm, Inverness – food, music and drink!

20 – 22 April: Cromarty Crime & Thriller Festival

29 April: Etape Loch Ness cycle race

tbc May: Inverness Science Festival

tbc mid May: Inverness Classic Vehicle Show

2 June: Truckness at Bogbain Farm

tbc June: XPO North Festival

tbc June: Northern Roots Festival – music festival by Bruce MacGregor at Bogbain Farm

30 June: European Pipe Band Championships in Forres – the biggest piping event in the Highlands!

July – August: Caledonian Ceilidh Trail at various venues in the Highlands

20 July: Inverness Gala Night

21 July: Inverness Highland Games at Bught Park

27 – 28 July: Loch Ness Film Festival

28 July: Nairn Show with livestock exhibitions, craft fair, food stalls and amusements is held at Kinnudie Farm, Auldearn.

1 – 2 August: Black Isle Show at Mannsfield Showground, Muir of Ord (tel: 01463 870870). This is the largest agricultural show in the North of Scotland. It attracts over 2,000 cattle, horse and sheep entries, more than 300 trade stands and over 25,000 visitors to the show each year. There is plenty to see and do, craft fair, food fair, ‘On the Farm’ exhibition for the kids, agricultural stands, vintage rally and sheep shearing.

2 – 4 August: Belladrum – Tartan Heart Festival on the Belladrum Estate, by Beauly. Family-orientated outdoor festival of rock, country, blues and world music.

3 – 4 August: Highland Field Sports Fair at Moy Hall (between Aviemore and Inverness).

11 August: Strathpeffer Highland Gathering

tbc August: Groove Loch Ness

tbc 18 August: Nairn Highland Games

tbc 18 August: Nairn Half Marathon

25 August: Glenurquhart Highland Games at Drumnadrochit, Loch Ness

tbc September: The Scottish Salmon Festival

tbc late August : Northern Meeting Piping Competition at Eden Court

early September: Inverness Jazz Festival at the Glenmoriston Town House Hotel, Inverness

early September: Blas Traditional Music Festival (various venues around the Highlands)

early September: Doors Open Days in Inverness

tbc September: Highland Military Tattoo at Fort George.