Events

Here are some of the Inverness Events that are scheduled to take place in or near Inverness in 2017. The schedule includes the Scottish Open at Castle Stuart, 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, homebaking) 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:

28 – 29 January: Aviemore Sled dog rally organised by the Siberian Husky Club of Great Britain in Glenmore Forest Park

21 – 22 January: The Strathpuffer – 24-hour endurance mountain bike event at Strathpeffer

18 February: Snowman Rally (Highland Car Club)

February: Inverness Fiddlers’ Rally at Eden Court

25 February: North Hop Aviemore – beers, ciders, gin, craft spirits, whisky, cocktails, street food, sweet treats, live music and much more!. Venue Macdonald Aviemore Resort.

25 February – 8 March: The Inverness Music Festival

12 March: Inverness Half Marathon and 5K

1 April: OutDores – The Loch Ness Garden Party Inverness – music gigs at Dores Inn/beach

14 – 15 April: The Great Easter Egg Hunt in Inverness City Centre

18 – 22 April: Whisky & Gin Festival, Bogbain Farm, Inverness – food, music and drink!

23 April: Etape Loch Ness cycle race

28 April – 12 May: Inverness Science Festival

5 – 7 May: Cromarty Crime & Thriller Festival

13 May: Inverness Classic Vehicle Show

19 May: UB40 in concert at the Northern Meeting Park

21 May: annual Race For Life

27 May: The Beach Boys in concert at Inverness Leisure Centre

28 May: The Nairnshire Challenge is a 30-mile sponsored duathlon organised annually to raise money for charity

3 June: Truckness at Bogbain Farm

7 – 8 June: XPO North Festival

10 June: Quest Adventure Series – Loch Ness: running, cycling and kayaking

20 June: Armed Forces Day Flag Raising

20 June: Status Quo in concert at Inverness Leisure

23 – 24 June: Northern Roots Festival – music festival by Bruce MacGregor at Bogbain Farm

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

1 – 2 July: Exclusively Highlands Craft and Food Fair at Eden Court Theatre

8 – 9 July: NessCon at Eden Court. This brand new comic convention for Scotland will include movies, gaming, comics, anime, TV, gadgets, etc.

July tbc: Caledonian Ceilidh Trail at various venues in and around Inverness

14 July: Inverness City Centre eve of Games entertainment

15 July: Inverness Highland Games at Bught Park

16 July: Bryan Adams concert at Bught Park, Inverness

Sunday 16 July: Inverness Gala featuring the Highlands Strongest Man and Strongest Women’s competition at Northern Meeting Park

Sunday 16 July: Inverness Shinty Sixes at Bught Park

28 – 29 July: Loch Ness Film Festival

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

3 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.

3 – 5 August: Belladrum – Tartan Heart Festival on the Belladrum Estate, by Beauly. Family-orientated outdoor festival of rock, country, blues and world music.

4 – 5 August: Highland Field Sports Fair at Moy Hall (between Aviemore and Inverness). Tel: 01463 232618.

13 August: Strathpeffer Highland Gathering

19 August: Groove Loch Ness

19 August: Nairn Highland Games

19 August: Nairn Half Marathon

25 August: Viking Festival

26 August: Viking Festival and Parade, Inverness

26 August: Glenurquhart Highland Games at Drumnadrochit, Loch Ness

29 August – 2 September: The Scottish Salmon Festival

31 August – 1 September: Northern Meeting Piping Competition at Eden Court

1 – 9 September: Blas Traditional Music Festival (various venues around the Highlands)

early September: Doors Open Days in Inverness