Weather:
Notoriously unpredictable of course!
A weather forecast for Inverness is provided by Yahoo and there's also one by
the BBC
and one by
MetCheck.
Annual Events:
In July and August, there are various events for tourists in Inverness city.
These include Highland Dancing on a mini-stage in High Street on Thursday evenings at 6pm and Pipe Band performances on Tuesday evenings at 8pm.
You are also likely to see a piper or two busking in the streets of Inverness and sometimes other musical entertainment around the Eastgate shopping centre.
Look out for Scottish Showtime - a live professional performance of traditional Scottish music and dance suitable for adults & children.
Venue: Spectrum Centre by the bus station in central Inverness.
Dates: Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays (8.30pm - 10.30pm) in June, July, and August. Book your tickets by phone +44(0)1349 830 930 or via their web site.
Or from the Inverness Tourist Information Centre or at the show on the night of the performance. This popular show has been running for 37 years.
Live music sessions are held daily at the Scottish Ceilidh Bar called Hootananny in Church Street (tel: 01463 233651).
Other bars and pubs with music include: Blackfriars Pub (Academy Street), The Gellions (opposite the tourist information centre), Johnny Foxes (on the riverside near the main bridge).
For reviews of pubs and clubs in Inverness, visit urBarred.com
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 (formerly Warner) 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) following a major refurbishment project.
For LGBT friendly events in Inverness - click here
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.
In July, August and September the market is held on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month.
For additional events listings, see:
2010
- February: Inverness Fiddlers' Rally at Eden Court
- March: The Inverness Music Festival
- March: Inverness Half Marathon
- 1 - 2 May: Rock4Life with bands including Status Quo in aid of Highland Hospice. Two-day music festival near Inverness.
- 5 - 13 June: Nairn Book and Arts Festival
- 11 - 13 June: Rockness - music festival by Loch Ness
- 24 July: Inverness Highland Games in Bught Park. Tickets can be booked online. Web site includes video and photos from previous Games, as well as electronic postcards. A DVD is available.
The games are preceded on Saturday morning by the March of the Highlanders (sponsored walk from Culloden Battlefield Visitor Centre to the Inverness Highland Games) in aid of the Highland Hospice.
- 26 - 31 July: Inverness Tattoo from 8pm - 10pm at the Northern Meeting Park (by the cathedral)
- early August: Nairn Jazz Festival
- early 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.
- First Friday and Saturday in August: Highland Field Sports Fair at Moy Hall (between Aviemore and Inverness). Tel: 01463 232618.
- early August: Tartan Heart Festival on the Belladrum Estate, by Beauly. Family-orientated outdoor festival of rock, country, blues and world music.
- August - Glenurquhart Highland Games at Drumnadrochit, Loch Ness
- Last weekend in August - Inverness Flower Show
- early September - The Great River Ness Raft Race. This popular event was first staged in Inverness in 1978 and has since become a firm favourite with both locals and visitors. Organised by CHILDREN 1ST - Tel: 01463 794477.
- 3 - 11 September: Blas Traditional Music Festival (various venues around the Highlands)
- September: First Monster - 120k team duathlon race around the shores of Loch Ness to raise money for Save the Children
- early October: Loch Ness Marathon plus 5K and 10K River Ness fun runs.
- October: Blazin' in Beauly (music festival)
- 5 November: Bonfire & Fireworks display at Bught Park.
- late November: Inverness Film Festival.
- TBC: Inverness Book Festival
- TBC: Highland Archaeology Fortnight - events and seminars throughout the region.