I review 5 Inverness pubs to find my favourite

There are plenty of bars and pubs to choose from in Inverness, but which is actually worth a visit?

When I visited the city was busy – despite the rain – with tourists and locals alike shopping, eating and drinking.

I headed to five popular pubs and bars to see if any stood out from the rest.

Read on to find my rankings below.

Gellions Bar

The first place I visited was Gellions Bar, which claims to be the oldest pub in Inverness.

The service here was friendly.

The pub has live music from Monday to Sunday, and even offers whisky tasting flights.

Gellions Bar in Inverness. Image: Joanna Bremner/DC Thomson.

I appreciated the pink lighting in the pub, which added a bright, cheerful feel to the place.

The bathrooms here were clean and tidy. A wee electric fireplace helped add to the cosy atmosphere at Gellions Bar.

the bar area inside The Gellions — The interior of The Gellions. Image: Joanna Bremner/DC Thomson.

Address: 14 Bridge St, Inverness IV1 1HD

Johnny Foxes

My next stop on my day trying to find the best pub in Inverness was Johnny Foxes.

It immediately had a quirky feel to it, and from the looks of this sign, it’s clear this place can get pretty rowdy later in the day.

On my visit, it was already filling up with customers having a bite to eat, and others enjoying a drink.

A sign reminding people to behave at Johnny Foxes, Inverness. Image: Joanna Bremner/DC Thomson.

The décor continued the quirky feel, with fairy lights adorning the walls, stained glass in places and bright green painted brick.

The loos are tidy here too.

The staff here were polite, but not very chatty. I got the feeling they were disappointed that I was just visiting for a drink rather than food.

the inside of Johnny Foxes, where a wooden partition has two stained glass windows — Johnny Foxes is colourful and quirky. Image: Joanna Bremner/DC Thomson.

Address: 26 Bank St, Inverness IV1 1QU

MacGregor’s

At MacGregor’s, though, they seemed happy to see me.

The place had a few groups and couples already filling the tables.

It was nice to see local drinks producers represented at the bar, including Cromarty Brewing Co, based just over half an hour from Inverness.

the bar at MacGregor's pub in Inverness. — MacGregor’s in Inverness. Image: Joanna Bremner/DC Thomson

There was some cheery folk music playing, and I enjoyed the photos of various fiddlers and other musicians on the wall.

The bathrooms here are nice and clean as well, and I liked the drink-themed sinks.

framed pictures on the wall at MacGregor's pub — I loved this detail in MacGregor’s pub. Image: Joanna Bremner/DC Thomson

Address: 113 Academy St, Inverness IV1 1LX

Highlander

The Highlander pub has very friendly service. I felt very welcome here.

There are plenty of different seats to choose from, including stools at the bar and seating at tables for food.

There’s a stage here too for live music.

The exterior of Highlander pub, which is on Church Street, Inverness. — Highlander pub is on Church Street, Inverness. Image: Joanna Bremner/DC Thomson

The décor is fun and colourful, including painted cask lids from various distilleries, and a heilan coo blowing bubblegum.

With slate grey flooring, white tiles on the walls and a wooden worktop, the Highlander toilets are probably the most modern loos in the pubs I visited.

The colourful cask wall at Highlander pub. Image: Joanna Bremner/DC Thomson

They are clean too, and have a handy infographic showing how to tell if your drink has been spiked.

Address: 44-46 Church St, Inverness IV1 1EH

The Castle Tavern

The Castle Tavern is my last stop of the day.

There is some quiet chatter going on here from families and couples, and plenty of friendly banter from the staff.

There are friends enjoying a late lunch, and the place has the homely smell of steak pie and chips.

the beer garden and exterior of Castle Tavern in Inverness — Castle Tavern was the final pub I visited. Image: Joanna Bremner/DC Thomson

I got a seat by the radiator, which made this a lovely, warm stop on my tour of Inverness pubs.

The loos here are pretty dated, but clean enough – though there is a strange gap in the ceiling leading up to a loft space above a cubicle, which is slightly odd.