What's on in and around Inverness and Loch Ness
On top of so many attractions, activities, and things to see and do in and around Inverness and Loch Ness, there are also a great number of events happening year-round to give you the perfect reason to visit! Below you will find a guide to what's on throughout the year, there is so much that you may need to visit more than once!
Active Ness
Discovering all things active!
When : Friday 7th July 2023
What Time : 10am - 3pm
Where : Torvean Park, Inverness
Who : Everyone welcome
How Much : It's FREE!!!
You are welcome along to this FREE event to experience what amazing activities we have on our doorstep. We have a great day planned for everyone to enjoy at Torvean Park in Inverness! Take the opportunity to walk the canal, cycle around the park, cycle around the local trails and try something different with our many activities on offer.
Eden Court Theatre
In the heart of Inverness is Eden Court, the Highland's largest theatre, cinema and arts venue situated close to the banks of the River Ness. It has an incredible lineup of shows throughout the year including touring west end musicals, Scottish Ballet, Opera, comedians, musicians and much more.
To check out what's on during your visit CLICK HERE
June
Ardersier Gala Classic Car Show and Parade - Saturday 3rd June -Ardersier - A wide range of classics, retros and interesting vehicles with a host of entertainment for all ages on the day.
Loch Ness Classic and Vintage Car Tour - Saturday 3rd June - Start and finish in Inverness, maximum 65 entries from classic and vintage car owners and also cars of a sporting nature.
Gin Fest - Saturday 17th June - Inverness Ice Centre - The best independent Gin distillers, with your chance to meet the folk behind some of Scotland’s best Gins and to sample the flavours.
As You Like It - Friday 7th July, 7pm - Cawdor Castle - With the magnificent Castle as the backdrop, outdoor theatre has been loved and celebrated by local audiences for over a decade at Cawdor Castle.
Clean Bandit - Friday 30th June - Northern Meeting Park, Inverness - With special guest Ella Henderson
July
Rag n Bone Man - Sunday 2nd July - Northern Meeting Park, Inverness - plus special guests
Under Canvas - 5th July - 26th August - Eden Court - Daily family-friendly events, the line-up features Scottish traditional music, performance and DJ sets, and a pop-up bar serving wood-fired pizza and local beers, gins and whisky.
Inverness Highland Games - Saturday 15th July - Bught Park, Inverness - Come and be part of a traditional Scottish Highland Games.
Belladrum Festival - 27th - 29th July - The Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival is a sell out music and arts festival, held on the Belladrum Estate in Kiltarlity near Inverness.
MacHamLear - Sunday 30th July, 7pm - Cawdor castle - With the magnificent Castle as the backdrop, outdoor theatre has been loved and celebrated by local audiences for over a decade at Cawdor Castle.
August
Moy Fair - 4th - 5th August - Moy - Moy Fair offers a wide range of entertainment and activities for all of the family! The emphasis is on field sports activities with competitions in fly casting, gun dog handling and clay pigeon shooting.
Glen Urquhart Highland Games - Saturday 26th August - Drumnadrochit - Experience a traditional Highland Games.
Loch Ness 24 - 26th & 27th August - Dores, Loch Ness - Take part in the second year of this 24 hour running race on the shores of Loch Ness.
Midsummer Night’s Dream at Cawdor Castle - Saturday 26th August, 7pm - Cawdor Castle - With the magnificent Castle as the backdrop, outdoor theatre has been loved and celebrated by local audiences for over a decade at Cawdor Castle.
Northern Meeting Park Piping Competition - Thursday 31st August - Eden Court Theatre - The Northern Meeting Piping Competition is one of the most prestigious piping competitions in the world.
September
Bungee / Catapult Loch Ness with Highland Hospice - 2nd & 3rd September - Dores beach - Want to be launched across and over the world famous Loch? You may get a glimpse of Nessie?
Ness Book Fest - 28th - 30th September - Venue TBC - Inverness’s unique book festival with the theme of ‘Future’ for 2023.
October
Loch Ness Marathon - Sunday 1st October - Loch Ness/Inverness - Come and run along side the world famous Loch in this award winning and incredibly scenic marathon.
Boo-tanics - Halloween, dates TBC - Spooktacular event held at the Inverness Botanic Gardens.
November
Annual Fireworks Display - TBC but normally held annually on 5th November at the Bught Park, Inverness.
December
Sleeping Beauty Pantomime - 6th December - 7th January 2024 - Eden Court - Get your tickets now for the magical family friendly pantomime Sleeping Beauty at Eden Court this Christmas.
Hogmanay Highland Fling - 31st December - Details to be confirmed for 2023.
January 2024
You'd think January is a quiet month, but there is always something going on!
The Strathpuffer - 24 hour mountainbike endurance event. 2024 entries open in July and its ALWAYS a sell out!
March
Inverness Half Marathon - Sunday 10th March 2024 - Entries already open to sign up for next year!
April
All the Spring sports and Easter events in and around Inverness and Loch Ness.
Pedal Power - Saturday 15th April - Drumnadrochit - A FREE family friendly event to inspire you on how to discover more on two wheels.
Anniversary of the Battle of Culloden - Friday 14th - Sunday 16th April - A Collection of events to commemorate the anniversary of the Battle of Culloden, with Lectures, presentations and livestream events.
Etape Loch Ness - Sunday 23rd April - An incredibly popular 66 mile cycle around the iconic Loch Ness on traffic free roads and tackling 900m of ascent.
Easter Eggsplorer Trails - Friday 7th - Monday 10th April - Urquhart Castle and Fort George - Enjoy a historic Easter trail through some of our most iconic sites.
May
Ultra X ultra marathons - Saturday 6th & Sunday 7th May - Loch Ness - 50 & 100km races around the mighty Loch Ness.
Make Your Own Crown Coronation celebration - Friday 5th - Monday 8th May- Urquhart Castle and Fort George - Historic Scotland events perfect for you to get ready to be crowned kings and queens of the castle (or fort!)
Inverness Car Show - Sunday 14th May - Dores - Expect to see 1000 Performance, modified, street, classic, retro & race cars on display, along with a Live stunt show taking place 3 times across the day
Inverness Classic Vehicle Show - Saturday 20th May - Inverness City Centre - The annual Inverness Classic Vehicle Show takes over the city centre with loads for the family to do! At 3pm the Parade Finale takes place through Inverness High Street with the procession of vehicles led by the City of Inverness Youth Pipe Band.
Inverness Walking and Wheeling Festival - 20th - 28th May - Showcasing Inverness as the perfect city for walking, cycling and active travel.
The Gathering - Saturday 27th May - Northern Meeting Park, Inverness - Tide Lines headline a host of amazing trad music bands in a day of Live music heaven!
Discover so much more
For more inspiration of what to see and do during your visit to Inverness and Loch Ness, head over to our Discover More page where you will find blogs and articles on everything from local hidden gems to find, to the best activities and attractions not to miss.