Events & What’s Happening
Traditional Scottish Highland Games held at Bught Park featuring caber tossing, hammer throwing, pipe bands, and Highland dancing competitions.
💡Arrive early to secure a good viewing spot on the grass; the Highland dancing competitions are a highlight for younger children.
Annual outdoor military and pipe band tattoo held at Inverness Castle esplanade, celebrating Scottish military heritage with massed pipes and drums.
💡Bring earplugs for smaller children as the massed pipe bands can be very loud; wrap up warm as evenings cool quickly.
Family-friendly music and arts festival held just outside Beauly near Inverness, widely known for its dedicated and extensive children's programming.
💡The kids' area is exceptional with circus skills, crafts, and a separate stage; wellies are essential as the site can get muddy.
Scenic marathon and fun run events along the banks of Loch Ness, finishing in Inverness city centre with a festival atmosphere.
💡Children can enter the junior and family fun runs; cheer runners at the city centre finish line for a free family outing.
Annual literary festival held in Inverness bringing together Scottish and international authors for readings, workshops, and events for all ages.
💡Book children's author events well in advance as they sell out quickly; many events are free or low cost.
Festive Christmas market and late-night shopping events in and around Inverness city centre and the historic Victorian Market, with lights, stalls, and entertainment.
💡The Victorian Market's indoor covered arcade makes it a great wet-weather option; look out for the free Santa grotto events.
Competitive music festival for young performers across the Highlands, featuring vocal, instrumental, and ensemble categories held at Eden Court Theatre.
💡A wonderful chance to watch local young talent; entry to watch many of the daytime sessions is low cost or free.
Monthly farmers market held in the city centre on the first Saturday of each month, featuring Highland produce, baked goods, meat, cheese, and crafts.
💡Pick up freshly baked treats and local venison; arrives early for the best selection before it sells out.
Regular family film screenings at Eden Court Theatre, Inverness's main arts centre, showing current and classic family-friendly films on weekend mornings.
💡Eden Court also runs regular children's theatre productions; check their website for combined family day-out packages.
Free weekly rhymetime and storytime sessions for babies and toddlers at Inverness Library, run by Highland Council library staff.
💡Sessions are popular so arrive a few minutes early; suitable for children under five and a great way to meet local families.
Free weekly 2km junior parkrun for children aged 4–14 at Bught Park beside the River Ness, part of the global parkrun community.
💡Register free at parkrun.org.uk before attending; the flat riverside course is perfect for first-timers and younger runners.
Inverness's historic covered Victorian Market is open throughout the week with independent traders selling gifts, food, and local crafts — busiest on Saturdays.
💡A great rainy-day option; the covered arcade keeps everyone dry and the independent café inside is child-friendly.
Planning Your Visit
Neighborhoods & Areas
Local Tips for Families
- 💡The Inverness Leisure Centre on Bught Lane has a family swim session on weekend mornings for around £4-5 per person — significantly cheaper than any indoor attraction and genuinely useful when Highland rain hits.
- 💡The Loch Ness Centre in Drumnadrochit relaunched with a full rebrand in 2023 and now includes a genuinely engaging exhibition with sonar evidence displays — book online in advance in July and August as timed entry slots sell out by mid-morning.
- 💡Culloden Battlefield is managed by the National Trust for Scotland — if your family plans to visit more than two NTS sites in Scotland, a family membership (around £85 in 2025) pays for itself quickly and covers Culloden, Cawdor Castle, and Glencoe Visitor Centre.
- 💡The Jacobite steam train (the one used in Harry Potter filming) departs from Fort William, not Inverness — it's 65 miles south via the A82, so factor in a full day if combining it with a Loch Ness stop at Drumnadrochit on the way back.
- 💡Buy Smidge midge repellent before arriving — it is available at Inverness train station and Boots on the High Street. Standard DEET repellents are largely ineffective against Highland midges, and the insects can make Loch Ness shoreline stops genuinely miserable from June to August.
- 💡The Hootananny pub on Church Street has a family-friendly folk music session on Friday afternoons before 8pm — children are welcome during daytime hours and it gives families a real taste of Highland live music without a late night.
- 💡The free car park at Dores Beach on the southeastern shore of Loch Ness (12 miles from Inverness via the B862) gives a quieter and more scenic loch-side experience than the busy A82 corridor through Drumnadrochit, with a small family-run pub, the Dores Inn, right on the beach.
- 💡Glen Affric, 30 miles southwest of Inverness near Cannich, is arguably the most beautiful glen in Scotland and has a free Forestry Scotland car park at Dog Falls with short waymarked woodland walks suitable for young children — almost no tourists compared to Glencoe.
- 💡The Victorian Market arcade on Academy Street in the city centre has a small cafe selling cheap filled rolls and hot drinks — useful for a budget family lunch before or after a day trip, and it stays open even on Sundays unlike many High Street shops.