Breweries in Inverness: Where to Drink Local Beer

What Inverness brewing looks like now

Inverness has two breweries worth planning around. Uile-bheist is the in-town option on Ness Bank, describing itself as the first distillery to operate in Inverness in over a century, with brewing and distilling sharing one riverside building. Black Isle Brewery is the established Highland name, brewing organically since 1998 at Old Allangrange near Munlochy, with bars in Inverness and Fort William.

The two sites suit different days. Uile-bheist works on foot as part of an afternoon in town, and its restaurant makes it a full evening rather than a quick pint. Black Isle's Munlochy site is a short trip out and pairs naturally with a half-day in the countryside, while the city bar covers the evening when travelling is not appealing. Check taproom and bar times before building a day around either.

Uile-bheist Distillery & Brewery, Ness Bank

Uile-bheist sits at Ness Bank, Inverness IV2 4SG, on the same riverside grounds as the Glen Mhor Hotel and Apartments. The building is a working brewery and distillery with a visitor experience attached, so you can drink in the taproom while the kit is running behind it. For a central brewery stop that needs no car and no planning beyond a booking, this is the obvious first call.

The brewery side is built around local ingredients, with the company describing its beer as made with locally grown and malted barley, Scottish oats and River Ness water. The site also draws energy from the river, which is central to how the brewery presents itself. Go for the beer brewed on site and poured close to the tanks, not for a wide guest list.

The Glen Mhor group also owns Uile-bheist, so staying riverside and drinking there fit together easily. If your group is split between beer and whisky, this is the one Inverness brewery where both are made and served in the same building.

Uile-bheist taproom: tanks, five beers and a long whisky shelf

The taproom is the reason to come without booking a tour. It looks onto the working brewhouse and serves the brewery's own beers straight from the tanks, alongside a whisky selection the company puts at over 300 bottles. That combination makes it unusually easy to please a group with mixed preferences without moving venues.

There are five craft beers on offer, according to Uile-bheist, which keeps the choice manageable rather than overwhelming. Order a short run through them rather than committing to a single pint, then settle on the one you want a full glass of. Confirm taproom times before you set out.

If you want a proper sit-down meal alongside the beer, the on-site Uile-bheist Restaurant focuses on sustainable, local Highland produce and looks over the River Ness. Book a table and confirm kitchen times directly. For other options nearby, our guide to pub food Inverness covers the wider choice.

Uile-bheist tours: which session suits you

Uile-bheist runs brewery and distillery tours, described as the first distillery tours in the heart of Inverness in over a century. Sessions range from an entry-level introduction to an expert-led master maker tour, and all of them cover production alongside the Scottish folklore the brand is built on. Casual drinkers should take the shorter introductory format and save the longer session for someone genuinely interested in the craft.

Tour numbers and slots are managed through the brewery's own booking page, and prices are quoted at the point of booking rather than on the main site. Book ahead rather than turning up, especially in summer. If whisky is the main draw, our guide to Whisky in Inverness covers the wider options beyond this one site.

Two distillery trips sit within easy reach if you want to extend the day: Glen Ord at Muir of Ord, which has a train link from Inverness, and Tomatin, 16 miles south and reachable by car, taxi or guided tour. Both are distilleries rather than breweries, so treat them as an add-on, not a substitute.

Black Isle Brewery, Munlochy: organic beer from the farm

Black Isle Brewery brews at Old Allangrange, Munlochy, IV8 8NZ, roughly seven miles from Inverness. It has been an organic brewery since 1998 and holds B Corp certification, so the environmental side is not a marketing afterthought. The Munlochy site also has a market garden and accommodation, which makes it the fuller visit of the two.

The core range is easy to understand before you arrive. Red Kite is a 4.2% ale with toffee and biscuit malt, Blonde Organic Lager is a crisp 4.5%, the Organic Pale Ale is a 4.1% with citrus and pine, and the Organic Porter is a 4.6% with liquorice and chocolate notes. All four are suitable for vegans, the Red Kite and Organic Pale Ale are labelled unfiltered, and cans start from a couple of pounds when bought direct.

Buying a mixed case direct is the low-effort way to try the range if the trip to Munlochy does not fit your plans. Otherwise, treat the brewery as a short excursion and check visiting arrangements before travelling.

Black Isle's Inverness bar: the city-centre option

Black Isle runs a bar in Inverness as well as one in Fort William, so you can drink its beer without the trip to the farm. That makes it the sensible choice on a wet day, a tight schedule or an evening when nobody wants to drive. Expect the brewery's own beers rather than a broad guest roster, and check the bar's current hours before you go.

The Inverness bar is a good starting point for a crawl rather than the whole evening. Pair it with one of the best pubs in Inverness nearby to cover both the brewery tap experience and a proper Scottish pub.

Choosing between the two

Pick Uile-bheist if you want to stay in town, combine beer with whisky, or eat a proper meal on site. It is walkable from the riverside and needs no transport planning, which matters if you are fitting a brewery into a single afternoon. Pick Black Isle if the brewery itself is the point and you fancy the farm setting and market garden, or if you simply want the beer and will settle for the city bar.

Travelling to Munlochy without a car is the main practical snag, so check local bus routes and timings before committing. Whichever you choose, book tours in advance and confirm food service with the venue. Our oldest pub in Inverness guide is a useful complement if you want history with your pint.

Beer styles to order in Inverness

Start with lager if you want something clean with food: Blonde Organic Lager at Black Isle is a crisp 4.5%, while Uile-bheist brews a craft lager among its five taps. Move to pale ale or IPA for more hop character, including Black Isle's Organic Pale Ale and Uile-bheist's Forrest Dweller IPA and White Witch Unfiltered IPA. Finish with stout or porter if you like roast and chocolate, from Dark Horse Stout in town to Black Isle's Organic Porter.

Ask what is pouring fresh on the day rather than relying on any list, because tank-fresh beer changes with the brew schedule. A half-pint run through the range is the cheapest way to find your beer before committing to a full one.

Which Inverness brewery should you book?

For most visitors the answer is both, in the right order: an afternoon tour and a pint at Uile-bheist on Ness Bank, then Black Isle's beer at its Inverness bar later in the trip. If you only have time for one, choose Uile-bheist for convenience and the beer-and-whisky combination, or Black Isle for the organic brewery visit and farm setting.

Book tours direct with each brewery, confirm taproom and kitchen times before travelling, and sort out transport to Munlochy in advance if you are going without a car. For the rest of your drinking, the best pubs in Inverness and the city's Sunday roast options fill in the gaps around the breweries.