The Oldest Pub in Inverness: Gellions Bar and Historic Pubs

Where Gellions is and how to find it

Gellions sits on Bridge Street in the middle of the city centre, a short walk from the river and the castle. The city centre BID lists it at 14–17 Bridge Street, Inverness IV1 1HD, which is the address to give a taxi driver. Arriving by train or bus puts you close already, as Bridge Street is core centre territory rather than an outlying suburb.

The second address, Baron Taylors House, 21 Baron Taylor's St, Inverness IV1 1QG, is the one attached to the pub in its Highland Guide listing. The two streets are near neighbours in the same central block, so the confusion costs a minute's walk rather than a taxi fare. Look for the Gellions sign rather than trusting a postcode alone.

Bridge Street puts you within easy reach of the rest of the centre, so Gellions works well as a first stop. If you want to weigh it against the wider scene before committing, the best pubs in Inverness guide sets out the alternatives by mood and occasion.

Inside Gellions: the front bar and the Saturday ceilidh

The front bar is the live-music room. Gellions hosts live music most nights, and the city centre BID calls it home to the original and best Saturday ceilidh in Inverness, with the resident band Schiehallion. The line-up given is vocals, guitar and bodhran, accordion, bagpipes and drums, which tells you to expect a full Scottish folk sound.

Music most nights is not the same as music every night, and no fixed weekly schedule is published. If a particular evening matters, ring the bar on 01463 233648 or check its own channels before you travel. On a music night the front bar is the draw and therefore the crowded half of the pub.

That is the honest trade-off. Come for the ceilidh or the folk sets and accept standing room and raised volume; come for a quiet pint and head for the back. The two rooms do different jobs, and picking the right one is most of having a good night here.

Monty's, the back bar: darts, dominoes and big-screen sport

Monty's is the snug at the back, known locally as the Gellions back bar. The BID describes it as a place for darts and dominoes, with football on the big screen; the pub overall has five large screens with Sky and ESPN. It is also where Monty himself is said to be ready for a game of dominoes.

For a group with mixed priorities this is the useful room: sport and a game at one end, music at the other. It is a poor fit if you want a hushed pint on a match day, and a good one if you are killing an hour before dinner. If you are eating, note that the pub serves bar food daily rather than running a separate dining room; our gastropubs in Inverness guide is the place to look if you want a full sit-down meal instead.

There is also a heated, covered outdoor area with its own television, which adds capacity on a busy night without putting you in the middle of the band. In a Highland city where the weather decides a lot of plans, that covered space is the practical fallback.

What to drink and eat at Gellions

Beer is the strongest suit. Highland Guide records 24 taps in the building, with at least eight Scottish beers on draught at any time, spanning cask and craft. For a visitor wanting a sense of Scottish brewing, that range is the reason to order a half and work along the board.

Beyond beer, the same listing notes an extensive range of Scottish gins and whiskies. Treat that as a broad choice rather than a curated tasting list, and ask what is open or recommended rather than guessing from a shelf. If whisky is the main event of your trip, a distillery visit will teach you more than a bar session.

Food is straightforward bar meals, served daily according to the pub's own billing. That suits a pint and something hot before a night out; it is not the place to build a long dinner around. No menu or prices are published in the sources behind this piece, so ask at the bar or check the pub's own pages.

Gellions' two addresses explained

The duplicate addresses come from sources listing the pub from different angles: the BID entry uses 14–17 Bridge Street, while Highland Guide places it at Baron Taylors House, 21 Baron Taylor's St. Both are central and both carry the same phone number, 01463 233648, which is the simplest way to confirm you have the right place.

For planning purposes, treat Bridge Street as the main reference and Baron Taylor's Street as the neighbouring street to look for if you overshoot. No opening hours are published, so a phone call is the reliable check if you are arriving late or on a quiet weekday. That is the second and last reminder you need: trust the sign, the phone and the pub's own channels.

Other old and characterful pubs within a short walk

The Castle Tavern sits at 1 View Place, opposite Inverness Castle, which makes it the natural stop at the end of a walk along the Great Glen Way. Go for the view and a drink rather than a long session, and expect it to be busier when the weather is kind. Here the location is the main reason to choose it.

Glenalbyn Bar on Young Street, with origins as a coach house, sits by the waterfront with views towards the castle. It is an unpretentious local rather than a visitor set piece, so pick it when you want a straightforward Highland pub near the river. The Waterfront on Huntly Street is the more explicit river-view choice, with a kitchen that the same guide rates above its drinks list.

For real ale, the Phoenix Ale House on Academy Street is described as combining traditional pub character with a modern approach, and it has a restaurant and lounge as well as the bar. That makes it a reasonable option when one of your party wants a proper meal and another wants a pint. MacGregor's on Academy Street is the livelier, food-and-music end of the list.

Two more are worth knowing about. The Fluke on Culcabock Road is a community local away from the centre, and Innes Bar on Innes Street is the quiz option, with a Sunday-night quiz according to the same guide. Both are everyday pubs rather than attractions, so choose them if you want to drink where locals do.

Matching the pub to the occasion

For live Scottish music, Gellions is the obvious first choice, especially on a Saturday. For a view with your pint, the Castle Tavern gives you the castle and Glenalbyn or The Waterfront gives you the river. For real ale and a sit-down meal in one, the Phoenix Ale House covers both without moving.

If the plan runs to a Sunday roast, sort that separately and early, because Sunday menus and serving times vary pub by pub. Our Sunday roast Inverness guide covers where to look; ring ahead if a group of you are set on it.

Outdoor space is limited but real: Gellions has its heated covered area, while the Castle Tavern and Glenalbyn rely on their views and their doorsteps. If a garden or terrace is the point of the afternoon, check what each place actually offers before you walk. Our beer garden Inverness guide covers the options that suit warmer days.

Gellions or a crawl: which evening should you book?

Choose Gellions if you want one historic Inverness pub with music and a back bar for sport, and aim for a Saturday if your dates allow. Choose a short crawl instead if you want real ale, a river view and a proper meal across several stops: Phoenix Ale House, Glenalbyn and the Castle Tavern cover those bases within a walk of each other.

Either way, ring ahead on 01463 233648 if a specific night or a larger group matters. For everything else in the city, start from our best pubs in Inverness round-up and work outwards from Bridge Street.