The Castle Tavern is a historic four-storey stone pub sitting directly opposite Inverness Castle, in a building dating back to around the mid-1700s. The ground-floor bar serves real ales and malt whiskies, and there is an upstairs restaurant serving traditional Scottish food with views over the castle and the River Ness. Outside there is a terraced beer garden looking down over the city. The building is Category C listed and dogs are welcome in the bar area. It hosts regular live acoustic music from local artists alongside its weekly open mic.
Inverness · Every Friday · No fee listed
The Castle Tavern Open Mic
Inverness's weekly Friday open mic at The Castle Tavern, IV2 4SA.
Next night: Fri 13 Nov. Kick-off time to be confirmed. No fee listed.
Nearby open micsUpdated 13 November 2026
At a glance
Checked 23 Sept 202620:00
Kick-off
Fridays
time tbc · we're working to find outFridays
| Night | Every Friday |
| Sign-up | Walk-in |
| Slot | Ask the host |
| Entry | No fee listed · all ages |
| Backline | Ask the host |
01 — Inside the room
4 photosPhotos: Google
91
page views on GigXchange. Is it your night?
0 members voted to bring the venue onto GigXchange02 — The details
Before you goEverything you need to know
0
Member votes
votes to get this venue on GigXchange
| Capacity | – |
| Performer types | Musicians |
| Website | castletavern.pub |
The check
| Status | Verified running |
| Last checked | 23 Sept 2026 |
| Checked against | Ticket listing |
03 — The night
Every FridayHow the night runs
20:00
Kick-off
Fridays · time tbcRunning order
20:00 Kick-off (tbc)
01:00 Venue closes
Times marked tbc aren't confirmed yet - we're working to find out.
04 — Find The Castle Tavern
Castle StreetGetting there
1-2 View Place,
Castle Street, Inverness IV2 4SA
Castle Street, Inverness IV2 4SA
The nearest station is Inverness (rail station), about 10 minutes' walk away.
05 — What's on stage
TBC| PA system | TBC |
| Drum kit | TBC |
| Guitar amp | TBC |
| Bass amp | TBC |
| Keys / keyboard | TBC |
| Vocal mics | TBC |
| In-house engineer | TBC |
06 — About
Castle Street, InvernessAbout the night
The Castle Tavern runs a weekly open mic every Friday in its bar opposite Inverness Castle. The night is hosted by a regular compere with other local players covering when he is away. Published start times have varied between an afternoon and an early evening slot, so check the pub's Facebook page for the current time before turning up. It is an acoustic, informal night in a small traditional bar.
The Castle Tavern is a historic four-storey stone pub sitting directly opposite Inverness Castle, in a building dating back to around the mid-1700s. The ground-floor bar serves real ales and malt whiskies, and there is an upstairs restaurant serving traditional Scottish food with views over the castle and the River Ness. Outside there is a terraced beer garden looking down over the city. The building is Category C listed and dogs are welcome in the bar area. It hosts regular live acoustic music from local artists alongside its weekly open mic.
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Castle Street · Every Friday
The Castle Tavern Open Mic
Inverness's weekly Friday open mic at The Castle Tavern, IV2 4SA.
- Friday
- Open mic night
- Sept 2026
- Listed since
- 23 Sept
- Last verified
- No fee
- Entry
- —
- Sign-up time
- Verified
- Listing status
Run a Inverness open mic? List it free — reviewed before it goes live
Last updated: 13 November 2026
The Castle Tavern Open Mic — Quick Facts
The Castle Tavern Open Mic runs on Fridays at The Castle Tavern in Inverness. Inverness's weekly Friday open mic at The Castle Tavern, IV2 4SA. Below: when it runs, sign-up and slots, the stage kit and how to get there.
Open mic status Last verified 23 Sept 2026
How sure we are
Verified active
Checked against the venue’s own listing See The Castle Tavern’s venue page →
It's walk-in sign-up - arrive early to get a slot.
Sign-upWalk-in on the night
BacklineNot confirmed yet
Sound engineerAsk the venue
Directory statusVerified active
Member votes0 to get the venue on GigXchange
Websitecastletavern.pub
How do you rate this open mic?One tap, no sign-up required.
Spotted something wrong with this listing?Closed, moved night, different start time? Let us know. We review corrections within 7 days.
NightFridayEvery FridayNext: Fri 13 Nov
StartsTBCstart timeNot confirmed yet
Sign-upWalk-insign-up
SlotsTBCslot lengthNot confirmed yet
What’s on in Inverness this week — or see what’s on across the UK.
About This Open Mic
The Castle Tavern runs a weekly open mic every Friday in its bar opposite Inverness Castle. The night is hosted by a regular compere with other local players covering when he is away. Published start times have varied between an afternoon and an early evening slot, so check the pub's Facebook page for the current time before turning up. It is an acoustic, informal night in a small traditional bar.
The kit on stage — equipment and backline at this venue, verified regularly.
PA systemTBC
Drum kitTBC
Guitar ampTBC
Bass ampTBC
Keys / keyboardTBC
Vocal micsTBC
In-house engineerTBC
The Night at a Glance
How The Castle Tavern’s Friday night runs.
Sign-up opensTBCNot confirmed yet
Kick-offTBCNot confirmed yet
Music endsTBCNot confirmed yet
Venue closes01:00The listed closing time
How often
Every Friday
Coming up
Fri 13 Nov · Fri 20 Nov · Fri 27 Nov
First time here?
Arrive early to get your name on the list, tune up before you go on.
Find The Castle Tavern
1-2 View Place, Castle Street, Inverness IV2 4SA
Address1-2 View Place
AreaCastle Street, Inverness
PostcodeIV2 4SA
DirectionsOpen in Google Maps →
Getting there
The nearest station is Inverness (rail station), about 10 minutes' walk away. You'll find The Castle Tavern in Castle Street, Inverness; IV2 4SA is the postcode for sat-nav and ride apps. Check the venue's website for parking and the nearest station.
Open mics nearby
The Bandstand, Suie Bar, Glachbeg Croft Folk Club and Hootananny
Station data: NaPTAN, Department for Transport (Open Government Licence).
Planning Your Friday Night
Arrive early to sign up for a slot. The kit is not listed yet — ask the host what is provided.
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What should you charge for a paid gig? Most open mic musicians are ready sooner than they think — try the Rate Calculator for live UK rates by role, city and venue size. Part of the Inverness live music scene.
Common Questions
9 things people ask before turning up at Inverness' The Castle Tavern open mic.
Walk-in sign-up only. Arrive early — slots fill on the night. See other Inverness open mic nights for alternatives.
The Castle Tavern has not listed its kit yet — ask the host before you go.
Slot length varies — check with the host.
No entry fee is listed for The Castle Tavern's open mic - most open mics are free to play and to watch, but check with the venue before you go. Browse Inverness open mics.
Ask the host before bringing a full band — solo and duo acts are the usual open-mic format.
1-2 View Place, Castle Street, Inverness IV2 4SA.
Mostly fellow musicians, friends and Inverness regulars across the Inverness open mic scene. Inverness open mic crowds tend to listen attentively.
The nearest station is Inverness (rail station), about 10 minutes' walk away. For sat-nav and taxis, the postcode is IV2 4SA. (Station data: NaPTAN, Department for Transport, Open Government Licence.)
Sign-up is walk-in on the night, so you do not need to book ahead. GigXchange doesn't publish venue phone numbers or emails - the venue's own website is linked on this page. Browse other Inverness open mics.
Venues Near The Castle Tavern
No other gigs are listed at The Castle Tavern in the GigXchange directory yet — these are the rooms around it, their size, kit and live nights.
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The Castle Tavern open mic in brief. The Castle Tavern open mic runs every Friday (no fee listed). The Castle Tavern’s venue page has its kit and capacity if you want to come back with a full band. For a different night this week, the open mics near Inverness are listed by day.
Booking or playing in Inverness? The GX Index publishes what UK gigs actually pay, by city, band size and venue type, and the GX Index reports set out the methodology and the sample behind every figure. Both are free to read and free to cite.
Keep exploring: the UK gig directory for what's coming up, the venue directory for rooms that book live music, the open mic finder for recurring stage time, and what's on across the UK this week. The blog covers pricing, contracts and getting booked, and about GigXchange explains who runs it and why. Something not right on this page? Tell us — or start on the home page.
09 — More Inverness open mics
All ›Want paid gigs instead of open mics? See Inverness gigs or check the going rate.
10 — Venues near The Castle Tavern
All ›More rooms near The Castle Tavern: ETH @Elgin Community Centre, Fochabers Public Institute, Forres Town Hall, Glachbeg Croft Folk Club, Hootananny, Ironworks, Johnny Foxes, Nairn Community and Arts Centre, Northern Meeting Park, Old North Inn and Port A Bhaigh Campsite.
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