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Five Must-Visit Dog Friendly Restaurants and Bars In Inverness

There’s nothing we love more than handing over the spotlight to dog owners who know their local area best. This week, we invited Cara and Hudson @hudson.highland to give us the inside scoop on their local area, Inverness. Together they sniffed out some of their favourite dog friendly restaurants and bars. Perfect for your next adventure in the Highlands.


With the beauty of the Scottish Highlands just minutes away, Inverness is perfectly situated as a base for your adventures. Despite its smaller size in comparison to other Scottish cities it offers a surprisingly good culinary scene and has multiple dog friendly choices. Being fortunate enough to have the Highlands on our doorstep, we would like to share with you our Top 5 dog friendly restaurants & bars in Inverness.

The Black Isle Bar

The Black Isle Bar is an Inverness staple and our go-to place for a beer and a pizza after a long hike in the hills. During the Summer season the bar is packed with tourists and locals alike; and no matter what, our dog Hudson is always made to feel welcome! Here, you will not feel out of place at all with your canine companion. It such a popular dog-friendly spot that there is usually a couple of pooches already hanging out with their owners when we show up! They are so dog friendly, if you look at their Instagram feed you mostly see life’s three essentials: dogs, beer and pizza. 

They have a great selection of beers on tap from their brewery across the water on the Black Isle and their wood-fired oven pizzas are mouth-watering. They also have a selection of food suited for vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free diets. If you aren’t a beer drinker, they have got that covered too!

We cannot wait until their doors open again and we can chill out with a drink in hand, in their secret garden. If you are passing through Inverness with your dog, you’d be hard pressed to find a more dog-friendly place!

Scotch & Rye 

The second bar at the top of our league table is Scotch & Rye. We have long history with this establishment, that opened its doors when we first moved to the city.  It goes without saying that they love dogs and the staff are always keen to steal some cuddles from Hudson. Their cocktails are so good, we actually usually need to leave Hudson at home because it is the preferred location to kick start our nights out (remember those?). We have seen bar staff change over the years, but the standard remains high. They make a mean cosmopolitan – which in my books marks it out as a quality bar. If you are planning on going with your dog, we would suggest visiting at lunchtime or early evening as it is very popular and can get quite busy. 

When we think of Scotch & Rye, we think of burgers and cocktails, but my brother particularly enjoyed seeking to find the bottom of their bottomless Wednesday Wings deal, and he got pretty close!  As the name suggests, they of course also offer a wide range of Scottish whisky, if that’s your thing.

An awesome place to enjoy Highland hospitality with your dog!

The Dores Inn

Anybody who follows our account knows that we love walking along the shores of Loch Ness. Every time we take our dog Hudson to the beach, we pass the picturesque white cottage walls of the Dores Inn, with its pretty picnic benches arranged in the beer garden outside. This family-run pub and restaurant is situated in the perfect location and has stunning views of the Loch and surrounding hillsides. In the summer, the outdoor seating area really is the perfect place to be! You would struggle to find a better view for your lunch. The restaurant offers Scottish cuisine classics, I personally always go for the fish & chips. 

It has become a staple in our house and one of my favourite places to take friends who are travelling through the area. While dogs are welcomed in the outdoor seating area, indoors they are limited to the pub that has less than a handful of tables, so be aware that if it is a particularly busy and rainy day so you may need to have a back-up plan.

The Snow Goose Inn

With its rustic charm and warm inviting atmosphere, the Snow Goose is another family favourite. The restaurant has a section at the front which caters to dogs and their human companions so, we recommend booking in advance if you plan to make a trip! 

The Inn is conveniently located on the outskirts of Inverness, just off of the A96, so it’s a brilliant pit stop after exploring the East coast. To be fair the A9 is also five minutes away, so really, wherever you are exploring the Snow Goose is conveniently located for a pint after your adventures. This pub is also our celebration pub and in particular we like visiting on Sundays to enjoy a roast dinner. We always leave with a full belly and big smiles on our faces.

Hudson feels right at home when we visit The Snow Goose Inn thanks to Craig, Emma and the team, and I’m sure your pup will do too!

MacGregor’s Bar

After only a year of operation this bar was awarded the best bar/pub in the Highlands & Islands Tourism Awards. If we could give MacGregor’s an award it would be for how friendly they are to Hudson!

The quality that separates this bar from the rest on our list is their live music. Before the pandemic their regular live sessions at the bar were a total hoot. With their traditional Scottish music and friendly staff, MacGregor’s is an outstanding example of Highland hospitality. Their food menu is absolutely delicious & they have a great selection of drinks to choose from. What more could you ask for from a dog friendly venue?! 

MacGregor’s is also unique as it is one of the few places in the centre of town that has outdoor seating, so you can make the most of those precious sunny days. If you are passing through the capital of the Highlands, you’d be missing out if you didn’t pay the bar a visit!


Share Your Favourite Dog Friendly Places In Inverness

That concludes our top five dog friendly venues in the Inverness, if you are interested in more dog friendly experiences in the Highlands reach out to us @hudson.highland on Instagram. Do you have any favourite dog friendly places? Pop them in the comments below.

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