Not already a member?
Join our community and
- Rate & review pubs
- Upload pictures
- Add events
JOIN for free NOW
Chat about:
Guess who I met today? with Mobyduck
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
The Gellions, Inverness
Inverness
IV1 1HD
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5½ of 10) see review guidelines
Old Boots left this review about The Gellions
Along with Lauders this claims to be the oldest pub in Inverness, established 1841, Lauders claims 1852 so they haven’t walked round the corner and looked. A long thin place, there’s a fenced off stage with some kit immediately to the left, then a big square-ish counter and seating area before some steps lead down to a seating area with toilets and an outside area. There's also something called Montys Bar out there. Two horseshoes of usual Scots and UK kegs there are also on my visit two hand pumps, one unclipped although Camra says usually one, to be fair one was glassed but reverse clip. Blackthorn’s review pretty much describes how it is now. The screens were showing Aussie rules football on silent so as not to interfere with the piped music I guess, the live music was on later. A few old photos, old posters and blackboards advertising forthcoming music and sport as decor.
On 24th May 2026
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 4107 recommendations about 3768 pubs]
Alastair Barter left this review about The Gellions
The full address for The Gellions is 14 Bridge Street.
On 6th November 2025
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 369 recommendations about 331 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ian Mapp left this review about The Gellions
Claiming to be oldest in Inverness. Very standard city centre pub that does benefit from having live music and live football - possibly at he same time :-)
Deuchars was Ok.
On 4th October 2019
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1859 recommendations about 1825 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about Gellions
This claims to be the oldest pub in Inverness, and looks suitably authentic from the outside. Once inside however, it’s really a bit of a disappointment, being rather drab and not at all “olde worlde”. Whether that’s because it only dates from 1841 (where on earth did the locals drink before that?) or whether, as is perhaps more likely, it looks as though it had a somewhat unsympathetic refurbishment in the 60’s or 70’s and hasn’t been touched since.
The main bar at the front has a sanded wooden floor and wallpaper that has had several coats of paint applied to it. There is a strip of dark wood panelling running around the wall at chest height, but other than that there is nothing of any note. There were a couple of plasmas on the wall showing Sky Sports and various local advertisements, and several flags pinned to the ceiling. There were a few items of golf memorabilia on the walls, and a couple of large mirrors. The seating is fairly limited, with several small high tables and stools around the perimeter, and just one table and chairs in the middle of the floor.
The rear bar appears to be more geared up for eating, although with it’s chequered lino floor it had the look and feel, as well as the smell, of a greasy spoon cafe. There were also adverts on the wall for the Indian restaurant upstairs. Live music seems to feature prominently with a listing displaying the forthcoming acts, and some serious looking speakers at the front of the pub.
No real ales unfortunately, just a few keg things such as John Smith’s and McEwans. Ciders were Strongbow and Magners.
On 6th July 2011
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2125 recommendations about 2021 pubs]