What’s on at Hootananny and Mad Hatters
For 17 years, Hootananny has been promoting the best grass roots music in Scotland. Mumford and Sons, Sam Fender, Little Boots, Dougie Mclean and Skerryvore have all played the venue. The building is a lovely traditional Victorian Inverness old sweety shop with traditional and fusion Scottish ceilidh and celtic rock downstairs. Emerging original artists, indy, hiphop, heavy metal, ska and rock upstairs on the Madhatters stage. Djs in the Glow bar on the top floor. The family run business has been awarded Scotland’s Best Live Music Venue 2019 by Scottish Bar and Pub Awards and Best Inverness Pub of the Year, 8 years running, by Inverness City Advertiser. Open daily for pub drinkers, we have a delicious Scottish menu of traditional dishes cooked to perfection from 5-10pm daily
Since March 2020 Hootananny has been unable to promote live music or background music. We hope to bring back the best live music soon! Click on the Keeping Safe tab for details about safety.
She Burns Red are a rock band from central Scotland.
Combining grunge and hard rock influences to bring you high octane riffs
and thundering choruses, they’re rebellious with a fresh new twist that’s difficult to pigeonhole.
For fans of bands such as the Foo Fighters, Deftones, Metallica and everything in between.
Support comes from Highlands & Moray rock band Bad Actress who recently won the Rock Factor contest at Ironworks.
Mad Hatters teams up with The Tooth & Claw to present GIRDERS!
The event is a mini-festival over 2 venues showcasing some the heaviest and rockiest acts from the North of Scotland and featuring:
Zombie Militia
King Kobalt
The Broken Ravens
Devils Queen
Kryora
Catalysis
Below The Neck
Isolates
Devil Within
Overrun
Free Entry!
After the bands finish join us for our resident Mad Hatters DJ until 3 am!
GIRDERS – Saturday May 11th
10 Metal/Rock bands across 2 venues!
Mad Hatters / The Tooth & Claw
Featuring:
KING KOBALT / Zombie Militia
The Broken Ravens / Devil’s Queen
Below The Neck / The Devil Within
Catalysis / Isolates
1000 Mile Stare / This Machine
Free Entry!
West Coast Ceilidh Band not to be missed!
Arthur has been playing Fiddle since the age of 7, growing up in rural Aberdeenshire, north east of Scotland. His first teacher Sharon Hassan was a very big influence in his musical development. Upon attending his second annual ‘Gaitherin’ He was inspired to take up the Guitar by John Coletta (The Humpff Family). At the age of 12 Arthur was awarded a scholarship to attend the ‘Aberdeen City Music School’ to study Fiddle and Guitar. Here He was taught by Jonny Hardie (Old Blind Dogs), who is still a huge influence on his music. Around this time Arthur was at the Sidmouth Folk Week, he saw ‘Le Vent Du Nord’ who would become his favorite band. They continue a big influence on his music.
In July 2016 Arthur was invited to join ‘Aff Oor Hieds’ as the group’s guitarist, alongside Andrew Legge (Fiddle), Noah Jack (Bass) and Stuart Jack (Percussion). They continued to play in this format until January 2017.
While playing with ‘Aff Oor Hieds’, in September 2016, Andrew, Stuart and Arthur founded a new band ‘The Rowies’ with vocalist Ellie Beaton. This musical format seemed to be quite successful and the band made a name for themselves. They supported bands such as ‘Rant’, ‘The Nordic Fiddlers Bloc’, ‘Session A9’, ‘The Crooked Brothers’ and ‘The Old Blind Dogs’.
In September 2017 Citing the need to play the fiddle more, Arthur formed a new band ‘Tolquhon’ with Duncan Ritchie (Accordion), Douglas Barber (Percussion, Jaw Harp) and Patrick Gray (Piano). Again the format proved successful and in 2018 the group did over 35 shows, including an extensive tour of England. They released their debut album in October 2018.
2019 marks the start of a new project for Arthur, as he will release and tour a brand new album/show. This album will be recorded in January and released in May. It features just Fiddle, Guitar, Vocals and Podorythmie (Foot Percussion).
Drag Night returns to Mad Hatters on Friday March 29th! Free Entry!
Be entertained by Lexi Lush a fun and bubbly entertainer with a splash of bette midler and a sprinkle of Joan rivers with comedy routines and stand up.
Featuring covers of pop’s greatest divas a guaranteed laugh out loud experience she will have you in stitches!
Followed by our resident Mad Hatters DJ until 3 am.
Calum is a warm, down-to-earth, young man from the West Coast of Scotland who fell in love with the accordion at a tender age of 7. As a young boy with the desire to learn more, he spent more years learning the rudiments from the best accordionists in the Highlands until he eventually created his unique style. Though he hailed from Fort William, Calum moved to Inverness in 2007 where he strived to focus on his technique.
Calum is an energetic musician who has performed in Italy, Belgium, France, and Germany. Now he is coming to Hootananny for a night that can not be missed!
Free entry.
Traditional songs of all types of tempos. A great night of music.
Rollin’ Drones are the newest, and most exciting Bagpipe/pop band on the scene!
Back to Hoots by popular demand!

Maryburgh’s finest indie rockers The Malts return to Mad Hatters.
Support from newly formed rock band Gun Runner!
Followed by our resident Mad Hatters DJ until 3 am!
Traditional songs of all types of tempos. A great night of music.
The Comedy Bothy Friday June 7th Braw Bricht Comedy Takeover!
BBC are a new comedy and sketch troupe based in Inverness, don’t miss this special Comedy Bothy takeover featuring their regular comics and guests from down south.
The band has been together for three years and comprises of Lewis Goodwin on vocals, Mark Savage on guitar, Nick Laidlaw on guitar, John Murray on drums and Stewart McArthur on bass guitar.All five members of Seed Of Sorrow are self taught musicians and Lewis G (Seed of Sorrow) says ” Our songs cover subject matter ranging from punching the f*** out of people to the pointlessness of existence to the destruction of the earth by the very people who claim to be improving it”
Appearing in magazines such as Terrorizer, Firebrand After Dark and radio stations Metal Nation Radio, Threat Con Radio, Rock N Wrestle Radio and Moray Firth Radio throughout 2013 led to ending the year on a high point as they were filmed at Les-Festive 2013 in December performing their track ‘Death F*ck Ritual’ for Metal Outlaw TV. They have a five track E.P. named Vice Like Grip which was released in August 2013. Tracks are on Soundcloud, live videos are on their Facebook page and Youtube.
