Glen Innes, on the New England Northern Tablelands of NSW, was settled by Scots – and at over 1,000 metres I’m sure they felt right at home in this rugged, chilly landscape. Glen Innes is the Celtic Capital of Australia and home to the annual Australian Celtic Festival.
Glen Innes also holds one of Australia’s biggest country fairs, the Glen Innes Show, dubbed ‘the Royal of the North’. There’s a lot of great produce around Glen Innes and both events have a significant food and beverage component. The Gourmet Fiesta, the food-lovers section of the show, attracts guests and guest presenters from across the state including local girl Margaret Fulton, Christine Manfield, Belinda Jeffery, and yours truly. The Australian Celtic Festival draws crowds from around the world and – as well as excellent Celtic music and cultural performances – features presentations on Celtic cooking, an impassioned ‘Address to a Haggis’, and a Celtic baking competition. There’s also a beautiful (if chilly) dawn ceremony and flag-raising around the Australian Standing Stones. Both events are a great excuse to spend a few days in a friendly, lively country town. Here are a few more reasons to visit Glen Innes Celtic Capital of Australia.
Where to Stay Near Glen Innes Waterloo Station
About 15 minutes out of town is Waterloo Station with a range of accommodation options including the charming little schoolhouse next to the main homestead. A cosy two room building with a veranda overlooking the gardens, it’s a wonderfully peaceful spot to wake to bird song. Other interesting possibilities on this working cattle station include the fully renovated shearers’ quarters and the off-grid-with-mod-cons ‘creek shack’.
Best Brunch in Glen Innes The Local
This casual spot on the main street is my pick for breakfast in Glen Innes – especially the baked Spanish eggs with chorizo, cheese and beans in a rich tomato sauce. Closer to lunchtime, their burgers are the go. Owners Kerrod and Michelle source New England produce as much as possible and brine the chook for their southern fried chicken burger to ensure it’s extra juicy.
Best Pub in Glen Innes The Great Central
I love an old-fashioned country pub like the cool and quirky Great Central (next door to The Local) – definitely the best pub in Glen Innes and arguably the New England Tablelands. Chef Drew Kerr does a great job in the kitchen, while his wife Sugar keeps everything else running smoothly, even when there’s a four-deep crush at the bar during festival time! Duck spring rolls rock, as does the Guinness brownie (pictured)!
Best Pies in Glen Innes Sweetie Pie’s Bake Shop
A short walk out of town towards the showground brings you to one of the best pie shops I’ve ever visited: Sweetie Pie’s. Here Nicole and Zaylie Hyde offer 35 different pies with everything made in-house, from the pastry and stocks to the slow-cooked meats. Guinness, beef and mushroom pie is a favourite and I adore the excellent Cornish pasties. There are quiches, cakes, croissants and other sweet pastries too, all made in-house daily.
What To Drink in Glen Innes Glen Gowrie Distillery
Most Australian gin makers start with purchased neutral grain spirit. Not so plant scientist David Scott and family, who ferment their base spirit from local Sebago potatoes, limes, blueberries and molasses. To this smooth, round base they add a few carefully selected botanicals to make a delicious range of unique gins. Try their blueberry gin as the liquor in Armando’s panettone with berries (see video below).
What To See in Glen Innes Australian Standing Stones
This monument to the area’s Celtic heritage is high on a hillside overlooking Glen Innes. Built in 1992, the Australian Standing Stones have become a focal point for town gatherings and the site of the annual Australian Celtic Festival. The stones are laid out to indicate summer and winter equinox and solstice – and the Crofters Cottage in the parklands serves great coffee, breakfasts and house-baked sweet treats.
Where To Stay In Glen Innes New England Motor Lodge
This comfortable motel in the heart of town is less than 5 minutes’ drive to the showground and the standing stones. The Highlands Restaurant is where locals head for a big night out, with warm service, good wines and a great open fire for pre- or post-dinner drinks. Especially around festival time, there can be a nod to ‘the auld country’ too with the likes of roast duck with colcannon or Guinness & beef pie on the menu.
Scenic Drive Near Glen Innes Mountain Villages
Driving between Sydney and Glen Innes? Take the road less travelled and wind through the tiny village of Ben Lomond and (now abandoned) Maybole for some lovely high-country scenery. Ben Lomond once boasted Australia’s highest railway station at 4,473 feet above sea level. There’s about 12km of well packed unsealed road that’s worth the bumps. Stop for a fresh strawberry milkshake at The Super Strawberry just south of town.
Updated 3 Sep 2026
Glen Innes was settled predominantly by Scots in the 1830s – who found the rugged, elevated landscape of the New England Northern Tablelands reminiscent of home. That Celtic heritage is celebrated today through the Australian Standing Stones — a national monument to all Celtic peoples who helped pioneer Australia — and the annual Australian Celtic Festival, which draws visitors from around the world.
The Australian Celtic Festival has been held annually since 1992, when a group of passionate Glen Innes locals organised the first festival to celebrate the inauguration of the Australian Standing Stones. Held over four days in early May each year, it is the only festival in Australia to recognise different Celtic nations — rotating through Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Cornwall, Brittany and the Isle of Man over a three year cycle. The program includes pipe bands, dancers, markets, food and beverage stalls as well as competitions, official ceremonies, live-action performances and re-enactment groups, children’s entertainment and fringe events around the region. There’s a Celtic Food Trail, an Address to a Haggis and presentations on Celtic food and drink, plus a beautiful dawn ceremony at the Standing Stones. The festival has grown from a few hundred attendees in its first year to attract over 6,000 visitors from across Australia and overseas.
Built in 1992, the Australian Standing Stones are a national monument to Australia’s Celtic heritage, set high on a hillside overlooking Glen Innes. The 38 granite monoliths are arranged as a calendar incorporating the Celtic Cross and the Southern Cross, and are aligned to mark the solstices and equinoxes. They are inspired by ancient stone circles in Scotland, Ireland and Wales, particularly the Ring of Brodgar in Orkney.
