The Ultimate Scotland Itinerary | Road Trip Through Scotland!
- Nov 15, 2021
- 9 min read
Updated: Dec 19, 2021
Scotland is a magical place full of beautiful scenery, hundreds of rainbows, and cute cows! My husband and I arrived in Scotland just after over a month of traveling in Ireland, and we were WOWED by the contrast there really is between the two. Both countries are amazing in their own ways, and it was an awesome experience to travel from Ireland to Scotland (plus, they are not too far away from each other! 🛫 ).
In this guide I am going to share the perfect itinerary for you to have when travelling through Scotland. As always, this is just the routes and itinerary that worked best for my husband and I - so if you are needing to adapt and change it a little bit then you can! I find this is a great starting template for anyone needing some direction and advice about the best places in Scotland 🏴
Click here for my blog post all about traveling through Ireland 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼
In this guide I am sharing the best route for you to experience Scotland in the best way. There are a few things one has to journey through and see to get the full Scottish experience and those things are:
Edinburgh City
Scottish Lochs
Scottish Isles
The Highlands
In this guide I take you through how to see all of these things in one simple road trip / travel trip!
Quick Links to all the stays I recommend:
Quick Links to all Transportations I recommend:
Qeeq car hire
The Best Way to Get Around
The beauty about Scotland (and the UK in general) is that public transport is so accessible and there are routes just about anywhere throughout the continent! My husband and I chose to drive a car as we felt like road tripping and having our own freedom with transport. But with this said, using trains or buses is an affordable way to get around Scotland! If you are wanting to rent a car, then I can recommend using the platform Qeeq. Qeeq is a great platform to find the best price for any car hire worldwide.
*Click the link below to Qeeq website for affordable car hiring:
Itinerary
Once again, I am providing the route & itinerary my husband and I did on our road trip, but you can by all means add days, stays and new places to your list if you have the time, budget and freedom to do so!
📍Day One: Edinburgh
🚗Route To Edinburgh: Dublin ~ Edinburgh
We took a flight from Dublin Airport to Edinburgh airport. It was only an hour flight, and I would suggest starting your Scotland journey in Edinburgh city! In Edinburgh there is no need for a car just yet - I advise you spend about 3-4 days in the city walking around and exploring. My husband and I explored by foot, and never used public transport within Edinburgh.
We stayed in Edinburgh for a few days, and from there we rented our car and set off on our road trip.
🏨Where to Stay in Edinburgh:
We stayed in the Apex Waterloo Place Hotel, which was a great treat! We found that it was a bit on the expensive side, and we could have definitely gone cheaper! Although magical, Edinburgh is a very expensive city, but trust me when I say that it is worth it! (Even if you stay there for two days, it'll be worth the visit!) With most cities, you do want to stay fairly central, and so the prices are a bit higher, but by doing this, you are able to walk everywhere and don't have to use transport of any kind.
With this being said, I have found a few other hotels that are lower price, and good locations to share with you:
📸What To Do in Edinburgh:
There are a lot of activities to do and things to see in Edinburgh, and it feels as though every corner you turn wows you with something amazing! However, I have put together a list of things my husband and I managed to do in our time there:
1. Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle is an incredible must-see! It is full of history, beauty and wonder. When you're there you even get to see the Honours of Scotland, which are the oldest crown jewels in Britain!
Make sure you walk to the castle and cut through the Royal Mile, this walk is amazing as it gives you a real first look into the city!
You can book your entry ticket online to be prepared, and there are allocated time slots to ensure safe numbers of people. The castle itself is nestled on top of a hill slap-bang in the middle of the city, and it really transports you to the times of occupancy.
*Special Note: Wear comfortable shoes, as it is a bit of a walk around!
Once inside the castle walls, you can have free roam around the grounds and different exhibitions. Don't forget to see the Great Hall, which is one of my personal favourites!
2. Camera Obscura
This is an experience that is not just great for children, but makes for a fun hour or two for adults! As you make your way up the building you can experience some weird and wonderful things - but what's the best part is the view from the top! The Camera Obscura building sits close to the castle, and offers an amazing 360 view of the whole of Edinburgh!
3. Calton Hill
Calton Hill is another great place to get breathtaking views, and makes for good pictures too! The walk is not a hard one, and once you are at the top of the hill, it is worth it! Here you can see the unfinished National Monument, which really does make you feel so tiny in comparison!
4. Dean Village
Dean Village is a quaint village that is a must-see historical spot. The village is beautiful and tranquil, offering walks and different paths of scenery. Again, I would suggest walking through the city to Dean Village, as this will allow you to explore and and shop in Edinburgh city as you go!
5. Scott Monument
The Scott Monument is an amazing Victorian Gothic monument that was implemented in honour of the Scottish writer Sir Walter Scott. This monument is an incredible display of Gothic architecture and is set in the beautiful Princes Street Gardens. When you're done at the monument, you can do some walking around the famous Princes Street and go in to all the amazing shops, cafes and restaurants.
📍Day Four: Loch Lomond
🚗Route To Loch Lomond: Edinburgh ~ Glasgow ~ Loch Lomond
Once you have spent your time in Edinburgh and are ready to take your road trip/journey to the famous Scottish Lochs, it is time to either hire your car of choice, or map out your bus/train routes! We hired our car the day before leaving Edinburgh, and scheduled it for the next day as we were going to leave the city. On this day we simply picked up our car and headed on the road! We passed by the city Glasgow, and although we didn't stop there, you definitely can plan to do so if you'd like!
🏨Where to Stay in Loch Lomond:
Loch Lomond is a lake in Southern Scotland, and is part of the Trossachs National Park. This is a beautiful area, and staying anywhere in this park vicinity is a great first-stop! There are many hotels and BnBs to stay in, and my husband and I stayed in Cameron House. Cameron House is right on the water's edge, and is an amazing hotel. This accommodation is on the expensive side, but because Mighail and I were celebrating our Wedding Anniversary, we decided to splurge on this amazing spot!
Cameron house has everything you need in one spot - restaurants, gym, spa, pools and great views and activities. Click here for the Cameron House website
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Click here to have a look on Hotellook for the best accommodations on Loch Lomond.
📸What To Do in Loch Lomond:
If you are staying at Cameron House, there are a lot of activities to do that will give you a real taste of Scotland - You can take a trip along the Loch on a seaplane, or even enjoy a Falconry show!
You can also explore the beautiful Trossachs National Park, or wander around the beautiful castle and gardens of Balloch.
If you are able to, I would recommend staying in Loch Lomond for 2 nights. We only stayed one night, and so it was a little bit rushed and we were pressed for time to get on the road again!
📍Day Five: Fort William
🚗Route To Fort William: Loch Lomond ~ Glenfinnan Viaduct View Point ~ Fort William
When leaving Loch Lomond, I recommend leaving earlier in the morning to make your way to Glenfinnan Viaduct to see the Jacobite Express steam train (or Hogwarts Express for any Harry Potter fans). The steam train passes through this gorgeous viewpoint twice in a day, so you want to make sure you get there well before the time slots to ensure a good viewing spot (it is quite popular).
You can go to this must-see either before your stay in Fort William, or after. Although the Glenfinnan Viaduct is past Fort William, we wanted to go there first as we knew we wouldn't have time the next day. So once we had the Jacobite Express experience, we made our way backwards to our accommodation in Fort William.
🏨Where to Stay in Fort William:
Fort William is a small town in Western Scotland and sits on the shore of Loch Linnhe. We again only stayed 1 night here, as we used it more for just a passing place on our road trip. We stayed in Buccleuch Guest House, which is an amazing guesthouse that was picture perfect!
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📍Day Six: Isle of Skye
🚗Route To Isle of Skye: Fort William ~ Isle of Skye
The drive to Isle of Skye is a beautiful one, and although a bit long, it is so worth it! The scenery is breathtaking, and you really get to live out your main character Harry Potter / Twilight dreams! (no? Just me?)
🏨Where to Stay in Isle of Skye:
We decided to stay on the Isle of Skye for 2 nights and I am so happy we did! The Isle of Skye is gorgeous and so worth the visit! We stayed in the Royal Hotel in the main town called Portree. Portree is the most built up part of Skye, and is where most of the tourists stay.
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📸What To Do in Isle of Skye:
This island is full of great adventures, beautiful scenery and history, and although there is SO much to do around it, I have compiled a small list of must-dos for shorter stays:
Dunvegan Castle & Gardens
Dunvegan Castle is a beautiful estate set on the water's edge. It was first built in the 13th century, and boasts gorgeous gardens and historic interiors. Be sure to see when the castle is open as it does close for a season each year! You can buy tickets for entry online.
2. The Fairy Glen
The fairy Glen is a great spot on the island to walk, hike and explore amazing scenery and landscapes. Here you can enjoy the outdoors and revel in a magical-like fairyland (hence the name).
3. Scottish Highland Cow Viewpoints
Throughout the Island you will be able to spot the cuteness overload that is the Scottish Highland Cow. These hairy creatures are just the sweetest cows, and make for the cutest pictures! On the island there are a few specific spots where you can get up close and personal with these cows. So make sure to park your car and say hello! The viewpoint we went to is along the main road of A87, just before the Isle of Skye Golf Club.
📍Day Eight: Loch Ness
🚗Route To Loch Ness: Isle of Skye ~ Urquhart Castle ~ Loch Ness
Loch Ness was a place that has been high on my bucket list since I was young! I love the stories of the Loch Ness monster, and the history and myths behind the lake. This spot is a serious must-do, as it is beautiful and magical ✨
Urquhart Castle
When on your way to Loch Ness, be sure to leave yourself enough time to see the Urquhart Castle, which is a beautiful ruin right on the Loch Ness lake! This ruin is full of history, wonder and amazing views. Be sure to book your tickets online, and take your time at this place. It is an incredible experience being right on the Loch Ness water edge!
🏨Where to Stay in Loch Ness:
Again, we found an amazing guesthouse for our accommodation, and without a shadow of a doubt I have to recommend it! We stayed in the amazing wife and husband run bnb called Airanloch Bed and Breakfast. This guesthosue was beautiful run, and sits right on the far left edge of the Loch Ness lake. Here at the guesthouse you are allowed to walk down to the water's edge, and have a swim or canoe with their provided equipment. I cannot say how much I loved this stay, and I really wish we stayed here longer than 1 night! It was perfect!
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From Loch Ness, there are a few options for you - You can either head towards the city of Inverness, where you can catch a flight to your next destination from their small airport, or you can head back towards Edinburgh again, OR you can do what we did and continue on towards Northern Scotlands into the highlands!
From our stay in Loch Ness Mighail and I continued our trip up into the North of Scotland, landing in the area of Caithness and at the very Northern tip of the UK as a whole! This area in itself is a whole other adventure, and needs a blog post of its own. So, if you are interested in learning about the North of Scotland (really, the road less travelled by), then get ready for my blog post that will come out next week!
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Lots of love, Britt xx
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