Input on Scotland Itinerary - June 2025
 

Any thoughts on this itinerary for a family trip to Scotland in June 2025? This trip was originally booked for 2020 as a retirement gift for my husband from our sons and daughter but was rescheduled for this summer. We will have 7 adults and 2 children (ages 10 and 12). We plan to rent two cars and will probably have 4 drivers who can switch off. And yes, I know that we are planning this much later than is ideal but it is coming together.

Note: We are spending more time in Edinburgh than originally planned so that we can accommodate various schedules. Day 3 and 4 are the only days we will all be together before one family member has to leave.

Tentative Itinerary
Day 1 – Some of us arrive in Edinburgh ahead of the others.

Day 2 – Husband and 3 sons play golf near St. Andrews (not the Old Course) or near Edinburgh.

Day 3 – Daughter, SIL and 2 grandchildren arrive early in the morning. Tour Edinburgh Castle, etc.

Day 4 – Tour of St. Andrews Old Course, visit the pro shop, return to Edinburgh.

Day 5 – Drive to Oban, 3:30 pm tour of the Oban Distillery (booked). Stay overnight (hotel booked).

Day 6 – Drive to Inverness, spend some time in the Glencoe area along the way. Stay in the Inverness area.

Day 7 – Another Golf outing for most of the family. (In Nairn, Kingussie or elsewhere?)

Day 8 – Do some sightseeing in the area, focusing on scenery rather than history.

Day 9 – Drive from Inverness to Dunnottar Castle. See castle, stop in Stonehaven, return to Edinburgh.

Day 10 – Some head home while others continue their travels in the UK.

Questions
1) Could you advise on the best route from Edinburgh to Oban? We are not planning to stop at Loch Lomond or the Trossachs on the way, and we'll sample the Glencoe area after visiting Oban. The main reason for going to Oban is to tour the Oban Distillery, and we have a tour booked for 3:30 pm that day.

2) Any suggestions for sampling the beauty of Glencoe on our way north to Inverness? Maybe go see the Three Sisters mountains, have lunch at the Clachaig Inn, and stop by the Glencoe Folk museum? (My husband and I were there in 2023 but it will be new for the others.)

3) For a group more interested in scenery than history, any recommendations for some sightseeing while using Inverness as our base? Maybe Plockton or Nairn if Ullapool would be too far or the road too congested?

4) What might be a fun outing with the grandchildren (10 and 12 years old)while the others are golfing? I see that there are a variety of activities in Aviemore and a Highland Folk Museum in Newtonmore. Also, my granddaughter asked about pony trekking so I want to explore that as well. (She has been taking riding lessons for two years now.)

5) What might be the best route to take from Inverness to Dunnottar castle? I would hope to reach the parking lot by 2 or 3 pm if possible. My husband’s Keith ancestors came from Aberdeen, so that is one reason that he and the rest of us would like to see the castle.

Thank you!

Random thoughs and questions - knowing the days of the week helps with some of this. For example -- what day is Day#4/St Andrews. If it is a Sunday here is no play and you can walk/'sightsee' the entire course. All other days there is active play and while you can see bits, you can't 'tour' the course.

Day 9 is REALLY tough. Just the straight drive I'ness > Dunnottar > Edinburgh takes about 6 hours butts in seats. When adding lunch and about 2 hours at Dunnottar makes this a rough day -- especially trying to coordinate 2 cars.

Q1) You will drive right through the Trossachs. Depending on where in the city you are starting from, Edinburgh > Oban Distillery will take about 4 hours without stops - maybe a bit less if you are lucky.

Q2) Oban > Glencoe Visitors Centre > Inverness is a 4 hour drive w/o stops. And you will want to stop lots -- at minimum Glencoe, Spean Bridge and Urquhart Castle. This will be a pretty long day. The best viewpoint for the Three Sisters is about 3 miles up the main road from the Visitors Center.

Q3) If you are more interested in scenery than history, there might be better bases than Inverness. Ullapool is about a 4 hour R-T and Plockton a little more. An I'ness > Ullapool > Plockton > I'ness drive woul take close to 6 hours with lots of backtracking.

Q4) In Fife the kids would probably enjoy the Scottish Deer Centre https://scottishdeercentre.co.uk or a boat ride from Anstruther out to the Isle of May for sea birds (PUFFINS :) ) If they are golfing in Nairn/Inverness area there are Dolphin cruises in the Moray Firth.

Q5) The best route would be via Keith, Huntly (a wonderful castle to explore but you wouldn't have the time), Stonehaven. This is really a 2 day drive if you have it There is Keith, Huntly, Dunnottar and Glamis Castle is right on the route as well.

If it was me -- unless Oban is a must for some reason -- I'd skip Oban and visit a distillery up on Speyside -- one tour is very much like every other distillery. Edinburgh > Glencoe w/ an overnight then on to Inverness might be a better use of your time than squeezing in Oban.

. . . plus overnighting in Glencoe/Ballachulish would give you time to drive down Glen Etive which is even better scenery than Glencoe

Thank you, janisj I always appreciate your input on Scotland (and have read your responses to others as well as responses to threads I started in 2019 and 2023).

Our visit to St. Andrews Old Course is on a Thursday. They offer guided walks at 10 am, noon and 2:30 pm that take place “around the 1st, 17th and 18th holes of the Old Course.” Our group is content with that option since we won’t be in the area on a Sunday.

Q1) Thanks for the info about how long it would take to drive from Edinburgh to the Oban distillery. Glad we opted for the 3:30 pm tour!

Note re Oban vs Glencoe: I had worked up an itinerary that skipped Oban in favor of going to Glencoe on a Friday, seeing Glen Etive along the way and staying overnight at the Clachaig Inn (which had availability that night!). But the itinerary pivoted to include Oban at the request of my husband and the Scotch whisky drinkers in the family who really want to go where Oban single malt Scotch whisky is made. (I loved our drive down Glen Etive in 2023 and wanted to share that beauty with the family but our time is limited.)

Q2) Oban > Glencoe > Inverness: At one point I had a stop at Urquhart Castle on our itinerary as well, but will play that by ear. Perhaps stopping by Kingshouse Hotel for coffee and a snack would at least give my family a glimpse of the beautiful views and whet their appetite for a drive along Glen Etive on a return visit...

Q3) I think we are locked into the Inverness area for our base, partly due to the availability of accommodations there. (Also, one son may need to head home from there part way through our trip.). It would be nice to find one outing that shows some of the beauty of the area whether it is an all day private Rabbies tour to the Isle of Skye or a trip to either Ullapool or Plockton.

Q4) The grandchildren arrive after the first golf outing so I am looking for an activity while we are in Inverness. We might need to hire a driver/guide to facilitate the transportation for the grandchildren and me, depending on where they decide to play golf. (I took a quick look at the Scottish Tourist Guides Association site yesterday.)

Q5) I really appreciate input on the proposed Inverness > Dunnottar > Edinburgh drive. Would it help to stay somewhere along the way and tour Dunnottar Castle the next morning? OR perhaps drive from Inverness to Edinburgh and do a day trip to Dunnottar Castle the next day?

As an aside, I had noticed the town of Keith along the way. Haven’t yet found any connection to the Keith clan but still interesting. Is that route preferable to traveling through the Cairngorms due to relative beauty or length of time it takes to travel that route?

Boat ride to the Isle of May
My husband and I plan to spend a few extra days in Scotland after our offspring leave, and I am adding that to our list of possibilities. I love puffins and have only seen them once - off the coast of Maine.

I had been thinking of a short trip to the Isle of Mull or Ullapool after the rest of the family heads home, but exploring other options now that Oban and Inverness are in our group itinerary. I might looks at options- perhaps along the eastern coast.

Thanks again!

Just very quick -- I'll address some of the other issues when I get a chance later.

Yes -- absolutely if you can squeeze in a night between Inverness and Edinburgh that would be much better than trying to drive the whole distance and visit Dunnottar on the same day. Starting in Inverness you could visit Keith plus some castles / sites on Deeside and spend the night in Stonehaven or nearby. Next morning you could hit Dunnottar and have enough time to perhaps squeeze in Glamis if anyone is interested -- or that could be the day for the Deer Park which is between Dunnottar and Edinburgh.

Dunnottar doesn't really work as a day trip from Edinburgh since it would be a nearly 6 hour R-T drive.

If you do an online search you will find plenty of pony trekking opportunities. Perhaps for you as well as the children. You really don't need any experience for most treks. They adjust to the level of the riders.

Good to know about adjusting to the level of the riders. Thanks. I have been doing an online search and reading reviews - ever since I asked the grandchildren if there was anything that they would especially like to do in Scotland. Looks like there are several options. Hoping that it might work for my daughter to go with her kids after they (my husband, sons, daughter and SIL) go golfing. Guess we'll have to figure that out when we get closer to the time.

Thanks for your quick response! I will check in with our group about the various options.

oh-- meant to add -- contacting Rabbies re a private day trip out of Inverness could be a terrific option to see some of Skye or someplace else on the NW coast. And let the drivers relax at least one day.

Have they decided where to play up north? If they can spring for it -- Royal Dornoch would be fabulous. I don't really play but of the golfers I've taken to Scotland -- 7 or 8 on 4 different trips -- Dornoch has been right up there as as their favorite course -- a couple even preferred it to the Old Course. One trip I took two friends/co-workers and arranged rounds for them at Prestwick, Troon, the Old Course, Carnoustie and Dornoch, and Dornoch turned out to be their fave. They even booked a second round for the afternoon.

Thanks for your additional input, janisj - I will pass this info about Royal Dornoch to my husband. My husband and most of our offspring have been taking golf lessons the past few years to improve their games. Some of them might not all feel comfortable playing on a very good course for fear of slowing down other groups but that's great info to have!

As for the Isle of Skye, one of our sons had planned to surprise the family in 2020 (before the pandemic cancelled our trip) by arranging for a day trip to the Isle of Skye. I think he is still planning to reach out to Rabbies about a private tour. And this might be an excellent way to spend one of our days in the Inverness area and give the drivers a rest. While my husband and I had two nights on the Isle of Skye in 2023 (staying one night at Sligachan and one night at Eilean Iarmain), he was busy driving and said he would welcome the opportunity to enjoy the scenery this time. :)

Re enjoying Glencoe - the Clachaig is in a great location amidst the big mountains so a stunning spot to have lunch.As is The Kingshouse.
The ski centre opposite has a chairlift which operates in summer and takes you easily up into the mountains.A 10-15min (albeit sometimes boggy walk on a track) meanders its way up to the best viewpoint.Fantastic spot.

Or you an actually walk along part of the old road above Glencoe which is easily accessed as you drive north on the A82.There is a long layby for parking beyond the Meeting of the Three Waters waterfalls. The track meanders for about a mile giving amazing views over Glencoe from the off.Quite a fun one for the kids too.We strolled along it just two days ago, high above the A82 and the sometimes madding crowds at the main car parks.We felt a million miles away.Let me know if you need better parking/route directions.

The Visitor Centre area really doesn't give anywhere near the best views of the glen, tucked away as it is.

Definitely break that drive to Dunnotar up with an overnight! Stonehaven is very pleasant at the harbour.

From Inverness, to me, Torridon gives the best day's drive you can do for scenery.I think Rabbies or one of the small group operators is doing it now but check.It's 90 mins from Inverness and you an either stay around that magnificent area, stroll, Jo's Cafe (if you decide to drive), drive along the Diabaig road perhaps, do a flat easy spectacular walk in Coire Nobuil - tons to do if you love the Great Outdoors.There is also a small Deer Museum and red deer grazing nearby.Usually stags in Glen Torridon.Loch Clair also makes for a lovely easy stroll.
If you go all the way to Applecross over the Bealach na Ba mountain pass(a wow) the Inn is really buzzy and does some great pub food in a gorgeous location.

Castle Stewart Golf Course might also be worth considering when you are in Inverness.

Aviemore has a ton of things to do for young people.The Reindeer Herd is lovely to see and there is an option to join them grazing on the hill and helping to feed them.Quad biking, kayaking, clay pigeon shooting, zip lines, bike hire, cycling and walking trails - it's very well set up for activities.

The funicular is back in service too now...

https://www.cairngormmountain.co.uk/mountain-railway/

The old Glencoe visitors centre had utterly magnificent views and IMO gave a better sense of the grandeur / drama of the landscape/history. But the 'new' one (not new - it was moved more than 20 years ago) is tucked in the woods so it doesn't visually impact the glen.

Scotlandmac Thanks for all the great info! Not sure how much time we will have in Glencoe during this visit but will keep your input in mind. :) We stopped at the Kingshouse for coffee before driving through Glen Etive in 2023 and enjoyed the beautiful view from the picnic tables. We also stopped by the Clachaig Inn, and I am thinking we'll try to have lunch there unless it will be too crowded on a Saturday.

Really appreciate your tip about the drive to Torridon! If we don't do that with our family (on a Rabbies tour or independently), I think my husband and I will plan on doing it after they leave. (And yes, Rabbies does offer a tour.) It looks like a gorgeous drive! One of my favorite drives in the Lake District is the one that goes through Wrynose Pass and Hardknott Pass, and the route on the way to Torridon looks even more beautiful. Thanks also for the tip about the Castle Stewart Golf Course. And the info about Aviemore.

My husband and I may end up going to see Dunnottar Castle after the others leave due to time constraints, and I would definitely plan to spend at night in Stonehaven.

Thanks again!

Yes, the new Glencoe Visitors Centre only gives a little glimpse of the glen when you walk out to the turf and creel house.

Will most rental cars meet the low emission standards necessary for driving within the LEZ (Low Emission Zone) in Edinburgh? We aren't planning to pick up rental cars until we are about to head to Oban, but it would be convenient to be able to park at our hotel the night before we leave and park at a hotel again for a night when we come back to Edinburgh when we circle back to Edinburgh for a night. Thanks!

Just an idea -- driving in Edinburgh can be quite an ordeal. It would be easier to pick up and drop the car out at EDI. If your hotel is convenient to the tram that's is an easy way to get out to EDI, otherwise a taxi can drop you right at the rental centre at EDI.

Thank you all for your input! We are close to finalizing our itinerary but waiting for the group to decide whether they want to have 3 or 4 nights in Inverness. This will partly depend on when one of the group has to head home and whether the group prefers having a third day in Inverness or seeing Dunnottar Castle. My husband and I will go there later in our trip if we don't get there with the family.

Tentative Itinerary #2

Day 1 – Some of us arrive in Edinburgh.

Day 2 – Husband and 3 sons play golf at Gullane Golf Club, course 1 (booked).

Day 3 – Daughter, son-in-law and 2 grandchildren arrive. Tour Edinburgh Castle, etc.

Day 4 – Tour of St. Andrews Old Course, visit the pro shop, return to Edinburgh.
[Pick up rental cars that evening or the next morning.]

Day 5 – Drive to Oban, 3:30 pm tour of the Oban Distillery (booked). Stay overnight (hotel booked).

Day 6 – Drive to Inverness, stopping in the Glencoe area along the way. Stay in the Inverness area (3-4 nights).

Day 7 – Golf outing for most of the family. (Near Inverness or in Nairn or Kingussie?)
[The non-golfer and two grandchildren enjoy some other activities.]

Day 8 – Sightseeing - maybe private tour of Isle of Skye or drive to Torridon area?

Day 9 – Spend another day in the Inverness area?

Day 10 - Drive from Inverness to Edinburgh. Last night together.
[Return one of the rental cars]

Day 11 - Daughter and her family travel to London for a few days, probably by train. My husband and I continue traveling in Scotland. Others will fly home.

Thanks again!

Itinerary
Day 1, Mon – Some of us arrive in Edinburgh (hotel booked).
Day 2, Tue – Husband and 3 sons play golf at Gullane Golf Club, course 1 (booked).
Day 3, Wed – Daughter, son-in-law and 2 grandchildren arrive. Tour Edinburgh Castle, etc.
Day 4, Thu – Tour of St. Andrews Old Course, visit the pro shop, return to Edinburgh.
Day 5, Fri – Pick up rental cars,drive to Oban, 3:30 pm tour of Oban Distillery (booked). Stay overnight (hotel booked).
Day 6, Sat – Drive to Inverness, stop in the Glencoe area along the way. Stay in the Inverness area (house booked).
Day 7, Sun – Golf outing for most of the family. Grandma and grandchildren find alternate activities.
Day 8, Mon – Sightseeing - maybe private tour of Isle of Skye or drive ourselves to Torridon area?
Day 9, Tue – Another day in Inverness area. Maybe head to Kingussie and Aviemore.
Day 10, Wed - Drive from Inverness to Stirling, see Stirling Castle. Stay near airport and return one of the rental cars.
Day 11, Thur - Family leaves. My husband and I spend 4-5 more days in Scotland before returning home.

Questions
1) One of our sons will be leaving Inverness to head home to LAX. He was thinking of taking a train from Inverness to Edinburgh and then flying to LAX out of EDI. It looks like another option could be to fly from INV to LHR and then take a flight to LAX. Any thoughts on whether one is a better option than another?
2) Any suggestions for a hotel relatively close to the Edinburgh airport? We will just have our daughter, SIL, and the two grandchildren with us that night.

janisj Thank you for your input re driving a rental car in Edinburgh. Having done that in London, we liked your suggestions of picking up the rental cars at EDI even if it delays our journey to Oban a bit.

Scotlandmac Thanks again for your input re Glencoe and Aviemore. We decided to spend a third day in the Inverness area partly to have time to check out Kingussie, Newtonmore, and Aviemore. Having watched The Monarch of the Glen, I was interested to read that it was filmed in this area.

I’d always fly from Edinburgh rather than London - I tend to avoid the big London airports like the plague given delays/issues etc.

Check the airport hotels on booking.com for price or Airbnb for somewhere a bit further afield.We recently used Premier Inn Edinburgh Park - 10 min drive from the airport if you still have the car.

Kingussie Golf Course is a lovely very scenic inland course with views to the Cairngorms and in lovely condition too.A really enjoyable holiday course.My two boys, golf nuts, used to play it when we were in the area and I loved the wander round it too.
Nairn is right by the sea though it has two courses, one championship (or close to it) standard the other for mere mortals.
Fortrose Golf Course runs out and back along by Chanonry Point, the best land based dolphin watching spot in the UK.Can’t get any more links than that!

Torridon is far less mileage and the full equal of Skye though quieter and looks very different too.

Ardverikie Castle is privately owned and not open to the public as such, but you can walk through the estate as it is a ‘through’ route’ but no cars.Can be tricky to find parking outside the estate’s pretty gatehouse these days but it is possible - just -if no one has got there before you.You can easily walk to the lovely beach used in the filming too.

Re flying -- Flying out of EDI is easy. HOWEVER -- there are limited US flights and if things go pear shaped getting re-booked could be a hassle. There are many US/LA bound flights every day out of LHR so if a flight is cancelled or seriously delayed there would be lots of options the airline could put him on.

In this case I'd probably fly out of LHR -- It can be all on one booking INV > LHR > LAX

There is one great reason for starting the flight from Inverness. Unlike most UK airports, there is no air passenger duty levied on flights from INV. This makes flights starting there considerably cheaper.

Scotlandmac janisj JohnEW2912 Thank you all for your input!

I am now trying to plan an itinerary for a few more days in Scotland for my husband and myself. I have tentatively booked a few hotels with free cancellation as I try to figure out what we will do after the rest of our family leave Scotland.

Time with Family includes
4 nights in Edinburgh
1 night in Oban
4 nights in Inverness
1 night near the Edinburgh airport

After our family heads home, my husband and I plan to spend a few more days in Scotland.

Possible itinerary for second part of our trip
Day 11 Thurs – Drive to Dunnottar Castle, stopping in Crail along the way, Spend night in Stonehaven.
Day 12 Fri - Drive to Aberdeen & North-East Scotland Family History Society. Spend night in Aberdeen.
Day 13 Sat - Drive to Nairn, stopping in Keith and other places along the way. (Nairn hotel booked)
Day 14 Sun - Take a scenic drive to Torridon or Ullapool or ??? (Newtonmore hotel)
Day 15 Mon - Drive to hotel near Edinburgh airport, return rental car.
Day 16 Tues - Fly back home from EDI.

We definitely want to go to Dunnottar Castle, and I was able to book a hotel room in Stonehaven. And as the genealogist in the family, I am thinking that it might be useful to spend an afternoon at the Aberdeen & North-East Scotland Family History Society in Aberdeen. (I booked a hotel just outside of Aberdeen for that night.)

My husband has a limited appetite for castles but shares my love of beautiful scenery and indulges my enthusiasm for landscape photography. (He is also comfortable driving long distances in the UK.) So we have tentatively booked a night's stay in Nairn to make it easier to take a scenic drive from there. And I booked a night in Newtonmore to give us a bit more time in that area before heading back toward Edinburgh. We haven't booked our flights yet and may decide to shorten the trip and come home a day earlier.

Any thoughts on our tentative plans for the second part of our trip? Anything you would suggest changing? Adding? Deleting?

Dunnotar is a stunner. - ideally do the excellent, scenic cliff walk to the castle from Stonehaven.Good, safe path, lovely views.It’s also well worth actually visiting the castle inside even though it is a ruin…it’s surprisingly extensive with several buildings and of course the location is a wow.

Your trip is very focused on the east of Scotland which , while offering some nice coastal scenery, good golf courses certainly, some attractive villages, is nowhere near the most scenic landscapes that we have.I do note your genealogy focus but really, if it’s beautiful landscapes you want to see, head west and for longer than you plan!

Torridon and Applecross are outstanding, Skye is too, but any of that NW coast is just glorious and accessible from Inverness area where you are spending a lot of time.The city itself is not worth much time though walls by the river are very attractive but the landscapes around Inverness are farmland and much more lowland in character.Certainly it is missing the grandeur of the west or even the sub Arctic tundra /ancient Caledonian forest beauty of Cairngorm NP.

Busy Nairn is nothing special either IMO (good golf course excepted) though it has a pleasant beach but again, it can’t compare with west coast beaches or the coast in general.

Thanks for your input! Circling back to the Inverness area (Nairn) is an attempt to leave our options open regarding a drive to Torridon or Ullapool in the second part of our trip. Still not sure whether our family group will choose a trip to Skye or the drive to Torridon during our stay in Inverness. (My husband and I visited the Isle of Skye in June 2023, and we aren't planning to go there on this trip - unless the group takes a Rabbies tour. But I would love to go there again sometime when it is a little less crowded, and we can book a few nights there.)

The night in Kingussie might be welcome if we take a long drive north that day but we could stay somewhere else - if there is availability. I am also planning to explore the suggestions made by janisj for things to see along the road between Aberdeen and Nairn. But I may cut the second overnight stay near Aberdeen to shorten our stay a bit.

Thanks again!

I personally think your focus on the east coast is just fine. Absolutely the west coast is glorious -- but since you have been on the west coast on another trip and because Dunnottar and Aberdeenshire seem to be musts that means you really do need to focus on the east side since you have so few days to play with. The day trip out to Tirridon will be long-ish but certainly doable.

I would not change anything really (except maybe add a week ;) )

janisj Thank you for your input! When we came to Scotland in 2023, we focused on Stirling, Glencoe and the Isle of Skye - purposely leaving Edinburgh and the Aberdeen area for when we were able to take the family trip that had to be postponed in 2020. So I am looking forward to seeing that part of Scotland. Will have to come back to do more on the west coast sometime. :)

While we could go on the regular Rabbie's tour to the Isle of Skye from Inverness, we decided to check out the private option so that we could adapt it a bit. Just received a quote from Rabbie's for a private day trip - adapting the itinerary a bit - but then saw that they would be arranging this trip with a trusted partner since they don't have the availability to accommodate a trip like this for the remainder of the 2025 season. Has anyone worked with Rabbie's on a private tour that is handled by a trusted partner? Thanks.

That's too bad. No personal experience with that. I'd probably feel okay about it because Rabbies is such a long time/well respected company that they'd want to protect their reputation and wouldn't be farming out to any old Joe Schmoe?? But I'd maybe phone Rabbies and discuss it . . . that this is an important day and have they used that sub-contractor before and what sort of experience s/he has, and feedback they received.

janisj Sounds like a good way to proceed. Thank you for your input! My husband and the son (helping make a private tour happen) would prefer a private tour that can be modified but we'll see. Driving to Torridon is still an option but I think they might prefer getting a sampling of Skye even though it would be a long day.

I had a thought that as a very low-key alternative to a pricey private tour, you might consider a day trip on the train from Inverness to Plockton, one of the most beautiful villages in the Highlands. The Kyle Line is not terribly well known outside Scotland and is less famous than the West Highland Line that goes from Glasgow to Oban and/or Mallaig (via the "Harry Potter viaduct" at Glenfinnan.) But IMO it's certainly a gorgeous ride that some say exceeds the West Highland line for the passing scenery. The line was built to serve the Skye ferry at Kyle of Lochalsh, but the construction of the Kyle Bridge negated the need for the ferry. The train line has been threatened with closure from time to time, but Scottish rail enthusiasts, not to mention the communities served by the line, have thus far managed to keep it open.

The train leaves Inverness around 9 AM and gets into Plockton (which is the second to last stop) around 11 or 11:30. You could wander around the very picturesque waterfront village, see a few shops, have a nice long lunch, then make your way back to the station (around a 10-minute walk from the village waterfront) for the return trip to Inverness.


Another thought I had was that if you want to explore more to the east of Inverness - past Nairn toward the northern Aberdeenshire coast, you might think about visiting the tiny village of Pennan. Pennan was cast as the village of Ferness in the classic film Local Hero, which, if you haven't seen it, is a wee masterpiece. If you aren't converted to a passionate lover of Scotland already, this movie (from 1983 and available on Youtube) will do the trick.

Gardyloo Great to have your input on this, and I will add your suggestions to the mix. I could see our group enjoying a trip to Plockton, and it would be more relaxing than a trip to Skye.

Looking forward to watching the movie and perhaps going to Pennan when my husband and I are near Aberdeen. Thanks!

Since this thread is getting rather lengthy, here is a quick overview of where things stand now and how this trip came about...

The Impetus for this Trip
Our family came up with the idea of a family trip to Scotland as a retirement gift for my husband. They presented the idea to him with a framed map of Scotland, a book on the history of Scotland, a bottle of fine Scotch whisky, and a sleeve of golf balls. The original plan was to go in June 2020 but we had to reschedule.

Family Itinerary for Nine
Day 1 – Five of us arrive in Edinburgh.
Day 2 – Husband and 3 sons play golf at Gullane Golf Club.
Day 3 – Daughter, son-in-law, 2 grandchildren arrive. Tour Edinburgh Castle, etc.
Day 4 – Tour of St. Andrews Old Course, visit the pro shop, return to Edinburgh.
Day 5 – Drive to Oban, 3:30 pm tour of Oban Distillery. Stay overnight.
Day 6 – Drive to Inverness. Explore the Glencoe area along the way.
Day 7 – Golf outing for most of the family.
Day 8 – Sightseeing - tour of Isle of Skye or self drive to Torridon area?
Day 9 – Explore Kingussie and Aviemore. Some hope to go pony trekking.
Day 10 – Drive from Inverness to Stirling, see Stirling Castle, overnight by airport.

My husband and I are extending our trip after the family part of the trip ends.

Trip Extension for Two
Day 11– Drive to Stonehaven, stopping by Crail along the way. See Dunnottar Castle.
Day 12 – Drive to Aberdeen. Visit North-East Scotland Family History Society.
Day 13 – Drive to Nairn, stopping by Keith and seeing Huntly castle along the way.
Day 14 – Scenic drive to Torridon or Ullapool? Stay overnight in Newtonmore.
Day 15 – Drive to a hotel near Edinburgh airport.
Day 16 – Fly back home from EDI.

Thank you for your helpful input - here in this thread and in response to queries from others about travel in Scotland. Looking forward to our third Scotland trip and sharing this one with family!

Local Hero is such a lovely film, do watch it if you get a chance - I've visited a few filming locations in NE and NW Scotland. Besides Pennan there is Morar Beach and Arisaig near Mallaig and other sites near Glenfinnan/Ft William. Unfortunately the Ship Inn pub in Banff has closed and is being converted to an airbnb :(

I don't mean to make suggestions that would upset any apple carts, but I did have a couple of observations on your basic plan that might be of interest. If I'm repeating ideas that have already been nixed, sorry and never mind...

Day 5 – Drive to Oban, 3:30 pm tour of Oban Distillery. Stay overnight.
Day 6 – Drive to Inverness. Explore the Glencoe area along the way

With an early departure on Day 5, you could definitely travel to Oban via Glen Coe without any major loss of time and still make your distillery schedule. You'd cross the Rannoch Moor, possibly with a short detour down the Glen Etive road to the "waterfall" viewpoint or the "Skyfall" point (where James Bond and M parked the Aston-Martin.) You'd then enter Glen Coe from the east, which is a far more dramatic and scenic route than coming from the west, which is what you'd be doing the following day by starting in Oban. Here's a map showing this route: https://maps.app.goo.gl/TDgqbpGndjJJSfUj9

Crossing the Rannoch Moor -

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9fcdadb7e2.jpg

Buachaille Etive Mor, at the top of Glen Etive

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3eaf94cec6.jpg

Day 7 – Golf outing for most of the family.
Day 8 – Sightseeing - tour of Isle of Skye or self drive to Torridon area?

I understand the appeal of visiting the Oban distillery but I wanted to mention that there's a possibility of a twofer (or threefer) as you head north up the Great Glen and past Inverness.

If you could get tee times, a round at the Royal Dornoch course would put you in one of the most historic golf venues in Scotland in a very historic and pleasant town. You could combine a stay in Dornoch with a visit to the Glenmorangie distillery in Tain, just across the Dornoch Firth bridge from Dornoch. Glenmorangie is one of the most highly regarded single malt whiskies and the distillery is reasonably attractive.


If you spent the nights in the Tain or Dornoch area rather than Inverness, you could combine the golf, possibly a distillery visit, and then have a full day to head north toward the north coast, through some of the most stunning and remote-feeling country in Scotland. As Janis knows, I'm very fond of a route that includes a stop at a remarkable prehistoric fort (Dun Dornaigil, 500-1000 BCE) that sits next to a tiny (un-numbered) road that passes through gorgeous and empty countryside. A "loop" out of, say, Dornoch could include this road, along with possible stops at such sites as Dunrobin Castle in Golspie on the Sutherland coast, or at the villages of Tongue or Durness - way up at the top of Great Britain (the island.) This is very historic country (some of the history is pretty terrible - the Highland Clearances for example) but there are few corners in the Highlands with more dramatic scenery. Here's another map showing a possible route. Google the places on it. https://maps.app.goo.gl/6y9KMGb35KYWx9CR8

View south from Tongue

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c56ba6c3d5.jpg

Dun Dornaigil

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b67541d2ab.jpg

Roadside scenes

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...eac129e68a.jpg


https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...75f5f8a0bc.jpg

Just a couple of thoughts; again, I'm not trying to be disruptive.

janisj Gardyloo Enjoyed watching Local Hero the other day. Thanks for the recommendation!

Gardyloo I always appreciate your suggestions (and the photos and maps illustrating the routes you cherish. We are locked into visiting Oban and doing our distillery tour there. But it would be wonderful to be able to drive part way along the Glen Etive road if we manage to get an early start that morning. I wondered about going as far as the waterfall area and turning around there but we'll see what the group wants to do. We are also locked into staying near Inverness but I will return to your suggestions for doing that northern loop if we get back to Scotland again. Thanks!

We still have to figure out when to pick up 2 rental cars... It would be easier to get an early start from Edinburgh to Oban if the drivers picked up the cars Thursday night rather than coordinate 9 people heading to the airport Friday morning and waiting for the rental cars to be picked up. Or pick up the cars Friday morning and pick everyone up.

If we pick up the cars ahead of time, the NCP Castle Terrace car park is said to be closest to our hotel and there is some kind of discount for hotel guests.

Questions
1) I gather that it is more difficult to drive in Edinburgh due to narrow roads, one way streets, bus lanes, etc. Those driving the rental cars are used to driving in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Philadelphia so city traffic isn't an issue. But only my husband has experience driving on the other side of the road (both in South Africa and in the UK). If "we" drive the rental cars from EDI to the NCP Castle Terrace car park (or similar) and then back out of Edinburgh the next morning, does that sound doable? (We would have had 3 nights in Edinburgh before driving....)
2) And will rental cars meet the low emission standards necessary for driving within the LEZ (Low Emission Zone) in Edinburgh?

Thanks again for all your help!

That would be doable but wouldn't be my personal preference. It is only about 8 miles from that car park below the castle out to EDI, but that could easily be a 30+ minute drive . . . and ferrying two cars. And then the next morning you'd be driving the exact same route in reverse to get out of town. It might feel a bit of a faff to get the cars in the morning but that's what I'd do if it was my group. Take taxis out to the airport, the rental cars are right there, and then you are directly on the motorway

janisj Thanks! This morning, I was thinking about the fact that we have never flown in or out of the Edinburgh airport. We have only used the UK airports in Glasgow, Manchester, and LHR in London. So I may be picturing navigating EDI as more of a hassle than it would be.

EDI is pretty easy to navigate, I’d say and as said you are then a stone’s throw from the motorway network which you will initially use to drive to Oban.
There is also the Edinburgh Sighthill depot of Arnold Clark which is not quite so far out as the airport and also has the advantage of being close to another junction of the motorway on a less busy access road.
That road out west from Edinburgh via Corstorphine to the airport can be a nightmare during early morning or late afternoon rush hour times, very slow indeed, stop/start.