Hi,
We are a mid-60s active couple going from USA midwest to Scotland in July. Flying into Edinburgh, which we have enjoyed previously... We will use arrival day and night to deal with jet-lag, and then have four days for our own road trip before meeting friends to go to the British Open.
We are thinking of the Highlands or Skye or other areas you recommend. We are not huge history buffs - we like scenery, moderate hiking, and local charm or quirky places. Would like to do a distillery stop, but we're also keen on beer.
We'll have a car (my husband loves to drive!) and we will have four full days, 3 nights but we need to end up in Edinburgh after dinner on the 4th night.

My first stab is something like this...
Day 1: Morning arrival, stay in Edinburgh overnight.
Day 2: Head to Kinloch Rannoch, have tentatively booked two nights here. Would stop along the way to maybe see Stirling Castle, Queen's View, Killiecrankie or maybe do a short walk somewhere.
Day 3: Continue to use Kinloch Rannoch as a base, and explore other areas as recommended - maybe stop at Dahlwinnie for a tour - OR should we just stay there one night and keep moving onward?
Day 4 and 5 - Should we go to Skye or somewhere else in that area to see very different scenery and wildlife? If so, where to stay and where to drive and stop? Should we take the Jacobite Train? Should we just go to Glen Coe?
Day 5 - Continue exploring but in the direction of Edinburgh return, so we arrive before dark.

Just started planning yesterday, very open to suggestions!

I would really forget about Skye. The island has become insanely popular, the driving is slooooow, traffic and parking are pretty bad, and accommodations book up far in advance. Plus it is on the far other side of the country. If you wanted to head west I personally would go no further than possibly Glencoe. Also Kinloch Rannoch may not be the best base since it is pretty remote and on very narrow roads in/out.

Three options that may fit better in your few days:

1) drive to Stirling, visit castle, Inchmahome, etc,. Stay one or two nights in/near Callander, drive up to Glencoe -- visiting the Falls of Dochart (amazing) and Balquhidder (Rob Roy's grave), stay one night in Glencoe/Ballachulish. Drive up to Dalwhinnie then down the A9 and stay the night in say Dunkeld. Drive to Edinburgh

or 2) stay over towards the east coast . . . Visit Glamis Castle, Dunnottar, Deeside castles. Stay two nights in Ballater or nearby. Drive up to Grantown-on-Spey - stay two nights, drive back to Edinburgh.

or 3) Head south into the Borders, visit 2 or 3 of the gorgeous Border Abbeys, Bamburgh, Holy Island, St Abbs Head, and back to Edinburgh via North Berwick. Stays could be in Melrose/Kelso/Jedburgh, Bamburgh, and Holy Island/Eyemouth/North Berwick.

Meant to add -- if you really want an island, maybe consider Mull instead. Still slow travel, and narrow roads, popular, but not as insanely popular/over-visited as Skye.

Thanks very much - will look at your recommendation 1. Any particularly great places you'd recommend we schedule a few hour long day- hike along the way?

Too many to even count (literally) - the country is simply awash with great walks, hikes, rambles. Nail down a semi-firmish itinerary and we can suggest memorable walks.

I agree with Janis about Skye, but I wonder about your traveling style. If it's like mine, I don't mind long days behind the wheel, but if you're more a stop-and-smell-the-roses/cattle/peat smoke type of travelers, then it can make for a less ambitious itinerary than one that I might suggest.

For example, look at this map and research the places on it: https://goo.gl/maps/jUGjMiEjRMswfp1k7 . Use Undiscovered Scotland - Undiscovered Scotland: Home Page - as a valuable resource.

First, you'll see that Google estimates the drive time at around 12 1/2 hours. This is baloney, the actual "wheels turning" time is probably more like 15 or 16 hours, not counting waits for two ferries. Over the space of four days this might not be too much for many people, but it might be for you.

As for the route, it's something of a grand tour of the (mainly Argyll) western Highlands, including spectacular Glen Etive, Glen Coe, a taste of the Ardnamurchan peninsula and Mull. It then includes the marvelous prehistoric monuments around tiny Kilmartin, picturesque Inveraray and its pompous castle, but also fabulous castles in amazing positions - Duart Castle on Mull and the ruins of Kilchurn Castle on Loch Awe. With three nights I'd spend one in Glen Coe, a second in Tobermory on Mull, and a third on the mainland, probably at Inveraray. That would involve a fair amount of driving between stops, but it would be pretty amazing stuff, and daylight hours in July will be long enough to get out of the car and walk around.

But maybe that's too aggressive for you, and a shorter itinerary would be best. Or maybe two short itineraries, providing starkly different experiences?

For example, here's a one-overnight route that touches the western Highlands as well as stopping in a very pretty village on the edge of Glen Lyon, then ends up back in or near Edinburgh: . I'd try to spend the night in beautiful Glenfinnan, which features the famous Harry Potter railway viaduct as well as a monument to the Jacobite rising of 1745, set at the head of beautiful Loch Shiel. https://goo.gl/maps/91c3eZv4x11qFbx79

You could then do a separate loop from/to Edinburgh out to the East Lothian and Berwickshire coasts, then down to a couple of sites in (English) Northumberland, both of which will take your breath away. https://goo.gl/maps/yL1DRN37AyacM3fm6

This includes several picturesque fishing villages along the North Sea coast, followed by the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, cradle of Christianity in the north of England. and then Bamburgh, a pretty village overlooked by one of the most impressive castles in Britain. If wildlife is of interest, the Farne Islands (of which Lindisfarne is one) are famous for birding; there are tours available sailing from Seahouses, just south of Bamburgh. The return to Edinburgh shown on the map traverses the lovely and lonely Lammermuir Hills and includes the picturesque village of Gifford.

With this option you could stay overnight in Bamburgh or on the Holy Island, and have fairly easy days both en route to Northumberland and returning to Edinburgh.

With either of these options you could take an extra day to explore the areas; again, use Undiscovered Scotland for information on these places.

Just some thoughts.

Thank you so much! I’m going into more preferences here in case you have time to tweak your itineraries for this revision!

We are less inclined to the long (dawn to dusk) day behind the wheel ,a bit more of the stop and walk, smell the peat….I think we will plan to skip Mull so we can do a bit more relaxed travel - Ideally we would spend two nights at one location, and one night at another - I am just trying to avoid changing hotels and beds every night IF there is a location that lets us explore the town or location and also day trip from there. We will probably be happy to have an early evening of drinking, reading, and relaxing at some point too.

We’d like one or two castles max (we like the grounds as much as the interior stuff after a while) and we like great views, moderate hikes, photography, wildlife and birding - but not enough to make a special trip to bird - and we really enjoy wandering towns and finding a good restaurant, art shoppes, and local industry and history. My husband is a golfer and scotch drinker - I’m just into the landscapes, landforms, and nature.

The Harry Potter viaduct is appealing - we could devote time to the train trip or we could just explore near it - which do you recommend? Is it worth stopping at Kinloch Rannoch and/or Queen’s view on our way back in or out of Edinburgh? Is Oban worth visiting?

I’m very interested in a slight revision of your itinerary 1, or 3, based on our more moderate time behind the wheel….

Thank you!

Random thoughts:

"We are less inclined to the long (dawn to dusk) day behind the wheel . . ."

That's a REALLY good thing since dawn to dusk in early July will be from 4AM to nearly 11PM

"Day 5 - Continue exploring but in the direction of Edinburgh return, so we arrive before dark."

See above -- it will be nearly impossible to arrive anywhere after dark


"The Harry Potter viaduct is appealing - we could devote time to the train trip or we could just explore near it - which do you recommend?"

Taking the train out and back will eat up an entire day - 10:15 train from Ft William, nearly 2 hours in Mallaig, 2:10 departure from Mallaig, arriving back in Ft William just after 4PM. A better option IMO/IME would be to drive the Road to the Isles and time it so you are in Glenfinnan when the Jacobite passes by so you can get great photos of it crossing the viaduct. Very nice walks in the area too.

" Is it worth stopping at Kinloch Rannoch and/or Queen’s view"

Both are lovely but neither is all that 'special' scenery-wise. That whole region of Scotland has those sorts of views around nearly every bend in the road.

I'm leaving for a few hours but will post some more detailed suggestions for itineraries later today.

Just quick . . . One option would be to stay in Glencoe or Ballachulish 2 nights use the half day after arriving to hike in Glencoe. The next day to drive out in the morning as far as Glenfinnan, see the monument and GLORIOUS views of the mountains and up Loch Shiel, and see the Jacobite train then use the afternoon to explore other areas - like drive the length of Loch Linnhe, visit Oban Distillery and Dunstaffnage Castle, see Castle Stalker and back to Ballachulish/Glencoe for the night. This would be a total drive time in the range of 3.5 hours

Janis and Gardyloo: suggestions have been great - now ready for more fine-tuning! We have now booked two nights in Glencoe, so our itinerary is looking like this:

Arrive Edinburgh 9 am July 7, stay there all day and night.
July 8 - head to Stirling, Falls of Dochart, and then into Glencoe (too many stops? others which would be better?)
July 9 - Glenfinnan and the Jacobite train crossing the bridge (10:30 am-ish). Rent bikes and ride 20 - 30 miles of the Caledonia trail after lunch (I messaged a bike rental store).
July 10 - check out of hotel - morning hike someplace? go to Dahlwinnie distillery? onward travel - what would be another good overnight area en route to Edinburgh?
July 11 - explore (another walk or something?) as we travel to Edinburgh
July 12, 13, 14 Edinburgh and St Andrews, then home.

Quite interested in your recommendations for 2 to 3 hour morning hikes near Glencoe on the 10th - and route back - where to stay and where to stop.

Thanks much, we are getting excited!

THINGS JUST GOT REALLY BUSY HERE SO I MAY BE OFF THE REST OF THE DAY BUT SOME QUICK IDEAS (OOPS - just noticed I'm in all caps . . . back to not yelling ) From Glencoe you could drive up to Dalwhinnie, then go to Killiekrankie (down to Soldiers Leap and then along the river is a lovely walk). then on to Dunkeld to stay the night - a lovely village. Unfortunately the beautiful cathedral/grounds along the river are not open due to some ongoing conservation work. Next day visit Scone Palace en route back to Edinburgh.

Or, because of the Cathedral being off limits, instead of Dunkeld -- stay in Aberfeldy. You could visit Castle Menzies, take a photo of one of my favorite village entry signs . . . Dull . . . unless the sign has been stollen again, happens now and then. And just up the road is the Scottish Crannog Centre

As for walks in Glencoe -- there are almost too many to list. For every fitness/experience level from easy to moderate to hard to expert (and by expert they mean REALLY experienced). Here is a list/description of 14 possibilities: https://stunningoutdoors.com/best-hi...ncoe-scotland/

What I'd suggest for the post-Glen Coe day would be to drive down Glen Etive as you head east from Glen Coe; the (dead end) road is drop-dead gorgeous, and there are places to pull over (NOT in a passing place) and walk down to the river. Loch Etive, at the end of the road was used a couple of times in the Harry Potter films, most notably as where the three Hogwarts students end up after jumping off the dragon's back in the Deathly Hallows Part II. Glen Etive was also used in Skyfall, the Bond... James Bond... film. It helps that it's one of the most beautiful glens in Scotland.

Approaching the Glen Etive turnoff from the A82



Buachaille Etive Mor at the top of Glen Etive



Along the road



OR (or AND/OR) for an overnight close to where Janis recommends, I'd put in a plug for Fortingall, which I think I mentioned in an earlier post, or just included it on a map. Fortingall is a very picturesque (quite tiny) village at the mouth of Glen Lyon in Perthshire, not far from Aberfeldy. The village is noteworthy for its collection of thatched buildings, unusual in Scotland, and for the yew tree in the churchyard, reputedly one of the oldest living things in Europe, possibly the world. Pontius Pilate was supposedly born in Fortingall, woo hoo. The hotel in Fortingall is lovely and excellent. Fortingall Feature Page on Undiscovered Scotland

But for a short hike, as if driving up glorious Glen Lyon (basically another dead end) wasn't enough, you could stop and cross the River Lyon for a walk to the Roman Bridge (it isn't, it's only a few hundred years old.) But again, stunning stuff.


Here's a map starting in Glen Coe - https://goo.gl/maps/oGStkbN2zbs1ULFX9

To build on Gardyloo's post -- I'd hit Killin/Falls en route from Edinburgh to Glencoe (it is s short detour off the A84 main road. I agree re Glen Etive but would visit it before or during the Glencoe stay, not on the way back to EDI. And Fortingall is an easy add on from an Aberfeldy base.

So I'd do something like EDI > Killin > Glen Etive > Glencoe (2 night stay) > Dalwhinnie (Since I assume you've mentioned it in each post this is one of your husband's favorite single malts so want to keep it in the plan) > Killiekrankie > Aberfeldy (overnight stay with lots to choose from in the 'neighborhood' including Fortingall, Dull, Glen Lyon, etc) > Scone Palace (optional if you want to spend more time exploring around Aberfeldy) > EDI.

IF the Dalwhinnie visit isn't required then a variation of Gardyloo's itinerary would be maybe 3 hours less driving time spread over the 4 days.

""I would really forget about Skye. The island has become insanely popular, the driving is slooooow, traffic and parking are pretty bad, and accommodations book up far in advance.""

In mid May, we will be spend 3 nights at Inverlochy Castle Hotel near Fort William, followed by 3 nights at Loch Torridon Hotel. This is our 3rd attempt at Scotland - previous tries were cancelled by Covid. From Torridon, I have planned a 1 day drive around nearby Skye. Will traffic be really slooooow on May 19 - a Thursday?? We are not hikers (wife has bad feet), so all we'll do is drive, get out of the car at viewpoints, etc. This is part of a 19 night Scotland trip with 5 castle hotels (all north of Edinburgh) - plus Edinburgh.

Stu Dudley

aye, I don't think the Romans got to Glen Coe ;-)

Hi - we will be going from Edinburgh to Glen Coe (two night stay, including visit to see the Jacobite Train and down to Oban) then to Aberfeldy (one night stay) then back to Edinburgh.

Would you advise going from Glen Coe through Spean Bridge and Dalhwinnie Distillery - OR - going through Bridge of Orchy? My husband would enjoy the Distillery tour but it is not essential.

Thanks!