Hi folks---my husband and I will be in Edinburgh in June for a few days. We would like to take a day trip up to Stonehaven and see Dunnottar Castle. I'm wondering about the best route. In looking at Google maps, it appears that we should plan on a route that takes us very close, if not through, Dundee and Perth. Is this the best route?

Also--- We're trying to choose a couple of unique stops on the way back to Edinburgh. What's the opinion on Birnam and Dunkeld, Glamis Castle, and/or Kirriemuir?

Thanks so much for any advice!

A loooong day would be to drive through Fife, cross the Tay Bridge and up the coast to Dunnottar then back south inland to Glamis then via Perth back to Edinburgh.

This will be tough though because (no matter which route you take) you'll be in the car close to six hours plus a couple of hours at Dunnottar and the same at Glamis. You'll have to get an early stay to be at Dunnottar at/near opening time if you want to fit both in. If you are there around 9AM then afterwards you can either head into Stonehaven for a quick lunch -- or more realistic time-wise, drive straight to Glamis and eat in the Castle Kitchen restaurant there. Glamis closes at 4:30.

Ohhhh---this sounds fun! I had not read about Glamis before your post. My husband is a Shakespeare nut and would love this, plus I imagine that driving the coast is beautiful!
Thanks janisj

OOPS -- that should read "You'll have to get an early stay start to be at Dunnottar at/near opening time. But you probably figured that out.

If you can get to Dunnottar by 9:30 or 10 AM and get on the road to Glamis by 12:30 or 1-ish you should be able to fit them both in. It is a bit of a hike out to the car park from Dunnottar.

"It is a bit of a hike...."

Almost 1,000 feet, basically level, from the car park to the cliff. Then, nearly 300 stairs (up/down, even and uneven) from the cliff to the castle entrance. And you get to do the same on the return to the car. If the trail is crowded (I haven't been there in June), you may need/want to overtake a lot of people on the stairs.

The castle's setting and views are stunning, but it's a long drive from Edinburgh... If you take the fastest route, out and back via Glamis, you won't be on the coast.

The difference between driving up the coast one way and inland back, and going via the 'fastest route' all inland up and back is less than 25 minutes difference drive time

With no intention of giving offense or being critical of Dunnottar Castle or Stonehaven - a good friend is from Gourdon, a very traditional fishing village south of Stonehaven, and other friends are from Forfar, which is near Glamis Castle and where you can get the single best Scottish food item, Forfar bridies - I find myself wondering if it's Dunnottar specifically, or whether a different spectacular coastal castle might fill the bill. Crikey, what a terrible long sentence.

If so, and if staying in Scotland for a day trip isn't mandatory, you might consider heading south over the English border instead, to Bamburgh Castle on the Northumberland coast. It will likely be a shorter drive than to Stonehaven (maybe 30 min. closer) but it will be on the coast or close to it for more of the drive, and there are a number of terrific and picturesque stopping points going or coming. Google Tantallon Castle, St. Abbs, and the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, all of which can be easily visited* as part of a day trip to Bamburgh. As for the castle itself, the word "spectacular" is woefully inadequate.

Map (google the places) - https://maps.app.goo.gl/wdWcnoZJMAUx5RhL7

*Access to the Holy Island is via a causeway that is closed at high tides. Timetables for opening times are readily available online.

Good info -- but this day up to Dunnottar is in addition to Holy Island etc. From the OP's other thread they are visiting Lindesfarne Lindisfarne/Holy Island or Isle of Skye???

I agree Bamburgh would be a must -- and it's directly on their route up from York, and Tantallon is between Lindesfarne and Edinburgh.

Really? That was not our experience. When we drove the coast from Edinburgh (Kirkcaldy, Anstruther, St. Andrews), it took us about 2 hours. From St. Andrews to Donnottar along the coast (Dundee, Arbroath, St. Cyrus) was another 2 hours not counting short stops for photos. Could we have driven faster? Perhaps. And we started at EDI.

On our way back from farther north, we stopped at both Glamis and Scone. Much faster road. Maybe 3 hours from Aberdeen to Glamis to Scone to EDI.

I didn't mean going east along the the coast of Fife . . . That is miles out of the way. I meant up the coast from Tayport to Dunnottar.

Thanks to all of you for the very helpful information. Yes--we will be going to Lindisfarne and Bamburgh earlier in our trip. I am almost finished planning and will post our initial itinerary soon. Hoping to get a good critique and will amend based on poster's comments. Thanks again!

Yep. I took "driving the coast" literally.