Scottish Highlands Adventure
So you’re planning your Scottish Highlands adventure and trying to:
- organize the best trip
- for the perfect amount of time
- at a price you can afford.
Perfect!
I’ve got some great tips and a photo journal to help you plan the trip of your dreams to the Scottish Highlands.
Come on! Pack your bag! You’re headed to the Scottish Highlands!
So you’re headed to Scotland! Maybe you plan to spend some time in London, Stratford-Upon-Avon, or even Oxford. If you are driving, just head north to find the Scottish Highlands! There are only a couple of motorways if you want to get there “fast”. You could also meander your way along and enjoy the countryside, Lake District, Yorkshire Dales, and all points in between. You could also just hop on a train & enjoy the relaxing ride to your next destination. Any way you do it, it’s going to be an ambitious adventure.
The next big city on your list up north will likely be Edinburgh or Glasgow. I prefer Edinburgh (don’t tell my Glaswegian friends, k?). From Edinburgh (or Glasgow) you can do a loop into the Scottish Highlands. No matter which way you go, it’s going to be fantastic. If you like, you can get some sweet deals on rental cars and drive these scenic roads for yourself. It will give you the most flexibility and adventure. But if that’s too much, then plan for some enjoyable scenic train and bus rides to get you from one side of Scotland to the other, and back again.
Our recent trip took us from Edinburgh to Perth, then onto Pitlochry. We hugged the edge of the Cairngorms National Park until we got to Dalwhinnie. Here’s where (just past the distillery) you turn left and head west across the Scottish Highlands. This winding road will take you through the villages of Laggan, Strathmashie, Kinloch Laggan, and Ardverikie (known by some as “Glenbogle”). Then it’s on through Inverlair, Spean Bridge and all points north or south of the western Scottish Highlands.
You’ve arrived at the west side of the Scottish Highlands!
SUPER Tough Decision!
When you get to Spean Bridge, you have some tough decisions to make. If you go right (north-ish), you can go past Loch Lochy and on to Loch Ness & Inverness. Going this way lets you get to the northernmost points of Scotland.
If you decide to go left (south-ish), you are headed toward Fort William and can make your way to the Isle of Skye and the Hebrides Islands.
If you have the time on your trip, you could do both.
A few extra days in your trip could allow for an Edinburgh, Perth, Aberdeen, Inverness, Fort William, Isle of Skye & Hebrides Islands itinerary. Then head back to the mainland and head for Glencoe, Loch Lomond, and back into Glasgow and Central Scotland.
Ok, so we took the left at Spean Bridge, this time, and headed for the Isle of Skye. We stopped for lunch at Eilean Donan Castle. Magical! Everywhere you look is beauty only found in the Scottish Highlands.
After lunch, it was on to the Isle of Skye!
Let’s just say I was not prepared for the beauty of this island. It’s the largest of the Scottish Hebridean Islands but with the small village pace (and single-track roads) you would expect. I was left speechless by the unique landscape carved by thousands (millions?) of years of glaciers, ice flow, volcanoes, rivers, and storms. The rugged mountains, wind, and rock formations left me awestruck with beauty and splendor I had not seen in any of my travels.
Here’s a wee photo journal* of the best of the 800 (!) pictures I took of our trip from Dalwhinnie to the Isle of Skye! No photoshopped, or prettied-up images here! I don’t boast in my photography skills (I’m a work in progress in that area). These are just me trying to grasp the beauty, and simplicity of the region. Enjoy & Stay Captivated!
The spectacular drive from Dalwhinnie to Skye made us decide to go home that way too. If you decide to head for Glencoe and through Loch Lomond, the journey has it’s own picturesque beauty not to be missed. More on that in an upcoming post.
*A special thank you to Neil Clark of Glenbervie Folk Duo and Great Glen Piping for the Pipe music. You can enjoy more of his music or follow him on Facebook.
What’s on your Scottish Highlands itinerary? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.
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I loved this itinerary! Not sure if I’m reading this correctly but did you leave from Edinburgh to go to the Isle of Skye and back all in one day?? Just trying to get an idea of the time frame you did this in. Also what month was this trip? thank you!!
To do the Highlands justice and not go crazy with the driving, you really should plan for at least 1 day to drive to the Isle of Skye from Edinburgh and at least one day to drive back. Then spend a few days on the Isle of Skye, some of the other islands, or in the Highlands. This is not a one day trip, especially in the summer when the narrow roads have more traffic. You will want to take it as slow as your itinerary will allow to soak up the beauty of the highlands.
The Scottish Highlands is indeed the stuff that dreams are made of. The mysterious looking castles, the bewitching natural beauty and the misty weather all make for a heady experience. The elements of romance seem to come together here. Some great tips to help us when we get to London and plan for a trip to the Scottish Highlands.
Sandy, it truly is magical. I hope you have a lovely time! If you need tips on London I’ve got some great posts & The London for Families City Guide. I’ve done all the planning for your, you just pick what sounds fun and go do it! Cheers!
yaaaas, I loved this post, thank you for sharing! I have been wanting to go to Scotland for such a long time now. I do hope it will happen one day. It looks so magical, love those beautiful castles. Not the best weather tho haha
Yes the weather can be unpredictable. The “all 4 seasons in one day” is a reality here. The best months to me seem to be May and September when it comes to weather.
I’ve taken the train up – and yes, I prefer Edinburgh – and flown in. Twice now, I’ve hired a car from Avis Prestige, for not a huge amount more than a basic motor, and driven around the Highlands. There’s something special about tooling around some of these marvellous driving roads in a Jag.
I heartily endorse every word above. Scotland has unbelievable beauty and time spent out in the countryside is well worth the time and cost.
Glad you enjoyed the post and all your adventures in Scotland!
Loving the looks of the Scotland Highlands – I’ve never been there before, but this article has made me want to put Scotland on the bucket list – thanks 🙂
It’s beautiful country! Hope your bucket list dreams come true!
A total of 800 pictures?! Man, I hope I can get on that level someday! I think your unedited photos are lovely! They show the true and honest beauty of this area of Scotland. It looks so peaceful, and anything outdoors is right up my alley!
Thanks for the encouragement. My pictures don’t do the scenery justice. Even on a wet, rainy July day like we had, it is still breathtaking. Can you imagine the beauty on a clear, crisp autumn day?
Considering that we have never been to Scotland so far, this post will be helpful for us! We’d like to follow your tour and explore especially the natural places this country offers
Added this post on our bookmarks 🙂
You will just love it in Scotland. It really is more beautiful than my pictures portray. When you are ready to dive in and start planning I’ve got great tips on how to do it affordably with or without kids!
The Scottish Highlands is a bucket list trip for me! Great information in this article. I loved your slideshow!
Thanks so much! You will just love the highlands. It’s breathtaking!
Looks like a beautiful place! My heritage is Scottish, so a trip to the motherland has been on my itinerary since I was little. That, and learn to play the bagpipes. I loved your slideshow! I always take way too many pictures when I go places, so I might have to maybe start making slideshows too!
I hope you get to make that trip AND learn the bagpipes! If you have any questions about how to make to most of your adventure and keep it affordable, I’m happy to answer any questions. I really enjoyed making the slide show & sharing our friends music too. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
I am so jealous! I love those landscapes. It always reminds me of Harry Potter with those mystic weather and moody misty castles! I wanna go there so badly!
Make a plan & stay focused. There are several other Scotland posts available and more to come! Have fun dreaming & planning!
Looks beautiful – we are going end of October! Will def take these comments on board and I will be blogging about out adventures.
Have a great time and don’t forget your rain jacket!
If I were going from Edinburgh to the Highlands, I’d take the route through the Trossachs: up to Callander, the onto Lochearnhead and Tyndrum. That way leads through stunning Glen Coe, and then onto Fort William.
That’s a gorgeous route too! We’ve returned that way before. There are just so many routes to choose from! I’ll be writing about that route too soon. Thanks for the local knowledge!