Scotland. It’s been on my “to visit” list forever and I just knew I HAD to make it happen. So, with very little lead time, I planned and booked it. Was planning something like this last minute a bad idea? Well, it honestly depends on your budget and flexibility, but we were able to make it work. While in Scotland, we prioritized Edinburgh, Glencoe and surrounding areas, and Isle of Skye. I’d honestly like to go back again one day, because there is just SO MUCH MORE to see!

Itinerary:

Eight Day Road Trip | Scotland

Edinburgh – Three nights (first two and last)

• Forage and Chatter – Amazing lunch!
• Edinburgh Distillery – Must reserve tour ahead of time
• The Perch – Delicious dinner 
• Edinburg Castle 25£ per person to enter.  Would probably skip.
• Authur’s Seat – Hike
• Palace of Holyroodhouse
  
  Get allll the details about our stay in Edinburgh here.

Glencoe – Two nights

• Loch Leven Hotel and Distillery – Hotel; North Ballachulish
• Glenfinnan Viaduct – 40 minute drive from Glencoe. Look up train times before you go.  Arrive ~45 minutes early to figure out the hike and wait for the train.  If it’s very warm, you won’t see much steam. 
• Fort William/Ben Nevis – You can take a cable car up an adjacent mountain if you desire. 
• Glencoe – Tons of hiking!
• Eilean Donan – On the way to (or from) Isle of Skye
  
  Get allll the details about our stay in Glencoe here.

Isle of Skye – 3 nights

• The Misty Bottle – A87 – Very cool gin shop
• Portree – Main town of Isle of Skye. Beautiful, but very crowded in summer.
• Old Man of Storr – Decently steep ascent. Worth it. 
• Kilt Rock/Mealt Falls – Close parking. Beautiful falls.
• Fairy Glen – Basically a cool open field, but was way too crowded when we went.
• Quiraing – Too many midges for us to hike. Be sure to bring midge nets (we did and there were still too many for us).
• Dunvegan Castle & Gardens – Lovely castle with lots of history and large gardens to explore.
• Neist Point Lighthouse – One of our favorite stops. I recommend walking all the way to the bottom of the hill and looking up at the lighthouse.
• Fairy Pools – Beautiful but very, very crowded.
  
  Get allll the details about our stay in Isle of Skye here.

Fort Augustus – Stop in on way to Edinburgh

• Fort Augustus – Quaint little town at the southern end of Loch Ness.
• Loch Ness – Beautiful lake with so much nature surrounding. Can also take boat cruises.
• Loch Ness Monster Fish and Chip Co – Delicious fish and chips
  
  Get allll the details here.