Length: 5 Days | Budget: $$
The Scottish Highlands was everything I imagined it to be. Think mesmerizing landscapes, majestic mountains, romantic seascapes, and lots and lots of green! There’s a mystery to the entire region, and there’s no wonder why faerie lore and gaelic mythology runs so deep there.
Day 0: Getting to Scotland from London
To get to Scotland, we took the Caledonian Sleeper overnight train from London Euston to Glasgow Station. We did this because we thought it would be most efficient for our travel plans – plus, neither of us had ever slept on a train before (at least, not one with proper beds) so it would be a new travel experience! Because we were a couple, we were able to share our own private car containing two berths (otherwise you’d typically be paired with a stranger with the same gender).
Even though the berths were teeny tiny, I managed to sleep pretty comfortably. Poor 6′ 3″ Kevin struggled to fall asleep (although, this had more to do with the fact that I had fallen asleep on his arm and then proceeded not to budge for the rest of the night). There was something quite comforting about the way the train rocked gently back-and-forth on the tracks – it reminded me of a rocking chair or a crib…and it put me right to sleep. The next morning, we were woken up with a knock on the door where we were served some coffee and shortbread cookies for breakfast. And just like that, we had arrived in Glasgow!
TIP: You will need a car to get around the Highlands, particularly if you want to make the most of your trip. There are several car rental places within easy walking distance of Glasgow station (we rented from the AVIS a few blocks away). Most of them allow for different pick-up and drop-off points, which makes for a convenient road trip!
Day 1: Stirling + Glencoe + Fort Williams
Stirling Castle
Our road trip started off with a visit to Stirling Village and Castle (about a 40-minute drive from Glasgow). Stirling Castle is one of Scotland’s most historically significant sites and a major source of Scottish pride – it’s been said many-a-time that whoever holds Stirling, holds Scotland. The castle is strategically situated on a hill overlooking the River Forth, and a bridge over the river serves as a key passageway between the ‘lowlands’ and the ‘highlands’. It’s also the site where William Wallace (a.k.a Braveheart) led his fellow Scotsmen to defeat a massive English army in a fight for Scottish independence. I’ll admit here that visiting Stirling prompted us to re-watch the movie Braveheart that same night…
TIP: Tickets into Stirling Castle cost ~15 GBP/person. Guided tours are included in the ticket price and take place on the hour. You should definitely try to time your visit with a guided tour because they are highly educational!
Glencoe
Our next stop was Glencoe, Scotland’s most famous glen and geologically speaking, the remains of an ancient super volcano. It’s also where several movies such as Braveheart and Harry Potter were filmed. Driving through the valley was an amazing experience – everywhere we turned there was something new to see, from dramatic mountain peaks, to black fields of lava rock, and quaint little houses that seemed to contradict the grandeur of the scenery. We had lunch at a local tea shop in Glencoe village where I decided to be adventurous and tried haggis for the first time. I wasn’t sure if I would like it (the description certainly sounded unpleasant), but I was surprised to find that it tasted pretty good! We then stretched our legs by taking a short hike on the Glencoe Lochan trail (take the blue trail for the best views).
Fort William
Afterwards, we made our way to Fort William where we would be staying for the night. While the town center seemed relatively small, there were plenty of cute hotels and B&Bs dotting the shores of Lake Lochan, and the view of Ben Nevis (the highest peak in the U.K.) from the town are hard-to-beat. Dinner was at the Inverlochy Castle (a real castle y’all!) where Kevin and I had an unforgettable multi-course dinner. With full bellies, tipsy minds, and happy hearts…we checked into the Treetops Bed & Breakfast for the night.
To read more about our amazing Inverlochy Castle experience, check out my related blog post “An Unforgettable Dinner at Inverlochy Castle” here.
Day 2: Glenfinnan + Isle of Skye
Glenfinnan
We began day 2 of our journey by traveling on the 46-mile scenic drive along the ‘Road to the Isles’, passing famous sites such as the Neptune’s Staircase (a flight of eight lochs which forms a section of the Caledonian Canal), the Glenfinnan Monument, and the Glenfinnan Viaduct (you may recognize it from the Harry Potter train scenes!). While we didn’t get to see the steam train chug along the Glenfinnan Viaduct, the Harry Potter nerd inside of me was still pretty excited!
Maillaig
Our B&B hosts had suggested that we take the ‘Old Coast Road’ from Arisaig to Maillaig instead of the highway lines so that we could admire some stunning beach views of silvery, white sand. We were so glad that we followed their recommendation because it was truly gorgeous (who knew that Scotland had white sand beaches?!). Best of all, there were several occasions where we found ourselves surrounded by sheep – of course, I had to get out of the car to make some new friends.
Fairy Pools
From Maillaig, we took a 30-40 minute ferry from the mainland to the Armadale port on the Isle of Skye. An hour-long drive later, we found ourselves standing at the foothills of the Black Cuillins mountain range, ready to complete a short hike to discover the Fairy Pools. The hike to the Fairy Pools is in relatively good condition, composed of a gravel path and a few stepping stones across a river crossing. We found the Fairy Pools to be a delight – it took us about 1-1.5 hours to finish the hike, admire the electric blue waters, take lots of amazing pictures, and explore hidden crevices.
TIP: If you’re traveling during the high season, I’d recommend that you book ferry tickets to the Isle of Skye in advance. Also, the weather in Scotland can be quite finnicky, so definitely check timetables and make sure that the ferries are still running!
Portree
Afterwards, we made our way to the colorful seaside village of Portree where our B&B was located. Our B&B host recommended we head down to the restaurant Sea Breezes for dinner, claiming that it would be one of the freshest seafood meals we’d ever have. He was not wrong. The scallops I had were sweet and perfectly tender…Kevin’s sea bass was fresh and flaky…and the sticky toffee pudding we shared for dessert was a dream-come-true.
Day 3: Isle of Skye
Neist Point
We kicked off our third day with a hearty, traditional Scottish breakfast consisting of black pudding, soft-boiled eggs, grilled tomatoes, and buttery mushrooms. Yum. It was a good thing that our first activity of the day would be a steep hike at Neist Point Lighthouse (the most westerly point of Scotland) because we desperately needed to burn off some calories!
TIP: If you want to visit Neist Point, go early! The hike is getting increasingly popular (must be something about the views….) so if you want to avoid crowds, the earlier the better. Also, the best viewpoint of the lighthouse it actually BEFORE you start the hiking trail, to the right of the car park and trail entrance!
Fairy Glen
After Neist Point, we made our way to Dunvegan Castle. Dunvegan Castle is the oldest continuously inhabited castle in Scotland, and is the ancestral home to the Chiefs of the Clan Macleod for hundreds of years. We then wandered towards Dunvegan Village for a quick lunch of Smoked Haddock soup with ham and cheese toasties, before proceeding to our next stop, the Fairy Glen.
The Fairy Glen was the highlight of our Isle of Skye road trip. It’s off-the-beaten path, but is a lovely place to explore and get lost in. Located near the small town of Uig, the Fairy Glen is collection of oddly-formed cone-shaped hills and rock formations. The whole area felt quite out-of-this world, as if it were filled with mystery and imbued with magic…just the sort of place you’d expect to find fairies and other enchanting creatures! It sort of felt like I had fallen into the middle of a Lord of the Rings movie set.
TIP: There are no signs to the Fairy Glen. However, our B&B host recommended that we use Hotel Uig as our anchor point. From there, he told us to drive a short 5-minutes down the winding dirt path and the glen would be visible from the path.
Quiraing
Afterwards, we visited the Quiraing, arguably one of the most spectacular landscapes in all of Scotland. Rain or shine, it’s worth visiting for the incredible views of sprawling grassy slopes, menacing ridges, and dramatic peaks. The Quiraing is actually a landslip – formed when some cliffs broke apart, creating a massive landslide through the valley. Despite being relatively stable ground now, the Quiraing is actually still moving at a rate of 2-3 cm per year!
Our day ended with another fantastic supper in Portree where we dined at Scorrybreac, a tiny family restaurant that seemed to be packed with regulars (that’s when you know the food is good). The Scorrybreac menu changes based on what is available, and in season…but if you get the chance to try the basil creme brulee appetizer…take it! It’s divine.
Day 4: Isle of Skye + Inverness
Old Man of Storr
We spent our last morning on the Isle of Skye hiking the Old Man of Storr trail. Seriously, it’s one of the best hikes I’ve ever done, with sweeping views of the Sound of Raasay and it’s grassy hill surroundings. The ‘Old Man’ is a large pinnacle at the top of the hike, and while it’s surrounded by several other smaller rock formations, seems to stand on it’s own like a proud father. The hike took us about 2 hours to complete – it was bizarre because we started the hike without a single cloud in sight, and ended the hike by having to inch and slide ourselves down the hill because it started snowing! It was a good thing we had prepared a backpack with some waterproof pants!
Eilean Donan
From there, it was an hour-long drive across the Skye Bridge to the adorable storybook fishing village of Dornie. There, we treated ourselves to a warm-and-hearty lamb goulash and baked Camembert for lunch before exploring the village and it’s colorful houses. Afterwards, we took a short 5-minute walk to the Eilean Donan Castle, the most photographed castle in Scotland!
The minute I saw Eilean Donan, I was immediately awe-struck. The castle structure itself is not the most impressive I’ve seen, but the bridge leading up-to-it, and the surrounding scenery was absolutely mesmerizing. I found it difficult not to skip with happiness the whole way across the bridge like a little girl! Afterwards, we hopped back into the car for a longer period of time (2 hours) towards our final destination of the trip, Inverness, the largest city and capital of the Scottish Highlands.
Day 5: Inverness
Culloden House
Our last day on our Scottish Highlands roadtrip started with a bang – we had a lovely Scottish breakfast in the ballroom of our luxurious hotel, the Culloden House. Apparently, the Culloden House has major historical significance. It served as the lodging and headquarters for Bonnie Prince Charlie before the fateful battle on the Culloden Moor (the Battle of Culloden was the final battle of the Jacobite Rising and was the last hand-to-hand battle to ever take place on British soil).
While in Inverness, we enjoyed strolling along the River Ness, admiring the wonderful yellow tulip beds and the magnificent Victorian architecture around us. Other attractions in the area worth exploring include Loch Ness (where you might be able to spot Nessie, the famous Lochness Monster), the Culloden Battlefield, and the Clava Cairns (a mysterious formation of 3 pre-historic cairns that were built to house the dead). Several conspiracy theories exist about the Clava Cairns, particularly since no one knows how they were built and the position of some of the cairns aligns perfectly with the sun during the winter time.
And just like that, our Scottish Highlands road trip had concluded….a trip of a lifetime! From Inverness, one can either take a train or flight back home, or continue driving through Aberdeenshire to visit Edinburgh.
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