The Ultimate Scottish Roadtrip – 5 Day Guide
It’s difficult to know where to start when you first touch down in Scotland – do you explore the rich tapestry of history in the capital city of Edinburgh, or do you have a tranquil few days in amongst the mountainous landscapes of the Scottish Highlands? In the Ultimate Scottish Roadtrip, you can do both – here’s how:
Day 1: Edinburgh
Aim to arrive early in Edinburgh – there’s so much to do and see, you’ll want as much time as possible! If you’re like me, your day starts with coffee! Edinburgh has no end of quaint coffee shops that provide the caffeine kick to keep you fuelled for your day in the city, a personal favourite of mine is The Milkman, located on Cockburn Street, parallel to the famous and historic Royal Mile where we’ll start your tour of Edinburgh.
The Royal Mile is the hub of Edinburghs’ Old Town, and proudly sat atop of the mile is Edinburgh Castle – a must see when you are visiting Edinburgh. As you walk up the mile towards the castle, I recommend you take a peek into St Giles Cathedral (The High Kirk of Edinburgh) which was founded in 1124 by King David I, seen as the backdrop of Edinburghs’ turbulent religious history.
Continuing your journey back in time, Edinburgh Castle is often visitors number one on the ‘visit Edinburgh bucket list’, and rightly so. Edinburgh Castle was built in the 12th century on the lid of a volcano and provides views over the city, the Moray Firth and the Pentland Hills.
There are no end of places to see and things to do after you have explored The Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle. The volatile Scottish weather may help your decision making on how you spend the rest of your time in Edinburgh, if you’re lucky enough to experience some Scottish sun, I would recommend taking a walk to the top of Arthur Seat, where you can watch the sun set over the city.
Day 2: Aviemore via Pitlochry
Swap the cobbled-stone streets of Edinburgh for the tranquil mountains of the Scottish Highlands on day 2 of the Ultimate Road Trip of Scotland. The average drive time for Edinburgh to Aviemore is about 3 hours, but I recommend stopping in a few of the picturesque Scottish towns along the way.
Pitlochry is the gateway town of the Scottish Highlands, the small town is ripe with clan history, small locally-owned businesses, quaint coffee shops and sits proudly on the River Tumnel, where you can stretch your legs and enjoy your first glimpse of the Highlands.
A short stop after Pitlochry is the House of Bruar – a picturesque farm shop service station where you can get a taste of local Scottish Produce. I recommend taking a walk round Bruar Falls – keep an eye out for us Canyoning on the falls!
From the House of Bruar, continue driving north to Aviemore – the outdoor hub of The Cairngorms National Park. Surrounded by lochs, mountains, and historic forest, Aviemore is a must stop on a visit to Scotland. The small town is quintessentially Scottish and is a true representation of the Highlands.
By the time you arrive in Aviemore, it will be time to enjoy a well-earned rest. Aviemore has countless accommodation options, from luxurious lodges at Caledonian Escapes or a hotel getaway at Macdonald Hotels and Spa.
After enjoying a peaceful nights’ rest, waken yourself up by taking a dip in the beautiful Loch Morar, before continuing your roadtrip north to Loch Ness via the Capital of the Scottish Highlands – Inverness.
Day 3: Inverness & Loch Ness
Inverness – the largest town in the Scottish Highlands and definitely worth a quick stop at, even if it’s just to grab a coffee from Birch, one of the best speciality coffee shops in the Highlands.
From Inverness, I recommend driving west to explore Loch Ness. The picturesque journey drives alongside Loch Ness – an instagram-able heaven, so take plenty of stops and take plenty of photos, keep an eye out for the famous Loch Ness monster on the way. Proudly placed on Loch Ness is Urquart Castle, where I recommend you take your first stop of the day.
Urquart Castle stores a collection of Highland stories and has witnessed some of the most dramatic chapters in Scotlands’ history. It is said that St Columba worked miracles there in the 6th century, and where the lords of Macdonald lords of the Isles battled for power.
Further along the loch, is the Loch Ness Centre where you can enjoy stories of the nations favourite mystery – The Loch Ness Monster.
Day 4: Fort William
Fort William, home of the highest mountain in the UK – Ben Nevis, is a short, scenic drive from Loch Ness. After enjoying a coffee at the Highland Soap Company, I recommend taking a drive through Glen Nevis, where the rugged Scottish mountains tower over the winding road through the Glen. At the end of the Glen is ‘Steall Falls‘, famous for its feature in the Harry Potter films.
If you’re a Harry Potter fanatic, or have the energy to add on an extra bit of driving, it is worth taking a trip from Fort William to Glenfinnan Viaduct – The famous Harry Potter bridge.
Expect to spend a couple of hours walking to Steall Falls to take in the beautiful views of Glen Nevis. Afterwards, a must stop for dinner is the Ben Nevis Inn. Which once was an old barn, but has since been converted to an atmospheric Scottish bar. The Ben Nevis Inn also provides beautiful cabin-style accommodation, where you can wake up to a beautiful view of Glen Nevis.
Day 5: Glasgow via Glencoe & Loch Lomond
The last day of the ‘Ultimate Road trip in Scotland’ takes you from Fort William through the famous Glencoe Valley , and back south to Glasgow.
Glencoe Valley is one of the most famous glens in Scotland – it is definitely worth taking plenty of stops along the way.
From Glencoe, continue driving south to Glasgow via Loch Lomond in the Trossachs National Park, where you’ll be surrounded by oak forest and beautiful mountainous landscapes – enjoy the last of the Highland scenery before arriving back to the central belt.
Intrepidus Outdoors is an adventure tours and outdoor experience providers, based in Edinburgh, Scotland, that specialises in private and open canyoning, coasteering, mountain biking and hill walking tours.
My Adventure Edinburgh (Part of the Intrepidus Group) is an outdoor tours provider that specialises in canyoning, coasteering, canoeing and hillwalking tours. As well as delivering these adventurous experiences across Scotland, My Adventure is also a provider of the Duke of Edinburgh Award Expeditions where we run bronze, silver and gold level awards for young people.
If you are looking for additional information about adventures from Edinburgh, we have published a number of blogs:
- Open Coasteering guide here
- Adventures in Edinburgh here
- A guide to Wild Swimming in Scotland here
- Eight Scottish Wonders- by Paul Lamarra here
- High and Mighty- Bouldering in Scotland here
- Top tips for backpacking Scotland here
- 6 steps to being happy like a Scot here
- You’ll never get bored in Edinburgh here
- Best Budget Hotels and Hostels Edinburgh here
- Hen Party Adventures Edinburgh: here
- Stag Party Outdoor Adventures Edinburgh Essentials: here
If you haven’t already seen it, check out the our Trip Advisor, Youtube channeland check us out on Visit Scotland.