Scotland has been on my bucket list for ages and getting to go on this trip with my mom an sister was total magic. We packed so many incredible castles, beautiful hikes, fun local town stops into 9 days.
This blog post is not sponsored, but to be transparent I did not plan the trip but was gifted it by Tourlane. They design our itinerary and book all of our tours and hotels. As someone who usually plans the trips, having someone else take care of the schedule and bookings was slick. Having everything organized ahead of time made taking in the Highlands so easy! If you’re planning your own dream trip (they have a bunch of different destinations), you can book directly through them and can use my code HAILEY600 for $600 off your dream itinerary!
Here is the full breakdown of everything we did on our ultimate 9 day Scotland trip- on our route from Edinburgh up to Inverness, across to the Isle of Skye, and down through Glencoe.
Stop 1: Edinburg
We kicked off our trip in Scotland’s historic capital, which seriously feels like walking right into a storybook. We stayed at the Autograph Collection Hotel which was a great central location. We spent 2 days here are some of the highlights:
- Edinburgh Castle: Perched right on top of Castle Rock, this is the iconic city views and rich history. I would recommend getting ticket early because they were sold out when we got there. My mom bought the tour book which was really helpful to know what everything was.
- Haunted Underground Vaults Tour: We went below the city streets with Mercat Tours to explore the shadowy underground vaults. Fun if you like spooky things, but we also learned a lot about the history. After we had dinner at Bella Italia which was delicious!
- Handbag Workshop at Islander UK: One of my favorite souvenir experiences! We got to design and craft our own custom tweed bags.
- Vintage Shopping at W. Armstrong & Son: A legendary spot crammed with incredible vintage finds and unique retro pieces.
- Harry Potter Walking Tour: Edinburgh inspired so much of the Wizarding World, so wandering past spots that sparked some of the ideas in the books was *magical*. Saw the “real life” diagon alley and saw The Elephant House where J.K. Rowling wrote the 3rd book.
- Exploring the Royal Mile & Victoria Street: Victoria Street’s colorful storefronts were so fun to explore. We finished off the day eating at Bertie’s Restaurant and Bar and had great fish and chips!
Stop 2: Inverness & The Highlands
From Edinburgh, we made our way north into the heart of the Highlands with a few really fun stops along the drive. Had to get use to driving on the other side of the road and car, but really glad we got a rental car. We spent two days here as well!
- Stirling Castle: We ate at Blair Atholl Watermill for our first stop for some homemade soup and bread. Our next stop en route to Inverness was Stirling Castle. It’s one of Scotland’s grandest castles with incredible views of the surrounding valley.
- Clava Cairns: A stop to walk among these 4,000-year-old Bronze Age standing stones and burial cairns (Outlander fans, you’ll love this spot!).
- Loch Ness Cruise & Urquhart Castle: We hopped on a cruise with Jacobite Loch Ness Cruises across the deep blue waters right up to the medieval ruins of Urquhart Castle.
- Exploring Inverness Town: A beautiful, walkable city along the River Ness.
- Sweet Treats at Cocoa Mountain / Cocoabothy: Stopped in for delicious handmade chocolates and hot chocolate.
- Inverness Castle: A lovely walk up to the castle grounds overlooking the river.
Stop 3: Isle of Skye
We took three days exploring The Isle of Skye and it really was is pure magic. Dramatic landscapes, sheer cliffs, and so much green.
- Eilean Donan Castle: Located right where three sea lochs meet, this is easily one of the most photographed castles in Scotland and a perfect pitstop on the drive over. The family still lives there too!
- Hiking the Old Man of Storr: A great little hike up to the massive rock pinnacles. The views from the top are worth every single step!
- Fairy Glen: A miniature landscape of bright green rolling mounds and stone spirals.
- Neist Point Lighthouse: Located on the westernmost tip of Skye, this spot offers sea cliff views (and makes an incredible sunset spot).
- Cold plung in the Fairy Pools: Crystal clear, icy waterfalls framed by the Cuillin mountains. You already know I had to get in-cold and worth it!
- Kilt Rock & Mealt Falls: A quick pull-off to see sea cliffs that look just like a pleated kilt, with a waterfall view that falls directly into the ocean.
Stop 4: Fort William & Glencoe
We finished the last two days of our trip winding through the mountain passes of Glencoe and exploring the outdoor hub of Fort William.
- Glenfinnan Viaduct: We timed it just right to watch the Jacobite Steam Train (aka the Hogwarts Express!) chug across the famous curved rail road. Highly recommend.
- Shopping in Fort William: Spent some time exploring the town center and it was one of our favorite place to shop for local gifts, yarn, sweaters, and souvenirs.
- Caledonian Canal Walk: A peaceful walk along Neptunes Staircase. If you’re lucky with timing, you can watch the canal locks open for boats passing through.
- Glencoe Scenic Drive & Hiking: We finished the trip by drive to Glencoe to see the most beautiful mountain ranges. We hiked The Lost Valley (Coire Gabhail) and there are tons of other hiking options in this area. We did a tour with highland safaris and honestly can’t recommend it enough. One of the highlights of our trip!
- We stayed our last night at the Atholl Palace Hotel which is probably one of the coolest places I’ve ever stayed.
Have you been to Scotland or are you planning a trip soon? Drop any questions in the comments below!
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