In search for Lochs of Scotch: a 4-day drive through the Scottish Highlands and the Isle of Skye
Scotland boasts five UNESCO sites, with a sixth (Antonine Wall) shared with the Hadrian’s Wall in England. Yet beyond these sites, Scotland has natural beauty unmatched in Europe. From the rolling hills (bens) and valleys (glens) of Glencoe to the rugged slopes of Skye, northern Scotland makes visitors want to grow a long beard and buy an axe. Be prepared to enter a desolate but charming land, captured in the popular imagination by Braveheart and fictionalized as the North in Game of Thrones (the Red Wedding episode was inspired by the Glencoe Massacre of the Highlands).
See below for an itinerary that’ll take you from Inverness to the Isle of Skye and Glencoe (where parts of Macbeth, Skyfall and Braveheart were filmed), before heading down to the Lowland capital of Edinburgh and its 2 UNESCO sites: the Forth Bridge (a Scottish national symbol) and the Old/New Towns of Edinburgh.
Suggested Itinerary Overview
Trip length: 4 days/3 nights for the Highlands and Skye. Add another day for Edinburgh and half a day for Glasgow.
Start/end: Begin in Inverness, which has easy/cheap Ryanair flight connections to London, and make the one-way journey down to Edinburgh, the major transport hub of the Lowlands. The drive can also be done in reverse from Edinburgh to Inverness, or as a loop (add a day for extra driving)
Day 1: Arrive in Inverness. Drive to Loch Ness and Eilean Donan Castle en route to Skye (sleep in Skye)
Day 2: Full-day of hiking in Skye. Recommended hikes: Fairy Glen, Quiraing, and the Old Man of Storr (sleep in Skye)
Day 3: Finish exploring Skye in the morning before driving to Glencoe (sleep near Glencoe/in Fort William)
Day 4: Drive to Glen Coe and Glen Etive, with optional hiking, before heading to Edinburgh
Public transport: Public transport is sparse and infrequent in the Scottish Highlands. Consider driving. To reach the Isle of Skye by public transport, take the train from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh and then the bus to Portree, the main town on Skye. Hiking trailheads are then accessible by another bus. A direct bus also connects Portree on Skye, Glencoe, and Glasgow.
In-depth Itinerary
Day 1: Inverness, Loch Ness, and Eilean Donan Castle (sleep in Skye)
Drive from Inverness to Skye via Loch Ness and the Eilean Donan Castle. The drive along the west side of Loch Ness on A82 is scenic, but the best views are yet to come in Skye and Glencoe. Consider stopping by the ruins of Urquhart Castle along the western bank of Loch Ness (30 mins from Inverness). Continue onwards to the Eilean Donan Castle (another 1hr from Urquhart Castle), which is a must see – though restored in the early 20th century, the castle is one of the most picturesque sights and hence one of the most photographed places in the country. While both charge an entrance fee, they can be seen more or less from the parking lot for free. Spend the night on the Isle of Skye.
Day 2: Isle of Skye (sleep in Skye)
Get ready for an intense day of hiking! The main hikes on Skye are conveniently located in a circular route in the northeastern section of the isle. Start with a stroll through the Fairy Glen (easy difficulty; 1-2km). Parking is limited to the sides of the road, so start with this walk in the morning. Afterwards, make your way to Quiraing. These rock formations are readily visible from the parking lot, and the widely popular first section of the hike is easy with minimal change in elevation. The trail continues for a more challenging hike (medium difficulty, 6.5km), which provides sweeping views over the land below. Once done, head over to the Old Man of Storr, the iconic landmark of the Isle of Skye. To appreciate the Storr in its entirety, you must ascend partway up the cliffs for an hour (up to around Stage 4 of this hiking trail guide). Finish up the day and spend another night in Skye.
Day 3: Isle of Skye (sleep in Glencoe/Fort William)
Spend another half day exploring Skye. Consider splitting the Quiraing and Old Man of Storr hikes for separate days so that both hikes can be done in their entirety. Otherwise, consider visiting the Neist Point Lighthouse (easy difficulty; 3km). This day can be cut out if in a rush. Afterwards, make your way to Glencoe (3hr drive from Portree). Spend the night in Glencoe or nearby Fort William, which is the major town in the area.
Day 4: Glen Coe and Glen Etive
Get ready for quintessential Scotland – the valleys of Glen Coe and Glen Etive offer iconic Scottish scenery, both of which were most recently captured in Skyfall. (Note that Glen Coe refers to the valley and Glencoe refers to a nearby town.) Both Glen Coe and Glen Etive can be explored by driving through them: A82, which connects Fort William and Glasgow, runs straight through Glen Coe, and Glen Etive is easily accessible off a side road on A82. If you’re feeling adventurous, hikes abound in the area. Once you’ve soaked up enough of the scenery, make your way back to Inverness or to the Lowland cities of Glasgow and/or Edinburgh. If you don’t have a full day to spend exploring the surroundings of Glencoe, consider coming to Glencoe the morning of day 3 instead.
