This post was originally published on A Globe Well Travelled in 2018. The content has been revised and updated with fresh information.
Scotland held one of the top spots on my destinations to-do list for years.
I’d been dreaming about its fairytale castles, rocky hills, and serene lakes, and I finally had the chance to see them on a summertime trip to the UK.
We met up with our Aussie friends in Glasgow, then made our way around Scotland for an action-packed road trip through the highlands and to the coast, before ending up in the historic city of Edinburgh. Here’s the complete itinerary for our 10-day epic Scotland road trip!
Quick summary:
This 10-day Scotland road trip itinerary takes you on an epic journey through castles, lochs, and wild highland landscapes. Starting in Glasgow and ending in Edinburgh, it includes iconic sights like Glencoe, Isle of Skye, Loch Ness, and Cairngorms National Park.
Where to stay:
🛏️ Glasgow: Moxy SEC – A West End hotel with parking, close to cafes and the Botanic Gardens
🏞️ Fort William: Onich Hotel – Loch views and a traditional Scottish breakfast just outside town
🏡 Isle of Skye: Cottage in Portree – A cosy Vrbo rental makes the perfect base for exploring Isle of Skye
⛺ Inverness: Delny Glamping – Cute glamping pods on a working farm just north of the city
🏰 Cairngorms NP: Highland Lodge – Sleep in a mansion-style lodge deep in the Scottish Highlands
🏙️ Edinburgh: Travelodge Waterloo Place – Central location near Waverley Station, perfect for sightseeing
Scotland road trip itinerary
- Glasgow
- Glencoe/Fort William
- Isle of Skye
- Loch Ness
- Inverness
- Cairngorms National Park
- Edinburgh
Renting a car for this road trip
To do this 10-day Scotland itinerary, you’ll definitely need a rental car. Having your own vehicle gives you the freedom to stop at scenic lookouts, explore the countryside, and access remote attractions.
I picked up our rental car in Glasgow and returned it in Edinburgh. Some rental companies charge a one-way fee if you don’t return the car to the same location, but I found this fee was worth the convenience of not doubling back at the end of the trip. If you’re trying to keep costs down, consider driving the car back to your pick up location.
Be sure to book early—especially in summer—as cars do sell out during peak season. And opt for a smaller vehicle if possible, as some of the rural roads in Scotland can be narrow and winding!
Scottish Highlands guided tour option
🚌 If you would like to do a guided tour instead of a road trip for this Scotland itinerary, I would recommend something like this 5-Day Scotland Highlands Tour. You could add a few days in Edinburgh at the beginning and a few more days in Glasgow at the end.
Places to visit in Scotland:
Days 1-2: Glasgow
Starting off in Glasgow, we checked out the major sites such as Glasgow Cathedral and Kelvingrove Art Gallery. My love of dark tourism made me especially excited to see the Glasgow Necropolis – a spooky cemetery dating back to the 1830s with graves and mausoleums of well-known Glaswegians.
A few hip cafes and restaurants were also on the itinerary, and I sought out some vegetarian haggis (an essential Scottish experience!).
Where to stay in Glasgow: As we rented a car for our road trip, I looked for a hotel near the city centre that offered parking. Unfortunately the place I chose was a bit of a disappointment, so next time I would go for something like Moxy Glasgow in the West End close to the Botanic Gardens.
Day 3: Glencoe
From Glasgow, we drove north through Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park to Glencoe. This area was used as a filming location for the Skyfall House in the respective Bond movie, and also numerous scenes in the Harry Potter film series. There’s plenty of things to do in Glencoe, and seeing as this area is of the wildest and most beautiful landscapes in Scotland, I was constantly snapping photos of the scenery!
Where to stay in Glencoe: We stopped overnight at the Onich Hotel near Fort William, in a room with views of the Loch and a full Scottish breakfast (which is not particularly vegetarian-friendly, but I made do with eggs and beans on toast).
Days 4-6: Isle of Skye
The next morning we continued onward to Glenfinnan Viaduct – a train bridge famous for carrying the Hogwarts Express in Harry Potter! As a long-term Potter fan, I was pretty excited for this one. I timed our visit so that we could see the steam train passing over the bridge.
We intended to drive onwards is Mallaig to catch a ferry over to Isle of Skye, but the weather wasn’t cooperating so we ended up driving back to access the island via road.
Where to stay on Isle of Skye: We based ourselves in Portree (the major town on Isle of Skye) where I booked us an adorable private cottage for three nights. You could also choose to split up your accommodation and stay at separate locations across the island, if you’d like to experience a few different areas.
We easily filled two full days on Isle of Skye with activities such as hiking around the impressive rocky landscape, stopping at viewpoints with spectacular natural scenery, sampling some Scottish Whiskey, visiting lighthouses and exploring castles.
Day 7: Loch Ness + Inverness
We drove our rental car over Skye Bridge back to the mainland, with our first stop being Eilean Donan Castle. This 13th century castle is apparently one of the most photographed in Scotland with a picture perfect lakeside location and mountain backdrop.
It’s an hour drive on to Loch Ness, famous for ‘Nessie’ – the monster that is rumoured to dwell beneath the surface of the lake. As a fan of mysteries, conspiracies, and unexplained phenomenons, I was dead keen to check out the Loch Ness Centre which has an exhibition featuring Nessie’s legendary tale!
Where to stay in Inverness: I’d originally planned to have a glamping experience overnight at Loch Ness, but when I went to book it, I found that it had sold out for our dates. While looking for an alternative, I discovered some adorable glamping pods on a farm up past Inverness that were just as cosy a place to spend the night!
Day 8: Cairngorms National Park
We travelled onwards to Cairngorms National Park in the Scottish Highlands the next morning. I’d never heard of this park before the trip, but after doing a little research on activities in the area, I made the discovery that you can visit a free-roaming reindeer herd here! Seeing these arctic animals up close in their natural environment was really exciting.
Where to stay in Cairngorms NP: We made our way further south to our traditional highland hotel which looked kind of like a historic Scottish mansion. It was a very cool experience!
Days 9-10: Edinburgh
Due to my love of public art, we stopped in at The Kelpies which are some massive horse head statues just 45 minutes drive out of Edinburgh. Edinburgh is one of the best places to visit in Scotland, so you really must spend a few days here to see the sights.
Where to stay in Edinburgh: We booked a few nights at the Travelodge Edinburgh Central Waterloo Place near Waverley Station. It was a fantastic location for exploring the city by foot or public transport (you’ll have to drop off your rental car beforehand as parking around this spot is not recommended).
Once we made it to the city, there was plenty to keep us occupied. We spent time casually hanging out as well as doing a few touristy activities such as a Harry Potter walking tour.
A walk up to Calton Hill was definitely worth it for views of the city skyline, and we enjoyed our visit to Holyrood Palace and Royal Yacht Britannia to inspect the luxurious residences of the Royals.
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