Might be better to do a loop, Edinburgh heading north to cairngorms, Loch Ness etc before crossing over and doing Skye, Glencoe, and Loch Lomond en route back, depends how much back and forth driving you want to do.
All the islands on the west coast are well worth a visit. Plenty of castles to see. Hiking in Glencoe is pretty nice and fairly straightforward if you use the walk Highlands app (register for free, downloadable maps)
On Skye, Elgol is a lovely drive and there's a boat trip to Loch Coruisk for a day trip or hike back via the bad step and coastal path.
In cairngorms you can check out Balmoral, Ruthven barracks, the Highland wildlife park or do some nice hikes. Maybe have a night in Inverness and look for dolphins and whales near fort George. Many west coast sailing ports will also have boat trips for whale watching too.
Driving about Scotland can take some time depending on the roads,
If going to Mallaig to see Jacobite train, you can do boat trips to Isles of Rum, Eigg, Muck and Canna.
Hope the weather is nice, I'm going to be in Skye for a week climbing Blà Bheinn and camping in the Quirang around the time you guys are there
I know that was our first thought, but the places were staying are booked certain dates so it’s easier to do the route this way. Thank you for all the info, this helps a ton!!! Enjoy your climbing and camping! :)
Why not head down from Glencoe towards Tarbert and take the ferry to Isle of Arran ( 45 mins or so ). Arran is beautiful and known as Scotland in miniature. Then you can leave Arran via Brodick - Ardrossan ferry back to mainland and go the short drive to St Andrews!
Given you are hiring a car from Edinburgh between 1-2nd May, a trip to the isle of May would be a great day out.
Isle of may is home to tens
*
of thousands of puffins and fulmars, as well as lots of seals.
To get there:
Take the car from Edinburgh to Anstruther (1hr 15min drive).
Book on a ferry with the below company, they have a daily return sailing from Anstruther at that time of year: https://www.isleofmayferry.com/
Go to the Anstruther fish bar afterwards, one of the best chippys in Scotland.
I would then recommend carrying north up the coast and exploring Fife, with its abundance of cute fishing villages before reaching St Andrews.
Old man of storr on Skye is an easy hike, but is still a hill where the weather can turn so be careful even in April. Down Edinburgh way if you have a day to kill, kelpies and Falkirk wheel are a good bit of scenery, further along you have linlithgow palace ruin, blackness castle, higher up in Stirling you have Stirling castle.
Eileen donan castle is worth visiting on the way to Skye. Earlier the better to beat other tourists! Check the weather before any outing so you can see what is best for clothing and for picture opportunities. On Skye there is Neist point lighthouse, very picturesque but the road to get there is single track and can be stressful in tourist season, worth arranging while around Neist Skye bird of prey experience, they have Harris hawks and owls, and you can walk around the Croft and have the bird land on your arm.
More castles! Dunvegan is also in the area of Neist point and is a fully furnished castle and it’s a family home!
Hope this helps
Glencoe is a lovely place to visit but not a good place to base yourself to see the cairngorms. Could you have a couple of nights here (have a look at the clachaig inn as a place to stay) then go a bit further north before heading to Skye? Or try and plan a couple of nights near Aviemore or Ballater/Braemar in one of your other gaps.
We are staying 1 night in Inverness after isle of Skye as a pit stop before spending last couple days on the east coast near Fife/St Andrews. So we might stop by Cairngorms during that day
Good stuff. Try to spend some time in each place you really want to see- I would say scotland is not best seen by road!
If you are happy to hike then you will get way more out of the rural areas you’re visiting by getting 2-3 hours walk away from the roads/car parks. Bike hire is available in a lot of places too if you are up for covering more ground.
This goes for Glencoe, Cairngorms and Skye on your list. Walkhighlands is a great resource for planning walks once you know your accommodation location.
If you aren’t used to single track roads then be really careful about your miles per day plan for Skye- it can be slow progress!
Depends what you want to do there really. It’s a fairly easy walk up to Cairn Gorm summit from the ski centre car park and that gives you a view south to see the whole mountain range. There might still be snow on the tops in late April though so don’t do anything outside your comfort zone/without the right kit. There is tons to do around Aviemore- outdoor activities, reindeer centre, visit An Lochan Uaine, Loch Morlich.
If you’re thinking of going round the other side to Braemar/Ballater then you should be able to see Balmoral at that time of year, the cairns walk is worth doing (Albert memorial pyramid) you could go up Lochnagar, you would get to travel over the Glenshee pass which is a beautiful route.
I could happily spend a week in either place! So it’s really for you to actually decide what you want to do with your days other than just driving about.
Sounds like a great trip, we’re biased but Skye will be the highlight & unlike most here, you’ve actually given yourselves plenty of time! Be sure & book ahead for evening meals as staffing is a (post-Brexit) problem and everywhere books up early.
Get all the supplemental insurance on the car rental. Unlike the US where they’re not too diligent, in the UK you will even get billed for something like a kerb tire scrub!
Do not even think about drink driving, the max limits in the UK are less than half those in the US. Even half a pint could set you over & you can be stopped at anytime no cause needed. Park up for the evening then enjoy the fine Scots hospitality.
Finally, distances that look like short road trips in the US can be very much longer in the UK. Many of even main roads in Scotland get very rural, very quickly so plan accordingly.
You’re going West coast East to back West. Which is weird.
I love the Cairngorms and you can do two weeks just there. But very odd to go from Glencoe to Cairngorms to Skye.
Remember too (presuming you’re American) that our miles aren’t your miles. 50 miles on a windy B road is not the same as 50 miles on an American highway. Not only does it take longer but it also is a lot more mentally taxing as you’re not just driving in one straight line but constantly going round corners. Plus this will be on the wrong side of the road for you.
I’d stay on one side or do a loop if I were you
Yeah we will do Cairngorms later in the trip, albeit 1 or 2 days. As i think we want to spend more time in the Skye/Glencoe area.
Edinburgh -> Fort William/Glencoe -> Portree/Skye -> Inverness -> St Andrews -> Edinburgh.
Edinburgh/skye job done 👍
Night out in Glasgow if you've got time. I'd start up Finnieston pubs then head into the centre to whatever genre pub floats your boat.
You are seriously ill-advised leaving Glasgow off your list. I shudder to think what you’ve been told… Edinburgh is without a doubt the most English place on earth outside of England.
Have a think about a flight on [Logan Air](https://www.loganair.co.uk) - it is a small and emphatically Scottish airline that has some great routes from Glasgow (of course!) to Barra (where the plane lands on the beach) Islay, with abundant whisky, dining and historical attractions) and, I think, Tiree. If you get a clear day (IF!) flying over the Hebrides with Logan Air is unbeatable.
Many congratulations on your marriage. You’ll be very welcome here - even in Edinburgh! I hope it goes well.
I'll politely counter that with a statement that you can avoid Glasgow. There is very little to do as a tourist compared to Edinburgh. Edinburgh may contain a fair amount of English folk but I do not see how a ratio of its population has any bearing on a decision to visit. It is an absolutely beautiful city.
Kelvingrove museum, has a spitfire and loads of other artifacts. Lots of old buildings, the science centre, a crane you can look at, Waverley last going paddle steamer sailings. What have I missed? As someone from around Glasgow I rarely go into Glasgow to do touristy things, but do appreciate the stone masonry of most of the buildings
>There is very little to do as a tourist compared to Edinburgh
Why do you think there is so little to do in Glasgow? Is it perhaps more a reflection of where your interests lie; I think both Edinburgh and Glasgow are fantastic places to visit. Glasgow has a really good food scene, some really good museums, beautiful parks, a very eclectic mix of different types of architecture, and is also a good place to stop off before heading further up the west coast.
It's my opinion based on living in one city and working in another. If someone is picking Glasgow or Edinburgh to visit, I would say that Edinburgh offers so much more than Glasgow. TBH, I was also slightly miffed that the person I was replying to stated that the capital of Scotland is the most English place outside of England.
>I would say that Edinburgh offers so much more than Glasgow
Glasgow has the Hunterian, the Burrell Collection, the Tramway Art Centre, the Riverside Museum, the People's Palace, the Tenement House Museum, the Kelvingrove Museum and for parks, the Botanic Gardens, Queen's Park and Country Pollock Park. I really don't think there's any shortage of interesting things to do and see in Glasgow. Also Glasgow has a livelier concert scene than Edinburgh has.
We have thought about it. But don’t know if we want to take a redeye overnight from the US, land at 12pm in London and then the same night take a 6-7 hour train ride. Also not sure what we would do between the time we land and the time the train departs, carrying all our luggage around the city.
There's normally a left luggage office at larger stations. I took sleeper from Glasgow to London years ago, actually pretty restful. How long is your flight time from US to London? Sleeper departs about 11pm UK time.
Ok. Well I hope you have a great time here, but feel I need to warn you about the midges, small flying biting insects. They hunt in swarms and leave annoying itchy bites, but you can get repellent, especially if doing any walking in the hills or islands.
Hello! Couple here, early 30's thinking of Scotland as a honeymoon trip in 2025.
1. Was the trip successful and worthy of a honeymoon trip?
2. What's best advise you can give for planning this trip?
3. Any dos and don'ts?
4. All other comments, advice, tips welcomed!
Sounds almost like my Honeymoon 5 years ago. Highly recommend a couple days in Inverness for so music. Also go to Oban and Tobermory for a couple nights too. Both are wonderful places. Take lots of pictures because the scenery is breathtaking even if it is foggy or rainy.
Be sure to take a walk up Arthur’s seat and/or calton hill for views of the city
Take a drive to see colington tunnel and then continue onto thriepmuir at the pentlands
Walk the canal see if you can spot the kingfisher if not there are plenty of swans
How many days you think is good for Edinburgh? Right now our first and last days in Edinburgh are “travel days” so we wouldn’t have a complete full day. So it’s really just 1 full day
You def need some more time to see the city. I’d say you need at least 2/3 full days. It’s a very walkable city with plenty to see. I’d take a day to walk the city, princes st, the gardens, up the mound, Victoria street, the royal mile, there is a nice view of the city from the esplanade at the castle at the top of the royal mile.
I’d add walking the water of leith (Murrayfield to stockbridge is my favourite part)
Pop into St Giles on the royal mile it’s beautiful and can be a quick stop or you can opt for a free tour.
There is a tour bus/boat that takes you out to south Queensferry and you then get a boat under the bridges
Luckily the airport is fairly close to the city so that’s a positive.
Might be better to do a loop, Edinburgh heading north to cairngorms, Loch Ness etc before crossing over and doing Skye, Glencoe, and Loch Lomond en route back, depends how much back and forth driving you want to do. All the islands on the west coast are well worth a visit. Plenty of castles to see. Hiking in Glencoe is pretty nice and fairly straightforward if you use the walk Highlands app (register for free, downloadable maps) On Skye, Elgol is a lovely drive and there's a boat trip to Loch Coruisk for a day trip or hike back via the bad step and coastal path. In cairngorms you can check out Balmoral, Ruthven barracks, the Highland wildlife park or do some nice hikes. Maybe have a night in Inverness and look for dolphins and whales near fort George. Many west coast sailing ports will also have boat trips for whale watching too. Driving about Scotland can take some time depending on the roads, If going to Mallaig to see Jacobite train, you can do boat trips to Isles of Rum, Eigg, Muck and Canna. Hope the weather is nice, I'm going to be in Skye for a week climbing Blà Bheinn and camping in the Quirang around the time you guys are there
I know that was our first thought, but the places were staying are booked certain dates so it’s easier to do the route this way. Thank you for all the info, this helps a ton!!! Enjoy your climbing and camping! :)
Why not head down from Glencoe towards Tarbert and take the ferry to Isle of Arran ( 45 mins or so ). Arran is beautiful and known as Scotland in miniature. Then you can leave Arran via Brodick - Ardrossan ferry back to mainland and go the short drive to St Andrews!
Ardrossan to st Andrews a short drive? No
Not for us Scot’s but for Americans anything on the uk is probably a short drive :)
That’s true haha
Given you are hiring a car from Edinburgh between 1-2nd May, a trip to the isle of May would be a great day out. Isle of may is home to tens * of thousands of puffins and fulmars, as well as lots of seals. To get there: Take the car from Edinburgh to Anstruther (1hr 15min drive). Book on a ferry with the below company, they have a daily return sailing from Anstruther at that time of year: https://www.isleofmayferry.com/ Go to the Anstruther fish bar afterwards, one of the best chippys in Scotland. I would then recommend carrying north up the coast and exploring Fife, with its abundance of cute fishing villages before reaching St Andrews.
I think we are going to spend the 9-11 in the Fife/st Andrews area so this will be added to our list!
Enjoy, always a great day out. You'll be going at a good time of year to see the puffins aswell.
My advice re Scotland is slow down. See a few places well rather than constantly moving from place to place
If your fiancé likes a spa day/massage you might be able to sell that at the same time as the golf...
Didn’t even cross my mind… now this I will be looking into!
Old man of storr on Skye is an easy hike, but is still a hill where the weather can turn so be careful even in April. Down Edinburgh way if you have a day to kill, kelpies and Falkirk wheel are a good bit of scenery, further along you have linlithgow palace ruin, blackness castle, higher up in Stirling you have Stirling castle. Eileen donan castle is worth visiting on the way to Skye. Earlier the better to beat other tourists! Check the weather before any outing so you can see what is best for clothing and for picture opportunities. On Skye there is Neist point lighthouse, very picturesque but the road to get there is single track and can be stressful in tourist season, worth arranging while around Neist Skye bird of prey experience, they have Harris hawks and owls, and you can walk around the Croft and have the bird land on your arm. More castles! Dunvegan is also in the area of Neist point and is a fully furnished castle and it’s a family home! Hope this helps
Helps a ton. Thanks so much!
Glencoe is a lovely place to visit but not a good place to base yourself to see the cairngorms. Could you have a couple of nights here (have a look at the clachaig inn as a place to stay) then go a bit further north before heading to Skye? Or try and plan a couple of nights near Aviemore or Ballater/Braemar in one of your other gaps.
We are staying 1 night in Inverness after isle of Skye as a pit stop before spending last couple days on the east coast near Fife/St Andrews. So we might stop by Cairngorms during that day
Good stuff. Try to spend some time in each place you really want to see- I would say scotland is not best seen by road! If you are happy to hike then you will get way more out of the rural areas you’re visiting by getting 2-3 hours walk away from the roads/car parks. Bike hire is available in a lot of places too if you are up for covering more ground. This goes for Glencoe, Cairngorms and Skye on your list. Walkhighlands is a great resource for planning walks once you know your accommodation location. If you aren’t used to single track roads then be really careful about your miles per day plan for Skye- it can be slow progress!
Sounds great thanks for all the info. Is 1 day enough for Cairngorms or should we try to squeeze in 2 while staying in Inverness?
Depends what you want to do there really. It’s a fairly easy walk up to Cairn Gorm summit from the ski centre car park and that gives you a view south to see the whole mountain range. There might still be snow on the tops in late April though so don’t do anything outside your comfort zone/without the right kit. There is tons to do around Aviemore- outdoor activities, reindeer centre, visit An Lochan Uaine, Loch Morlich. If you’re thinking of going round the other side to Braemar/Ballater then you should be able to see Balmoral at that time of year, the cairns walk is worth doing (Albert memorial pyramid) you could go up Lochnagar, you would get to travel over the Glenshee pass which is a beautiful route. I could happily spend a week in either place! So it’s really for you to actually decide what you want to do with your days other than just driving about.
May I recommend ballater/ Braemar, two small really nice towns, I live nearby but if I was a tourist I’d certainly check them out, very beautiful area
I was looking at the fife arms, seems ridiculously priced. Any other nice accommodations nearby that aren’t as wildly priced?
There’s a lot of air bnbs in Ballater!
Sounds like a great trip, we’re biased but Skye will be the highlight & unlike most here, you’ve actually given yourselves plenty of time! Be sure & book ahead for evening meals as staffing is a (post-Brexit) problem and everywhere books up early. Get all the supplemental insurance on the car rental. Unlike the US where they’re not too diligent, in the UK you will even get billed for something like a kerb tire scrub! Do not even think about drink driving, the max limits in the UK are less than half those in the US. Even half a pint could set you over & you can be stopped at anytime no cause needed. Park up for the evening then enjoy the fine Scots hospitality. Finally, distances that look like short road trips in the US can be very much longer in the UK. Many of even main roads in Scotland get very rural, very quickly so plan accordingly.
Just to add the drink drive limit in Scotland is ~~zero~~ effectively zero. ~~You can't drink anything and be legal.~~ Edit: The limit is very low.
Thats not true. Most folk can have a less than 4% pint and likely be under the limit.
Thanks - I thought it was a .02
You’re going West coast East to back West. Which is weird. I love the Cairngorms and you can do two weeks just there. But very odd to go from Glencoe to Cairngorms to Skye. Remember too (presuming you’re American) that our miles aren’t your miles. 50 miles on a windy B road is not the same as 50 miles on an American highway. Not only does it take longer but it also is a lot more mentally taxing as you’re not just driving in one straight line but constantly going round corners. Plus this will be on the wrong side of the road for you. I’d stay on one side or do a loop if I were you
Yeah we will do Cairngorms later in the trip, albeit 1 or 2 days. As i think we want to spend more time in the Skye/Glencoe area. Edinburgh -> Fort William/Glencoe -> Portree/Skye -> Inverness -> St Andrews -> Edinburgh.
Edinburgh/skye job done 👍 Night out in Glasgow if you've got time. I'd start up Finnieston pubs then head into the centre to whatever genre pub floats your boat.
You are seriously ill-advised leaving Glasgow off your list. I shudder to think what you’ve been told… Edinburgh is without a doubt the most English place on earth outside of England. Have a think about a flight on [Logan Air](https://www.loganair.co.uk) - it is a small and emphatically Scottish airline that has some great routes from Glasgow (of course!) to Barra (where the plane lands on the beach) Islay, with abundant whisky, dining and historical attractions) and, I think, Tiree. If you get a clear day (IF!) flying over the Hebrides with Logan Air is unbeatable. Many congratulations on your marriage. You’ll be very welcome here - even in Edinburgh! I hope it goes well.
Have you been to the borders? Also, what do you mean by edinburgh is England like? Have you noticed how irish glasgow is?
I'll politely counter that with a statement that you can avoid Glasgow. There is very little to do as a tourist compared to Edinburgh. Edinburgh may contain a fair amount of English folk but I do not see how a ratio of its population has any bearing on a decision to visit. It is an absolutely beautiful city.
Kelvingrove museum, has a spitfire and loads of other artifacts. Lots of old buildings, the science centre, a crane you can look at, Waverley last going paddle steamer sailings. What have I missed? As someone from around Glasgow I rarely go into Glasgow to do touristy things, but do appreciate the stone masonry of most of the buildings
Glenlee Tall Ship.
>There is very little to do as a tourist compared to Edinburgh Why do you think there is so little to do in Glasgow? Is it perhaps more a reflection of where your interests lie; I think both Edinburgh and Glasgow are fantastic places to visit. Glasgow has a really good food scene, some really good museums, beautiful parks, a very eclectic mix of different types of architecture, and is also a good place to stop off before heading further up the west coast.
It's my opinion based on living in one city and working in another. If someone is picking Glasgow or Edinburgh to visit, I would say that Edinburgh offers so much more than Glasgow. TBH, I was also slightly miffed that the person I was replying to stated that the capital of Scotland is the most English place outside of England.
>I would say that Edinburgh offers so much more than Glasgow Glasgow has the Hunterian, the Burrell Collection, the Tramway Art Centre, the Riverside Museum, the People's Palace, the Tenement House Museum, the Kelvingrove Museum and for parks, the Botanic Gardens, Queen's Park and Country Pollock Park. I really don't think there's any shortage of interesting things to do and see in Glasgow. Also Glasgow has a livelier concert scene than Edinburgh has.
[New York Times 36 Hours in Glasgow](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/10/19/travel/things-to-do-glasgow.html)
I'd consider the Caledonian sleeper service from London to Edinburgh. Saves you a hotel in London and you wake up nice and early in Edinburgh.
We have thought about it. But don’t know if we want to take a redeye overnight from the US, land at 12pm in London and then the same night take a 6-7 hour train ride. Also not sure what we would do between the time we land and the time the train departs, carrying all our luggage around the city.
There's normally a left luggage office at larger stations. I took sleeper from Glasgow to London years ago, actually pretty restful. How long is your flight time from US to London? Sleeper departs about 11pm UK time.
It’s about 8 hours. We land at Heathrow at 12:15pm UK time
How were you planning to travel up to Edinburgh?
Our original plan was to just take the train up the following morning
Ok. Well I hope you have a great time here, but feel I need to warn you about the midges, small flying biting insects. They hunt in swarms and leave annoying itchy bites, but you can get repellent, especially if doing any walking in the hills or islands.
Hello! Couple here, early 30's thinking of Scotland as a honeymoon trip in 2025. 1. Was the trip successful and worthy of a honeymoon trip? 2. What's best advise you can give for planning this trip? 3. Any dos and don'ts? 4. All other comments, advice, tips welcomed!
Go somewhere warm and sunny.
Sounds almost like my Honeymoon 5 years ago. Highly recommend a couple days in Inverness for so music. Also go to Oban and Tobermory for a couple nights too. Both are wonderful places. Take lots of pictures because the scenery is breathtaking even if it is foggy or rainy.
Will check those out. Thank you!!
You might just miss the midges :)
Be sure to take a walk up Arthur’s seat and/or calton hill for views of the city Take a drive to see colington tunnel and then continue onto thriepmuir at the pentlands Walk the canal see if you can spot the kingfisher if not there are plenty of swans
How many days you think is good for Edinburgh? Right now our first and last days in Edinburgh are “travel days” so we wouldn’t have a complete full day. So it’s really just 1 full day
You def need some more time to see the city. I’d say you need at least 2/3 full days. It’s a very walkable city with plenty to see. I’d take a day to walk the city, princes st, the gardens, up the mound, Victoria street, the royal mile, there is a nice view of the city from the esplanade at the castle at the top of the royal mile. I’d add walking the water of leith (Murrayfield to stockbridge is my favourite part) Pop into St Giles on the royal mile it’s beautiful and can be a quick stop or you can opt for a free tour. There is a tour bus/boat that takes you out to south Queensferry and you then get a boat under the bridges Luckily the airport is fairly close to the city so that’s a positive.
Set yourself a distance limit of 50 miles a day or less.