Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 1 Week Road Trip

Start off your trip with a free walking tour of the Scottish capital. If you’ve never done a free walking tour, the concept is that it’s free to sign up, but you’re expected to tip what you feel is fair at the end of the tour. I’ve done free walking tours all over the world and loved this one I did in Edinburgh. Here’s the link to sign up: https://edinburghfreetour.com/

JK Rowling famously wrote the first Harry Potter book in Edinburgh and you can find iconic locations like the real Tom Riddle’s Grave and Victoria Street which served as inspiration for Diagon Alley.

In the morning, tour Edinburgh Castle, which sits on a hill overlooking the city. I recommend the earliest tour of the day to avoid the peak crowds. Then it’s time to drive out of Edinburgh and begin the road trip.

Make a stop at the Falkirk Wheel. This incredible feat of engineering is completely unique and is essentially a rotating boat elevator. You can even book a ride on it!

Afterward, head to Glasgow for another free walking tour. Here’s the link to the one I recommend: https://www.neweuropetours.eu/walking-tour-glasgow/

Finish your day with dinner at The Butterfly & The Pig and then stop by The Drum & Monkey for their delicious sticky toffee pudding!

Leave Glasgow and make your way to Inveraray Castle for a tour of this beautiful property that is still a royal residence, home to the Duke and Duchess of Argyll. From there, continue north towards Fort William. I also recommend stopping and walking around Luss on the way if you have time.

If your schedule has flexibility, spend an extra day in Fort William and hike Ben Nevis, the tallest mountain in the UK.

Harry Potter fans, this is your chance to see the Hogwarts Express in real life as the Jacobite steam train passes over the Glenfinnian Viaduct. Check the train schedule in advance and arrive plenty early to park and get a good viewing spot!

From there, stop for a tour at Eileen Donan castle before making your way to the famous Isle of Skye, one of the most beautiful parts of Scotland!

Head out to Neist Point in the morning for one of the most iconic views in Scotland. If it looks familiar, it’s because it’s actually one of the Apple TV screensavers! This short (but steep) hike is a must-do!

From there, it’s time to leave Skye and head towards Inverness. On the way, stop and tour Urquart Castle on Loch Ness and keep an eye on the water to try to spot the Loch Ness monster.

Inverness was my favorite town on the trip. Be sure to spend some time walking around and enjoying it before or after a great dinner at The Mustard Seed.

Today is largely a driving day, but you can make 2 notable stops on your way to St. Andrews: The Falls of Foyers (perfect for waterfall lovers), and Balmoral (a royal residence open for tours for part of the year).

Start your day in the iconic town of St. Andrew’s. You can tour the ruins of St. Andrew’s Castle and St. Andrew’s Cathedral next door. If you’re a golfer, you could even play at the iconic St. Andrew’s course.

After you wrap up in St. Andrew’s, head back to Edinburgh and have an incredible afternoon tea at The Dome. Then use all that food as fuel to hike up Arthur’s Seat, the highest point in Edinburgh before winding down with a delicious dinner at The Scran & Scallie.

To cap off an incredible trip to Scotland, drive out to Stirling and tour Stirling Castle before spending the afternoon taking a gin making class at Stirling Gin. You’ll learn all about how gin is made as you create your very own bottle to take home, tailored to your palette. Cocktails are also provided throughout the class. Be sure to bring a designated driver with you! Book the tour here: https://stirlingdistillery.com/pages/distillery-experiences

End the night back in Edinburgh. If your flight is early the next morning, I recommend staying near the airport for convienence, which is what I did.