There is so much to see and explore in Scotland - it's hard to know where to start sometimes, or how best to plan the best route in the time you have. So we thought we'd share our 10 day itinerary from our Mini Scotland Road Trip back in 2020. ‑ Travel Day / pitstop (1 night) ‑ Loch Lomond (3 nights) ‑ Isle of Skye (4 nights) ‑ Edinburgh (2 nights) If you are driving from the South of England – we would recommend breaking up the journey. Drive up as far as Yorkshire or the Lake District the day before and stay in a hotel for the night. Complete the journey to Loch Lomond early the next morning. If you're flying to Scotland then just count that as your travel day.
Day 1 (Travel to Loch Lomond)
3 nights in Loch Lomond
Recommended accommodation – Lochside Cottages in Lochearnhead.
Day 2 (Loch Lomond)
Get in some steps with the Conic Hill Hike in the morning. Then reward yourself with a visit to (and tour of) Scotland's oldest distillery ‑ The Glenturret Distillery, in the afternoon.
Day 3 (Loch Lomond)
Boat Hire on Loch Lomond – take a picnic and a bottle of wine.
Then visit the Falls Of Falloch (if in the summer time and water is calm, go for a swim!) Or just take along a hip flask and a fold out chair, and enjoy the sound of water falling! After that, take a longer walk and explore the Finnich Glen!
Travel from Loch Lomond to Isle of Skye
Day 4 (Travel to Isle of Skye)
Leave Loch Lomond early. Drive to Mallaig Ferry Port which is about 3 hours from Loch Lomond. The drive is maybe the most beautiful drive of your life, so you'll want to pull over more than once! Book the Ferry for around 4pm. On the way to Mallaig stop off at Stob Dearg and the Glenfinnan Viaduct Bridge.
Get the ferry from Mallaig to Armadale, Isle of Skye (takes 30mins). Then drive to accommodation on Skye.
4 nights on Isle of Skye
Recommended accommodation – Ravens Cottage in Eynort. We booked through Vrbo.
Day 5 (Isle of Skye) Visit Neist Point Lighthouse and take the walk down to it. Neist Point Lighthouse is located on Neist Point on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. The Lighthouse was built in 1900, when back then it was a manned lighthouse. Since 1990 the internal light system has been updated to an automated system that is operated remotely, so it no longer requires daily maintenance. It's a beautiful scenic walk down to the Lighthouse & cottages, with the dramatic basalt rock formations. Take a picnic, or a flask of coffee. Explore the old lighthouse cottages and surrounding landscape.
Then later that day head to Talisker Bay Beach (for sunset). It's a beautiful place to enjoy a hot chocolate or a whisky.
Talisker Bay Beach
Day 6 (Isle of Skye) Early start. Drive to Kilt Rock & Mealt Falls Viewpoint.
Then drive on to Old Man of Storr for a hike to the top.
After the hike go on to Portree town for lunch.
Then if there’s time, do the Talisker Whisky distillery tour on the way back.
Day 7 (Isle of Skye)
Do the Fairy Pools Hike (have a swim in the fresh water pools if you're brave!)
Day 8 - Travelling from Isle of Skye to Edinburgh
Leave Isle of Skye early, drive over Skye bridge back into mainland Scotland. Stop off at Eilean Donan Castle on the way to Edinburgh. Journey time approx. 5 hours.
2 nights in Edinburgh
There's nowhere in particular we'd recommend staying. But there are plenty of decent hotels to choose from!
Day 9 (Edinburgh)
Walk to the top of Calton Hill for a view of the city. Visit Edinburgh Castle and the Old Town. Walk the ‘Royal Mile’. Wander through Dean village and visit the Botanical Gardens.
Day 10 (Edinburgh)
Early start for the long drive home!
We hope that this rough 10 day itinerary was useful!
Here's a little video we made on our Mini Scotland Road Trip.
Thanks for reading.
Dan & Lois
