Travel Itinerary: Scotland Road Trip from Edinburgh to Skye
I introduced my mom to Outlander when I was reading it in 2014. Ever since, we’ve both been hooked on Scotland, the Highlands and of course, Jamie Fraser. Now that I live in Scotland (sometimes, I still can’t believe that), it was the perfect reason for mom to come visit all of the Outlander sites, while obviously still seeing her daughter.
We spent several days in Edinburgh before we drove up to Skye. We showed her some of our favorite places, had dinner at Ian’s parents house and she was even there when we looked at our flat for the first time. We also did an Outlander tour through Rabbies, which was so much fun for us (Ian sat that one out - ha!).
We then took over a week for a road trip from Edinburgh, to and through the Isle of Skye, over to Inverness area, and then back down to Edinburgh through the Cairngorns.
It was a really special time for us. We were both at a point in our lives where we needed a real break. I had just finished writing my dissertation, and she had just finished a very hellish period at her job and was embarking on her longest trip away from work. We needed to relax, be outdoors and catch up, and we did all those things.
We mostly stayed in Airbnbs, so we were able to make many meals at home. We moved at a really slow pace, but were able to see loads of Scotland. Our daily routines consisted mainly of mom waking up early and reading while I slept until 9 or 10am. We’d take our time having coffee and getting ready, and then would be out the door by Noon - some days, we left earlier. We’d then drive to our next destination, stop on the side of the road to take millions of pictures, go for a walk, or tour a local site that we had on our maps. We’d then head back to the Airbnb, and either make dinner there or go out for dinner. We’d tuck in at night with a glass of whisky - likely picked up at one of the many distilleries we went to - and watch an episode or two of the first season of Outlander.
If you’re an Outlander fan, I would highly recommend watching it while you’re on a road trip in Scotland. You just feel extra connected to the show and the history of Scotland somehow.
You can scroll down for my ultimate road trip itinerary from Edinburgh to Skye, including what we saw, where we ate and drank, and where we stayed.
Some tips for a road trip through Scotland:
Rent a car! You can get to the main areas by train or plane, but the best way to see Scotland is by driving. Driving on the left side can feel weird at first, but you’ll pick it up quicker than you think you will. Just be sure that your passenger stays awake to make sure you don’t go on auto-drive and then make it into the right lane - lol.
Keep your itinerary and mindset flexible. You never know what the Scottish weather will decide to do, and you might be holed up in your Airbnb or hotel because there is sideways rain and the bridge to the island is shut down. There might also be businesses that just decide to close for the week while you’re there without putting it up on their websites - that’s just Scotland for you! Keep a lot on your list so that you can adjust as needed, but don’t set your expectations to see absolutely everything.
Bring lots of layers and a waterproof jacket. I think that tip is on every Scotland itinerary or website, but it’s true! The weather is unpredictable and don’t rely on the weather apps.
Add extra time on to whatever Google Maps tells you. You might be rerouted, it’s probably the only road there so traffic might be bad, or you might run into random animals on the road.
Do not drink and drive. Unlike the States, Scotland has a zero tolerance policy for drinking and driving. That means, even if you blow a .0001%, you will get a ticket and taken to the station. Especially important if you plan to visit a distillery.
You can see all of the places we saw, ate and drank at here. You can also find our road trip route here.
Things we saw:
Urquhart Castle - If you’re in the Inverness area, you won’t want to miss this. It’s located right on Loch Ness and so beautiful to wander around. There’s been a castle here since at least the 12th century and it was involved in lots of historical moments until the 18th century. In the 18th century, the British Government blew up the castle so that Jacobites couldn’t reoccupy it.
Clava Cairns - If you watch Outlander, you’ll love this place even more. It’s an ancient burial ground and will give you vibes that you *might* travel back to Jamie Fraser.
Balloch Castle - We didn’t go in, but the grounds are beautiful to walk around. There’s also a walled garden there that’s amazing.
Eilean Donan Castle - If you go to Skye, you will definitely drive by this castle. It marks almost the entrance to the isle of Skye. It’s stunning, and still used by the family today! We did the full tour, which I would highly recommend.
The Old Man of Storr - This is a huge mountain peak with lots of land surrounding it. There are various different walking paths and trails, so you can pick what you want to do.
Brother’s Point - Another hiking area on Skye.
Kilt Rock and Mealt Falls Viewpoint - This is a beautiful waterfall that has links to dinosaurs. There are lots of tourist buses that stop here, so expect to see some tourists.
Fairy Glen - This was an unexpected highlight, so I would make it mandatory on your trip! It was so much fun and brought to life the little kid in us - lol. We even saw a wedding happening tucked between two hills. The roads going in are only one way, so just be prepared for that.
Sligachan Old Bridge - We actually came here twice, but it’s so quaint and beautiful. There are lots of trails around here, so this would be a good place to stop for a long walk.
Armadale Castle, Gardens & Museum - Definitely try to stay here for several hours. The castle is mostly in ruins, but there are paths to take a walk around the estate grounds. There’s also a very lovely garden behind the Castle, that you can stop by after the longer walk.
Ben Nevis - This is the tallest mountain in the UK. We didn’t hike up it, but we did walk around it.
Quiraing - Another mountain area to wander around.
Glencoe - I mean, this probably deserves a separate post, but all of Glencoe is just breathtaking. I think we pulled over to take photos no less than 10 times - lol. There’s really just one two lane road that goes through Glencoe, and that makes it feel like you are actually nestled between two large mountains. There are lots of trails to walk through, so I would recommend taking a half day here. Honestly, so stunning.
Culloden Moor - This is where the Jacobites lost their war in 1746. The exhibition is beautifully done, with a full history and voiced account of the battle. You can go to the battlefield as well, and see what the Scots and English saw in 1746. You can also see the clan rocks, such as Clan Fraser - another Outlander connection.
Places we ate & drank:
The Dores Inn - I absolutely love this restaurant. It sits right on the shore of Loch Ness and is just so picturesque. When I first came here with my friend in 2014, our taxi driver told us about it. He explained how to get here in the most Scottish way - “Take this roundabout and get off at the 2nd exit, then when you go by the McDonalds, take a left and then the next roundabout, blah blah” - and somehow we were able to find it. I knew I wanted to take my mom back here for our last dinner on the road trip. So great!
Station Restaurant - this restaurant was literally right across from our Airbnb. We went here one night for dinner. We had Bulgarian Chardonnay (because why not?) and the best Sticky Toffee Pudding. Overall, it was pretty good and did the trick.
Skye Restaurant - This is a cute restaurant in the Flodigarry Hotel on the coast. We stopped in for some soup in the bar area, and it was honestly some of the best soups I’ve ever had.
Emily’s Byre - This was one of the more random places we stopped, but the food was so. dang. good! It’s Indian food, but it’s delicious! It’s also in another bed and breakfast, which I’d recommend to stay at.
Glencoe Visitors Centre - I’m not usually one for visitor’s centers, but this one was amazing. The restaurant is a great stop for a scone or soup, and there’s a good shop full of Scottish made products.
Waterside Restaurant - Loved this restaurant! The food is delicious, and it’s so cute! It’s right on the train platform, in an old waiting area. Would highly recommend making a reservation here, as there’s only 6 tables in the restaurant.
Where we stayed:
With the exception of Kinloch Lodge, we stayed at all Airbnbs. Each one had two bedrooms, one bathroom and a full kitchen. We like cooking, so we wanted to make sure we could stay somewhere that we could cook dinner if we wanted.
Kinloch Lodge - This hotel is absolutely stunning! The British do bed and breakfast places right! They’re usually older homes from wealthy families that have been turned into award winning restaurants with rooms to stay on site. The grounds are beautiful, this one especially as it sits right on the loch.
Inverness - The Lodge, Nutwood House was so charming. Two bedrooms, one bathroom and a full kitchen. The woman who owns it is very nice, and lets you have your space. She even makes jams that you can purchase, which we did!
Skye - This little cottage was perfect for us. It’s right at the bridge that connects the road to Skye, and it was perfect for two people. Plus, the design of it is so well done.
This house was our base to explore the Glencoe, Fort William place.
Distilleries to stop at (if that’s your thing):
I’ll preface this by saying that if you do want a tour, it’s best to book in advance. We did not, so we only did one tour that we got into at the last minute. If you’re driving, they will have an option for you to take home the whisky that you try to drink when you get home. If you both want to drink and tour distilleries, I’d recommend a distillery tour through Rabbies so that someone else is driving and you can have all the fun you want!
Places I wanted to stop at, but we ran out of time:
Isle of Raasay Distillery - you’ll need to take a ferry to get to this island, so just plan ahead. If the weather is too bad, the ferries will be shut down.
Fairytale Distillery - We drove to this, and it was so cute! But, they were closed the week we were in Skye! It looked very fun and funky.
