Scotland Highlands Road Trip Itinerary
We rented a car and embarked on a journey through the stunning landscapes of the Scottish Highlands for 4 days. We started in Glasgow and made our way to Inverness, via Fort William, Isle of Skye and Loch Ness. Scotland absolutely surpassed my expectations, and I'm sharing my itinerary so you can experience its magic too.
The best part about the trip was driving as you get to see how diverse and beautiful Scotland is. There are so many places to stop along the drive and my biggest tip would be to stop whenever you want to. There’s so much to see and sometimes the places that aren’t landmarked are the most beautiful.
We went over the Easter Long Weekend and found March/April to be a beautiful time to visit. In spring, you’ve still got snow on the mountains, it’s starting to get greener and the lambs and calves have been born. We were also fortunate with the weather and only had rain for an hour across the 4 days. I believe the summer brings great weather but are obviously more crowded.
Check out our 4-day road trip itinerary below which includes a break down of each days, every place we visited, food recommendations, accommodation and tips.
DAY 1
MORNING: Travel to Glasgow and pick up your hire car.
Europcar disclaimer: As of February 2024, Europcar have changed their credit check policy. Previously you could prove your address with a council bill or bank statement. You now have to show your ID/Biometrics Residency Card (BRC) to hire a car. Even though we have been living in the UK for over 6 months, our BRC didn’t pass the credit check despite having documents to prove our address.
For any temporary residence, hire a car as a tourist and provide your passport as ID. This means you won’t need a credit check and you’ll be able to hire the car without any issues, or ridiculous additional fees.
AFTERNOON: Glasgow - Fort William
The drive from Glasgow to Fort William is possibly one of my favourite drives as you go through Glencoe Valley (I have no words for this place). The drive is 108 miles and will take 2 hours and 33 minutes without stopping, but you will stop many times!! Here’s where we stopped.
Loch Lomond: You’ll reach the famous Loch Lomond quite quickly and you can stop anywhere along the Loch. If you’re looking to get out, a great spot is The Tarbet Pier which has stunning views of Ben Lomond. Tarbet Pier is at the intersection where you turn right to drive to Glencoe. There’s also a cafe and toilets you can use.
Road Warning: When you turn right at Tarbet Pier, the road becomes very narrow, with sharp corners. A local advised us to drive slowly and approach each corner as though a truck was on the other side. It was great advice as a lot of trucks do drive that road. The road is manageable you just have to be careful and take your time.
Falls of Falloch: Falls of Falloch is a flat and easy 3-minute walk from the car park. It’s a beautiful waterfall with a creek running down the valley. A great place to stop for a quick break.
Wee White House Glencoe: At the top of Glencoe Valley, is a wee white house standing at the base of the beautiful surrounding mountains. This is an amazing photo stop and a place to really take in the beauty of the Glencoe Valley.
The Meeting of Three Waters: Just around the corner, you’ll stop at The Meeting of Three Waters which is a beautiful waterfall with crystal clear water. You can easily see it from the road but if you’d like to get out (which I’d recommend), there is a shoulder you can park in on both sides of the road. For the brave, I’d highly recommend doing a cold plunge or swimming here in the warmer months.
Three Sisters Viewpoint: If you’d like to see the Three Sisters and not just drive past them, stop at this viewpoint just after the Meeting of Three Waters. There’s a path you can climb to get a higher vantage point, but it’s also amazing just from the car park.
Loch Achtriochtan: You could really stop every 100m as you drive along Glencoe Valley. Another gorgeous spot is Loch Achtriochtan which has a cottage at the base of Bidean Nam Bian Mountain.
Fort William: You eventually have to leave Glencoe Valley but the drive to Fort William around Loch Linnhe is beautiful. We were fortunate to time the drive with sunset and we saw one of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen.
NIGHT: Fort William
We spent the night at Fort William which is a gorgeous portside town situated on Loch Linnhe. The town is small with limited restaurant options and I would highly recommend pre-booking a table. There are a lot of pubs and we end the night at The Grog & Gruel which had incredible live music and reasonably priced pints.
For accommodation, we stayed at The Imperial Hotel. It was the perfect Bed & Breakfast style hotel with comfortable, clean rooms and breakfast included. The location was great, as it was just off the high street and they had free parking.
DAY 2
DAY: Fort William - Broadford, Isle of Skye
After our complimentary breakfast, we grabbed coffee from Rain which came recommended by a local and it was pretty decent. We went to M&S and picked up some snacks and lunch for the day (the elite pesto and mozzarella wrap) and then we were on our way. It takes 1 hour and 54 minutes to drive the 82 miles to Broadford, but there’s a lot of exploring along the way. We ended up driving 140 miles and here is where we stopped:
Ben Nevis: Fort William is situated at the base of Ben Nevis but I’d recommend driving 4 minutes out of town to the start of the walk. It’s a beautiful viewpoint of Ben Nevis and the Nevis Mountain Range, situated along Glen Nevis. If you had an extra day, you could walk to the summit of Ben Nevis which takes about 7 hours.
Loch Cluanie: Hands down my favourite Loch! We were so lucky with the weather when we were there. We had a clear, still day so the reflection of the mountains on the water was perfect. This is a great spot for lunch.
Eilean Donan Castle: This famous 13th-century castle is on the drive and definitely worth stopping at. You can view the castle for free, walk around the perimeter for £4 or go inside for £12. You have to pay for parking here.
Sligachan Old Bridge: Welcome to the beautiful Isle of Skye, first stop is Sligachan Old Bridge. The bridge was constructed in the 1800s and goes over a crystal-clear creek with stunning mountains in the background. Not only is it beautiful, legend has it, if you stick your face in the water under the Old Sligachan Bridge for 7 seconds and let it dry off naturally, you'll be granted eternal beauty.
By this point, if you’re feeling a bit thirsty, stop at the Sligachan Hotel and grab a pint from Seumas’ Bar. It’s a beautiful bar, with great vibes and a beer garden.
The Fairy Pools: One of the top attractions on Isle of Skye is The Fairy Pools. The pools are in the middle of no where and there’s only one, single-lane road to get to them. Thankfully there’s a lot of passing lanes. There is a big car park you have to pay for parking (£3 for 2 hours) but there is a free toilet.
The path to The Fairy Pools is popular and therfore, very well maintained. There isn’t an “official destination” but the general consensus is when the man-made path ends, you’re there. There are many large pools along the walk and it’s another fantastic spot for a cold plunge. It is a decent walk back to the car so bring warm clothes and a towel!
NIGHT: Broadford / Torrin
We booked accommodation in a Sheppard’s hut near Torrin so stopped at Broadford for dinner. There were very limited options, with maybe 3 restaurants in town. I’d recommend booking a table as they were fully booked the night we were there. There’s also an ASDA supermarket open 24/7 and Co-op open 7am - 10pm where you can grab groceries.
The Sheppard’s Hut was the perfect off-grid cabin for the night. It was really easy to get to, located on a beautiful beach and it was super cozy. We were fortunate to have clear skies and it was perfect for sky-gazing with no light pollution. Check out our accommodation here.
Otherwise, if you wanted to stay in a town, I’d recommend Portree.
DAY 3
DAY: Broadford, Isle of Skye - Fort Augustus
After a relaxing night without reception, we drove back to Broadford, grabbed our food for the day and set out. Here’s where we stopped:
Hector’s Highland Coos: It wouldn’t be a trip to Scotland without finding some Highland coos. On our way to Portree, we stopped at Hector’s Highland Coos for a guaranteed spotting. If you type ‘Highland Cow Parking Area’ into your maps it will give you the exact location. When you arrive, you can park along the road. Going in the morning is better as the coos are closer to the gates having just been fed.
Portree: After our dose of Highland coos, we stopped at Portree, a cute seaside village known for it’s colourful buildings. You get 30 minutes free parking and then it’s £3 for 2 hours. We grabbed breakfast and coffee from Relish, which was delicious and well priced, and ate by the water. Colour house viewpoint is also a great spot to have breakfast or take a photo, as it looks onto the colourful buildings.
Old Man of Storr: A famous attraction on the Isle of Skye is the Old man of Storr. Because it’s so popular, the carpark is busy and it costs £3 for 2 hours. It’s a very steep walk so we only went half way but the views were still amazing. To save time, take the path to the right which is steeper and shorter. You also get a great view of the Old Man of Storr when you drive past it.
Kilt Rock: Is a famous rock formation as it looks like a kilt and comes out of the sea. It’s a nice place to stop quickly and has beautiful views. The hills behind Kilt Rock as also beautiful.
Detour disclaimer: We accidentally missed the turn off to The Fairy Glen and ended up going around the top of the Eastern peninsular. It was a beautiful drive but not much to see besides the ocean, farmland and sheep. I’d recommend taking the shorter route directly to The Fairy Glen. This will give you more time to potentially get to Glendale and Nest Point on the Western side of Isle of Skye.
The Fairy Glen:
Portree: Portree was so beautiful that we stopped for a pint at An Talla Mòr Eighteen Twenty on our way back. This was also a nice spot to break-up the drive before heading to Fort Augustus. You drive along the same road you did the day before so you get to see all the beautiful sites again.
NIGHT: Fort Augustus
We stayed in the Loch Ness Guest House which was almost like an adult hostel. It was self check-in, there was a communal kitchen area and a lovely fireplace. Breakfast was included which was cereal, toast and yoghurts. Restaurant options are limited in Fort Augustus and during peak season, I’d recommend booking. Check out our accommodation here
DAY 4
DAY: Fort Augustus - Inverness
After driving for 3 days it was nice to take a more relaxed approach to the day which only involved an hour drive. Here’s what we did:
Fort Augustus: Fort Augustus is a lot smaller than I expected but a beautiful town none-the-less. There isn’t much to do in town besides walking through the shops and along the shore of Loch Ness following the Abbey Loop Core Path. The main attraction here is a boat tour around Loch Ness.
Loch Ness: We didn’t do a Loch Ness boat tour and instead drove around it on our way to Inverness, a 1 hour drive. This was a great way to see the entire Loch and save money. If you’re into the myth around the Loch Ness Monster you may be more interested in the boat tour but it seemed like you won’t see anything you can’t see from the road.
Inverness: Inverness is the largest town in the Scottish Highlands but still has Scottish charm. You only need 1-2 hours here to walk along the high streets, grab some lunch from The Victoria Markets and walk along River Ness.
If you’ve got some extra time, Inverness is famous for jumping dolphins. You can go to Chanonry Point and try your luck from land or book a boat tour with Dolphin Spirit Inverness.
NIGHT: Travel home
After an incredible 4 days in the Scottish Highlands, it’s time to go home and reminisce on how amazing your trip was!
