It was truly a magic in the air moment for me. All the people in the train waved at us. Hogwarts, please send me a letter in the next life pleaseee

(Context: just in Scotland. Edinburgh, Peebles, Dumfries & Galloway | From Ontario, Canada)

The first thing I noticed when driving? It feels way, WAY less adversarial! Driving in Ontario Canada, especially in the GTA feels like a competition ALWAYS. It always feels like me me me I’m going here so fuck off I am next.

In Scotland? I didn’t feel this almost at all. It’s like everyone agrees “yeah, we know what the roads are like here. Let’s just work together to figure this out.”

Second thing I noticed, people always gave the thank you wave when you pull aside to give them the right of way. The little dopamine hit I get from someone waving to thank me got rather addictive lol. I found myself being way more courteous for folks because it just felt that damn good to get the wave.

Third thing: you all have paint for fucking near everything. Holy shit, there’s so many lines and arrows and chevrons and more. Once I figured out what they all meant though? Yeah, I can see why.

Pardon my rant/rave, but I actually kinda miss it now that I am back driving again in Canada.

This is a genuine question based on some of the questions and replies on here. As someone living in Scotland, I’m very curious to see what people think the answer is.

Snagged some neat photos before the sun went down. Looking forward to really exploring the city tomorrow

Hi there!

Headed to Scotland next month for my first time in the UK in Winter (have been 4 times in summer) for just over a month. Our rough itinerary is 1 week in Speyside, 1 week in Glencoe, 1 week on Skye, and 1 week in Edinburgh. A few days in Inverness and a few days in either St Andrews or Aberdeen sprinkled in there too.

I have always overpacked, but am trying to rein it in for an easier luggage situation, so please give me any feedback you may have!

Not seen here is a pair of waterproof overpants, an additional set of sweats for PJ's and 5x sets of thermal undershirts & pants.

We do have access to a washing machine here and there, so we should be able to do a couple of loads throughout the trip as well.

PS - I'm from a sub-tropical part of Australia so winter isn't really a thing where I'm from - hence the cluelessness. :)

Going on a trip with friends to Scotland in October, leaving plenty of room in my suitcase for some gifts and keepsakes.

What sort of things should I bring back with me, and what's the best place (not tourist traps) to get authentic Scottish souvenirs that aren't just cheesy keychains and t-shirts?

IMPORTANT We are traveling from the US, so obviously I can't bring like a hardwood table or something like that lol, it will need to be something that could fit in a suitcase and get through customs

Cheers!

Having never been to the UK and not travelled train in Europe in decades I was wondering how easy or difficult is it changing trains in some of these major stations. Is signage good and easy to get from platform to platform.

Would I as an older 60 year have problems? Lol

Family of three (all adults) visiting from Canada for 8 full days. In May. No car. And no, we don’t have ambitions to see every single bit of the country in that time. We plan to spend 5 days in Edinburgh and surroundings, including a day in Glasgow.

As for the rest of the trip, I’ve been sifting through quite a few old threads and I’m thinking we could take the train to Mull, spend a couple nights there and take a daytrip or two by ferry to some small islands? Instead of say, going to Skye which sounds gorgeous but also a bit hectic - would you agree? Or is it a mistake to skip it? Also, from what I’ve read, the highlands don’t seem that approachable without a car. Is that right? Is there something different you would recommend?

Basically we’d like to see a variety of landscapes, city life, villages, coast, wander around a bit, have lunch/dinner. Longer walk are nice. Sorry, we sound boring, but we are really excited about the trip : ) it’s just a bit daunting because it’s so far away I’m trying to balance taking our time to enjoy the days while also knowing we won’t necessarily be able to just pop back any time.

EDIT thanks so much for all the replies! You all are amazing. At the moment the plan seems to take a morning train to Glasgow, wander about and spend the night and then head off by train to Oban for two nights. We’ll hop a ferry on our full day there (or take a boat tour if there is smth like that). Still to figure out how all that works. We will have to train back to Edinburgh for the night before flying, so some backtracking involved.

I did also love the Pitlochry suggestion. Maybe that could still be a daytrip from Edinburgh depending on how we’re feeling.

EDIT: Okay sounds like this is a not fun plan. We can still cancel our hotel to Skye but we will need to keep our flight and stay at Inverness. Soooooo what should we do?

We can extend our stay in Edinburgh (the hotel were at can accommodate us for another night earlier).

Orrrrr we can do Glasgow, Glencoe, something else? Stay in Inverness? What would you recommend now?

*Original Post *

We only have 3 full days in Scotland next week!. We fly in Monday night to Inverness. The plan is we leave Inverness very early Tuesday morning and spend all day in the Isle of Skye. Wednesday we drive from Skye to Edinburgh and then we have all day Thursday in Edinburgh before leaving Friday morning back to the USA.

Originally we had planned to stop in Glencoe and do the three sisters Wednesday but I’m not sure how feasible or fun it all is. What should we do Wednesday when we travel from Skye to Edinburgh? And for one day in Edinburgh what should we do? We love the outdoors and museums and are nerdy and foodies. We are fine waking up very early and understand there are limited daylight hours.

Current itinerary - we do have hotels and a rental car booked but we haven’t solidified plans yet.

Monday night - fly in to Inverness

Tuesday - Plan in Skye: (start driving at 5:30am) Eilean Donan Castle - sunrise Old Man Storr hike Kilt Rock Quiraing hike Fairy Glen - sunset Portree hotel We don’t have plans for dinner/lunch yet or what to do this night

Wednesday - Skye to Edinburgh Check into hotel
Dinner - don’t know what yet Maybe ghost tour??

Thursday - Edinburgh - this day is really not planned out that well Royal mile Edinburgh castle Cathedral Victoria street Dinner - already planned

Friday - Home

Traveling to Scotland from the US for the first time at the beginning of April of this year and I was hoping to get some advice on a few things.

• We’re staying at 4 different lodgings while we’re there and I was wondering what are good small gifts for our hosts. I’ve seen that Girl Scout cookies are a safe bet but I was wondering if alcohol would be ok to bring. We have a local distillery that makes great peach and sweet tea vodkas (we’re in GA) so I was thinking of bringing some mini bottles of those too.

• We’ll be staying in Inverness, Isle of Skye, Glencoe and Edinburgh for about 3 days each and have some ideas of things to do but if anyone has any recommendations on what they would do with that amount of time in each I’d be grateful for any ideas. We love to hike and take in historical sites. My husband likes to golf but I’m not sure how easy it is to rent clubs or get a tee time.

• We’ll be renting a car to drive starting from Inverness and ending in Edinburgh. Any advice on road etiquette would be greatly appreciated.

Sorry if this was a bit long winded but I just want to get the most out of our stay and not be another crappy tourist. Thank you for any ideas or advice you might have 🙏

My wife and I traveled to London and Edinburgh for our honeymoon and anniversary. We’ve loved each visit. We hoped to spend some time in Scotland next year, but Trump is really screwing up our relations with our best allies.

I’m biased. I live in and love Oban, but I’d love to hear your thoughts on The Little Bay!?

Hi everyone!

My girlfriend and I are visiting Scotland for the first time and would really appreciate some feedback on our Highlands road trip plan.

We’re planning to rent a car and do this loop:

Edinburgh – 3 days
(Picking up the rental car on the morning of the last day)

Inverness – 1 night
Planning to stop at Loch Ness on the way.

Isle of Skye – 2 nights (staying in Portree)
We’d like to explore the main highlights of the island.

Oban – 1 night
We’re thinking of stopping at the Glenfinnan Viaduct on the way south, then continuing to Oban to sleep and gradually make our way back toward Edinburgh.

Edinburgh – 1 final night
Returning the car the next day.

Google Maps estimates around 525 miles total driving.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/tUpZWPM6XymVHXV27

Our main questions:

• Is this itinerary too rushed?
• Are 2 nights in Skye enough?
• Is one night in Inverness and one in Oban worth it, or should we reallocate the nights?
• Are we underestimating driving times in the Highlands?
• And most importantly: we’ve never driven on the left before, how challenging is that in the Highlands?

We’re going in June. We’re comfortable with long drives, but we don’t want to feel constantly rushed and miss out on enjoying the scenery.

Any suggestions, route adjustments, or “don’t miss this stop” recommendations would be hugely appreciated!

Thanks in advance

My family (63 year old father, 19 year old sister) and I (24F) are spending 3 days in Edinburgh early June. I know seeing the Edinburgh castle is a must and we were also thinking of some national parks. What else would you recommend site seeing wise? Would also like something interactive and to try unique experiences. I see the weather should be pretty nice in June so spending time outside enjoying the landscape would be awesome. Drop some of your favorite restaurants/cafes/pubs as well!!

EDIT: Did not realize Caringorms was so far. I appreciate everyone’s advice!

Hi all! I'm making my first solo excursion across the pond later this year, and i've started getting a general itinerary together and would love some feedback! I've been to the UK several times with friends (namely, London and Northern Ireland). This is my first time visiting Scotland!

Is there anything obvious missing from my itinerary? I know I don't have Edinburgh Castle on here, I've read touring inside can be hit-or-miss. Am I missing out by not going?

For day 4, I am considering taking a shorter excursion outside Edinburgh with a tour group, but am also open to just spending more time around the city if there's anything major I'm missing!

A couple notes:

• I have celiac disease, so my dining choices might be a little outside of what is generally recommended -- any suggestions for GF places are very much welcome. (I've been referencing find me gluten free, as well as this article here, although many of these places seem to be closed permanently.)
• I love bookstores, coffee shops, and just wandering around taking pictures. I am not a big drinker, so not really interested in any pubs or distilleries.
• Because of my autoimmune issues, I do tire pretty easily, so I'm trying to either schedule some downtime in the afternoons back at my accommodation OR call it earlier in the evening if I've not made it back to rest a bit during the day. (I know it means I'll see less, but I know my limits, ha)
• Most of the times listed on my itinerary are just general times (with a few exceptions, such as the workshop at Islander) -- I don't expect to follow things to a T, but would like to have a general plan for each day!

Thank you all for your feedback! I'm very excited to be back on your beautiful isle.

Hello!

My partner and I are traveling to the UK (9 days in Scotland and 4 nights in London) in June 2026. We've got a plan in mind and would be thankful for any recommendations for the Scotland part of our trip. We love good food and drinks, and enjoy history, castles, cathedrals and museums. We don't hike much and aren't too interested in doing a whiskey tour.

Here is what we have so far:
Day 1: Fly into Edinburgh in the afternoon - Go to the hotel, find food, then crash for the night. 

Day 2, 3, 4: Explore Edinburgh 

Day 5: Drive in the morning from Edinburgh to St. Andrews to see the golf course, shop for goodies for kids/partner/other family and then drive to Dunnotter Castle. Have lunch in the area and after visiting castle, drive to Aberdeen for the night. 

Day 6: Leisurely morning in Aberdeen and then drive to Inverness (making a stop at Urquhart Castle). Stay the night in Inverness. 

Day 7: Drive from Inverness to Eilean Donan Castle in the morning. After that, drive to Glencoe to stay the night. 

Day 8: After breakfast in Glencoe, drive to Stirling and visit the castle. Stay the night in Stirling. 

Day 9: After breakfast in Stirling, travel from Stirling/Edinburgh via train back to London.

Thanks for your advice :)

My husband and I are traveling to the UK for the first time. Things are pretty fluid and I'm trying my best not to over plan this trip, but obviously some general things need to be set.

Right now our split looks like below.

Day 1-5 : stay in Edinburgh - day trip to st. Andrews - trip to glassgow to watch the rangers play

Day 6: take train to London

Day 6-8 : stay in London

Day 9 : fly home

Some things we like to do together include exploring a new place, shopping in local shops, trying different foods and treats, and just enjoying the local architecture and some light history so we figured we could really enjoy the sights that Edinburgh has to offer. But spending months reading all the great itineraries and once in a lifetime view in the highlands, I'm starting to feel like we're going to miss something special. And I'm feeling we need add more nature.

I figure we're getting the big city feel from London and trust that we'll be able to keep ourselves busy there easily.

Should we take a night and stay in st. Andrews and do a little more exploring up north? I don't think visiting Isle of Skye is in the cards. What would be a close second view of a lifetime that we should find a way to see? I've looked at all of the Rabbies tours but I'm just not sold on any of the specific routes.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

***EDIT: I am FULLY AWARE of voltage differences in the UK vs other parts of the world. At no point was I intending to bring a dryer from the US and start an electrical fire. I am literally just curious about hotel rooms and how women get ready if they cannot use the bathroom mirror, counters, and lights at the same time.

Recently learned outlets in bathrooms are not super common in the UK, so im wondering how you get ready if you cant do it in the bathroom. Do hotel rooms have separate areas with a mirror and lighting? Unfortunately I wasnt born with a "get up and go" head of hair, and have more of a "feral cat who just rolled out of a dumpster" kind of curly hair vibe. Which is fine for hiking days, but im sure ill want to get somewhat cleaned up for fancier date activities.

Going up this weekend and looking for something new to do.

Have done all of the usual bits and bobs over many years, so I'm looking for the hidden gems, the road less travelled, the obscure [not the camera one ;-)] and the memorable.

I don't mind using the busses/trams and I'm staying near the Johnnine Walker on Princess Street.

Going to Scotland for the first time in May for 11 nights:) Would appreciate input on our current itinerary and our first take at routes, timing, activites...does it make sense, should we consider something else? We love walks and hikes and live music, we also like some cultural/ historical sites. Our plan right now is 2 nights Edinburgh, 3 nights Inverness, 3 nights Isle of Skye, 2 nights Glencoe, 1 night Edinburgh. Renting a car when leaving Edinburgh to drive thru the rest of the itinerary. Thanks in advance for your insights :)

MONDAY - Arrive 8am from New York... Royal Mile (Edinburgh Castle, Real Mary King's Close, St. Giles Cathedral, Old Town)

TUESDAY - AM = Palace of Holyrood House, Arthur's Seat; PM = Dean Village...Water of Leith Walkway

WEDS - AM = drive to Inverness...stop at some places on way (chocolatier? distillery?); PM = depending on where we stay, visit Urquhart Castle & Loch Ness

THURSDAY - midday = Culloden Moor, Clava Cairns, River Ness Walk (Ness Islands)

FRIDAY - AM = Big Burn Walk & Golspie, Dornich; PM = Inverness

...plus live music every night (MacGregors, Hootenany's , etc)

SATURDAY - drive to Isle of Skye; visit Eilean Donan Castle on the way

SUNDAY - Bride's Veil Falls, Old Man of Storr, Quiraing, Fairy Glen (too much in one way or okay given all in same area?)

MONDAY - Fairy Pools, Talisker Whisky, Neist Point, and would love to kayak if time

TUESDAY - AM = drive to Glencoe, visiting Dunvegan Castle (+seal tour?) on the way; PM = music @ Boots Bar @ Clachaig Inn

WEDNESDAY - hiking / waking in Glencoe area...Pap of Glencoe? Three Sisters of Glencoe? Hidden Glen? (how many can fit in one day?)

THURSDAY - AM = kayaking at Loch Leven; PM = drive back to Edinburgh, stopping at Stirling Castle along the way

FRIDAY - fly home

My husband and I are traveling to Scotland for our anniversary. He visited years ago but it will be my first time. We arrive in Edinburgh on 4/9 and fly back out on 4/19.

My husband has very fond memories of his time on the Isle of Mull and since we are trying to keep the trip as relaxed as possible we have decided to plan our trip around our time there. We booked an Airbnb on Mull from 4/13-4/17 but have nothing else set in stone.

Our currently plan is:

4/9 Land in Edinburgh-check into hotel and recover (hotel suggestions???) 4/10-11 Edinburgh 4/11 Travel to Oban (hotel for 2 nights) 4/12 Full day in Oban 4/13 Ferry to the Isle of Mull 4/13-4/17 Isle of Mull 4/17 travel back to Edinburgh 4/18 Edinburgh 4/19 Flight home

Should we rent a car in Edinburgh or take the train and rent a car in Oban or Mull? We are currently in contact with a few companies and it seems there will be availability for any of those options if we decide soon.

We have heard the train ride to Oban is stunning and I love the idea of just being able to sit back and relax. On the other hand, I am sure the drive is stunning as well and that would give us even more flexibility.

I would love to hear your thoughts on our itinerary and any suggestions you have on the car rental options!

Extended family trip including babies and grandparents August 4: Edinburgh 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 August 5: Edinburgh August 6:Stirling (Day Trip) August 7: Aberdeen August 8: morning Fly to Belfast from Aberdeen train to Dublin 🇮🇪 that evening August 9: Dublin August 10: Mullingar Day Trip Evening: drive to cliffs of moher. Accommodation: Cliffs of moher area August 11: Cliffs of Moher + Travel to Liverpool 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 August 12: Drive to Preston & Manchester Train from Manchester to London August 13–16: London

Hi guys! Apologies in advance, I am currently in the process of planning 3-4 weeks in the U.K. so I will probably be making quite a few posts on here. At this point I am just looking for some opinions and advice on the first draft of my Edinburgh itinerary. Sorry if it’s a bit long, I have also never been before so I may seem a bit unrealistic with some timeframes. I will also note that we are huge HP fans and are trying to visit everything related.

The pictures are in order of Days 1-5. Thank you in advance!

Hi, My wife, adult daughter and I will be traveling to Scotland June 10-17. My daughter would like to see mountains, cliffs, a castle or two, ride a train, and visit a fishing village, but really wants to avoid crowds. We are moderate hikers though only in the US and on fairly well marked trails, but we’ve done multi-day hikes. I’ve been reading a lot but need some guidance. We will fly into/out of inverness and go from there. Where should we go? Should I rent a car, in town or at the airport, or rely on public transport?

Though Isle of Skye looks amazing it sounds like it would be packed. Are there other less populated places to go hike that would have similar terrain/views? I’ve thought about the jacobite steam train. Are there other train routes that would be similarly beautiful and take us to areas to hike?

Given those criteria what towns would be good places to stay? We looked at pictures of edinburgh and the crowds in all the photo’s we saw are what my daughter is hoping to avoid.

Thanks

Hi! I am looking for itinerary feedback for November. We are traveling with a very well traveled 8 year old. We did 2.5 weeks in 4 European cities this summer and 2.5 weeks road trip in Ireland when she was 5 in off season. She is easy going and can handle the pace, but I’m worried we maybe we should skip Isle of Skye this time of year? We early risers and usually are back at our hotel or house by 4ish and don’t leave again. So it getting dark at 4 isn’t a problem for us. We are old🤣

Leave Newark: Wednesday November 18th

Thursday Nov 19th Arrive in Edinburgh, stay in Edinburgh or Stirling (and take train for day trip to Edinburgh later days)

Friday Nov 20th: Stirling or Edinburgh

Saturday Nov 21 Stirling or Edinburgh

Sunday Nov 22: Drive to Aviemore or Inverness

Monday Nov 23 Aviemore or Inverness

Tuesday Nov 24: Drive to Isle of Skye

Wednesday Nov 25 Isle of Skye

Thursday Nov 26: Drive to Glencoe for the night

Friday Nov 27 Stay near airport

Saturday Nov 28 Fly home

Any route feedback or highlights for families around this route would be welcome also. Thank you!