The Scottish Highlands completely stole my heart with their dramatic scenery, historic castles and unforgettable places to visit near Inverness and Glencoe. Here’s everything we loved during our time in the Highlands ~ and what I think is truly worth adding to your own Scotland itinerary.

We were already pretty enamored with Scotland after our first day in Edinburgh (read that travel guide here!), but once we arrived in the Highlands, my love for this country went even deeper!

Around every corner seemed to be another incredible view, a castle we wanted to stop and explore or a tiny town that made us want to slow down and stay awhile.

We split our Highlands time between Inverness and Glencoe, which ended up being such a great way to experience two very different parts of the Highlands without spending our entire trip in the car.

And after spending several days exploring both areas, I can honestly say this was one of my favorite parts of our entire Scotland trip.

We purposely left the Isle of Skye and the other nearby islands for another trip so we could slow down and truly enjoy the beauty and peacefulness of the Highlands with the time we had ~ and fully expect to return in the next few years to give the isles the time they deserve!

Our entire itinerary is included at the bottom of this travel guide for your own reference :).

In a rush?

The Little Details

Maps

HOW TO USE THIS MAP:

Click the tab in the top left hand corner of the map to view the layers of the map and names of places included. You can click the check marks to hide or show the layers. If you click the icons on the map, you can get more information from each point of interest.

To save this map to your Google Maps account:

• on a computer: click the little star next to the title of the map to add this map to your Google Maps account. To then view the map on your computer, open Google Maps, go to ‘Saved’ then ‘Maps’
• on a phone: press the [ ] on the upper right corner to view a larger version of the map. If the map opens in a new tab, just use the < button in the search bar to bring you to the Google Maps app. From here you can pull up the menu screen from the bottom of the screen using one finger and scroll down until you find the button called ‘Maps’ where you will see this map in your saved list.

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How to Get to the Scottish Highlands

We started our Scotland trip by flying into Edinburgh, where we spent three nights before picking up a rental car and making our way to the Highlands.

We turned the drive into part of the trip with stops in Falkland and St Andrews before continuing on to Inverness.

If this is your first trip to Scotland, I really wouldn’t skip Edinburgh ~ it’s just too good and deserves a few days of its own.

But if you’ve already been to Edinburgh and want to head straight to the Highlands, Inverness Airport is the closest and easiest option.

It’s a much smaller airport with mostly UK connections, including flights from London, so depending on where you’re coming from you’ll likely need to connect elsewhere in the UK before flying into Inverness.

From there, renting a car is definitely the way I would explore the Highlands ~ the drives between places ended up being some of my favorite parts of the entire trip.

How to Get Around the Scottish Highlands

We rented a car in Edinburgh for one week to explore the Scottish Highlands, and if you, or in my case, your husband 😂, are up for driving from the right side of the car AND on the left side of the road, I really do think this is the best way to see this part of Scotland.

While there are plenty of bus tours that will take you into the countryside, having our own car gave us the freedom to stop whenever we wanted ~ which, with scenery this beautiful, happened quite often!

My husband did ALL the driving on this trip and said the roads in the Highlands weren’t nearly as “concerning” as some of the roads we’ve driven in Ireland and Wales.

If you’ve been to those countries ~ you probably know exactly what I mean ~ the narrow roads with rock walls directly on either side!

Thankfully, the Highlands were missing that difficult extra, and many of the major roads actually felt similar to well-paved highways in the US.

Little tip though – our rental car in Scotland was smaller than years past and my husband says that also helped! So rent as small of a car as you and your luggage can handle comfortably :).

And one more rental car tip: we always purchase ALL the extra insurance when renting a car outside of the US. Is it an added expense? Yes. But in years past we’ve hit one of those lovely rock walls and damaged a tire ~ and even driven into a ditch in Ireland 😬 so we’ve actually had to use that extra insurance.

Now we just consider it part of the cost of renting a car overseas and save ourselves the worry!

This was on our Ireland road trip back in September 2024 ;0

Best Time of Year to Visit Scotland

We spent ten days in Scotland from the end of August through Labor Day and, despite quite a few rainy days, loved escaping our never-ending San Diego summer heat!

And while late August and early September are technically still midge season in the Scottish Highlands, we honestly didn’t have any issues with them during our trip ~ likely thanks to the cooler temperatures and plenty of rain!

FYI – I LOVE THIS CLEAR UMBRELLA FOR TRAVELING!!!

Research informed me that May and June bring long days and fewer crowds, while October is quieter with beautiful autumn colors (which might be when I try to time my next Scotland visit :)).

Winter can be magical with snow-covered mountains and almost no crowds, but expect short days, cold weather, and some attractions to be closed for the season.

Screenshots of our weather forecasts for the time we were there at the end of August/first week of September :).

Recommended Number of Days for a Visit to the Scottish Highlands

We spent five days in the Scottish Highlands, which ended up being a pretty good amount of time for the trip we planned.

Our first day was really our drive from St Andrews to Inverness, with a lunch stop in Pitlochry and then Dalwhinnie Distillery along the way.

From there, we spent two nights in Inverness and three nights in Fort Williams.

We had a fair amount of rain while we were there and, since we weren’t exactly prepared to go hiking in the rain, five days felt just right for us.

But if we had planned to add a couple of those incredible Highland hikes into our itinerary, I easily would have added two more nights in Glencoe.

There is SO much to see in this part of Scotland ~ and the scenery alone will make you wish you had a little more time!

Money and Plug Details in Scotland

In the United Kingdom, the currency is the Pound (£), and most places accept credit and debit cards, though it’s always handy to carry some cash for smaller establishments or tips.

It is recommended to use a BANK ATM machine once in the country you are traveling to to withdraw money out of your US (presumably) bank account. This is the least expensive way to handle bank fees and foreign exchange rates.

Be sure you are using a credit card with zero foreign transaction fees as those can add up!!

The United Kingdom uses Type G plugs with a standard voltage of 230V and a frequency of 50Hz, so travelers from outside the UK and Ireland may need a plug adapter and potentially a voltage converter.

I bring this extension cord with me everywhere I travel and these adapters when traveling to the UK and Ireland.

And of course – this portable battery charger is an absolute must to avoid a dead phone when out sightseeing :0.

Best Places to Stay in the Highlands

I honestly had no idea how HUGE the Scottish Highlands were until I started planning this trip!

There really isn’t one central place to stay and see it all without spending hours in the car.

We loved splitting our five nights between Inverness for two nights and Fort William for three, right in the heart of the mountains near Ben Nevis (the highest mountain in Scotland).

Glencoe is a tiny bit south of Fort William and would work as a great second base as well.

I have detailed and linked below the hotel in Glencoe I honestly wish we would have stayed at instead of Inverlochy Castle…

My neighbor did something a little different and paired Inverness with Oban for more of a west coast Highlands experience.

If you have about a week, I would definitely choose two bases depending on what you most want to see!

And if driving the famous NC500 (a scenic 500-mile road trip around the far northern coast of Scotland) is on your bucket list, that’s really a trip of its own!

The route begins and ends in Inverness, so I would plan on changing hotels along the way rather than trying to explore it from one base…

Ness Walk Hotel Inverness

We stayed at Ness Walk Hotel for our two Inverness nights, originally because we planned to spend a day whisky tasting in Speyside. We ultimately took Speyside off our itinerary, which made me realize you don’t necessarily need to stay right in Inverness.

Ness Walk has a beautiful location along the River Ness, wonderful staff and is an easy walk into town.

But at around $1,000 a night during our stay, I didn’t feel the hotel itself lived up to the price ~ we’ve stayed in much nicer hotels at this price point.

If I were planning our trip again, I would look at Loch Ness Lodge for more of a Highlands setting (see next hotel recommendation below). You can still easily visit Culloden Battlefield and Clava Cairns from here.

If walking into Inverness for the small live music scene is important to you, however, Ness Walk is the more convenient choice.

Loch Ness Lodge Hotel

Looking back, Loch Ness Lodge is probably where we should have stayed for our two nights in the northern Highlands once we took Speyside whisky tasting off our itinerary.

It would have still kept us close to all the sights we wanted to see, with a much more scenic Highlands setting.

Photos courtesy of Instagram

Inverlochy Castle Hotel in Fort William

I seem to love staying in castle hotels when we visit Ireland and the UK, so Inverlochy Castle Hotel came up when I searched for castle stays in the Scottish Highlands.

We loved the beautiful view from our room ~ even with all the rain (we reserved a garden suite in a completely separate building from the actual castle).

But honestly, it wasn’t quite as luxurious as some of the castle hotels we’ve stayed at in Ireland ;0.

Now that I know the area better, I think I would choose Glencoe House instead (see below!).

Also worth knowing: there is no air conditioning, which is pretty common in the Highlands.

This made me a little nervous since we were there during midge season and would need to sleep with the windows open! Thankfully, the cool, rainy weather kept the midges mostly away.

Glencoe House

While we didn’t stay at Glencoe House, having now visited the area, I honestly wish we had made this our three-night base instead!

The spacious suites, beautiful Highland views, and location right in Glencoe make it perfect for exploring this part of Scotland.

If I were planning our trip again, this is where I would stay (and should never have been so stubborn about finding a “castle” stay…).

Photos courtesy of Instagram

Where to Eat in the Scottish Highlands

We are most certainly not food connoisseurs (I might actually be one of the pickiest 56-year-old women alive ;0).

And while we didn’t find the food in Scotland particularly memorable (and happily skipped the haggis!), I did love the meat pies I kept ordering throughout the Highlands.

What both my husband and I loved even more was the atmosphere ~ especially the moving live Scottish music at Hootananny in Inverness and the fun hiking-pub vibe at Clachaig Inn near Glencoe :).

MacGregors Pub and Hootenanny

On our first night in Inverness, we had dinner at MacGregor’s, then walked over to Hootananny for a couple pints of Guinness beer and incredible live Scottish music ~ the perfect first night in the Highlands!

My husband insists you just can’t get a Guinness in the US that tastes the same as it does in Ireland or the UK ;0.

Ben Nevis Bar and Restaurant

Ben Nevis Bar & Restaurant in Fort William is a popular spot with live music (although 9pm was way past our bedtime!).

We didn’t have a reservation (on a FRIDAY night ;0), so we put our name on the list and happily waited about an hour at the bar ~ because, again, Guinness ;).

And the meat pie was excellent!

Clachaig Inn

Clachaig Inn was a ChatGPT recommendation that did not lead us wrong!

The skinny road from the heart of Glencoe will have you wondering if there could possibly be a restaurant at the end of it…and then suddenly this little inn appears at the base of the mountains looking like something out of a magazine.

We loved the casual hiking-pub vibe, and our simple burgers were fantastic.

Bu we were so hungry we wolfed them down before I even remembered to take a picture :0.

Ben Nevis Inn

Ben Nevis Inn ~ not to be confused with Ben Nevis Bar in Fort William ~ is tucked right at the base of Ben Nevis and would have been such a fun place for our last night in the Highlands.

Unfortunately, we learned the hard way that you really do need a reservation, especially on a Saturday night! We didn’t get to eat here, but absolutely would have if I’d known to book ahead ~ it came highly recommended to us by all the locals too ;0.

Photos courtesy of Instagram

What to See and Do in the Scottish Highlands

There is truly no shortage of things to see and do in the Scottish Highlands from endless hiking trails to castles, lochs, waterfalls, and some of the prettiest scenery we saw on our entire Scotland trip.

This list is everything we were able to fit into our time near Inverness and Glencoe, although I definitely wish we’d had one more day in the area.

And if it hadn’t poured rain during most of our time in Glencoe, I would have loved to squeeze in a hike or two!

Culloden Battlefield

Truth be told, most of what I knew about Culloden Battlefield before our trip came from watching Outlander ;).

But once we were actually in Scotland and visiting so many of these historic places, I started to understand just how serious this part of Scottish history really was.

Culloden was the site of the final Jacobite battle in 1746, when supporters of Bonnie Prince Charlie fought what historians call The Government to restore the Stuart monarchy.

And walking the battlefield and seeing the clan markers scattered across the grounds is incredibly moving.

Being here gave me a much better understanding of the Jacobite cause and how deeply the events surrounding Culloden shaped Highland culture and Scottish identity.

Honestly, I think Culloden is a must-visit in the Highlands for anyone with even the slightest interest in understanding the history of the country they are visiting.

In 2026, admission to the Culloden Visitor Centre is £12.50 for adults and it is open from 9am–5pm from March through October (shorter winter hours).

The battlefield itself is open year-round, but I would allow around two hours to visit the museum and walk the battlefield.

Clava Cairns

Clava Cairns is a 4,000-year-old Bronze Age burial site just outside Inverness, and an easy stop to add to a day visiting Culloden Battlefield and Cawdor Castle since all three are in the same countryside area.

We spent about 20 minutes wandering around the ancient stone circles and burial cairns, which was plenty of time for us.

It’s free to visit and open year-round, making it an especially easy stop to add to your Highlands itinerary.

And fair warning ~ the narrow one-lane road leading here will absolutely make you wonder if you are going the right way…and then all of a sudden, there it is ;0.

I also arrived thinking these were the standing stones from Outlander, only to discover that nope ~ they didn’t actually film those scenes here.

Clearly I could have done a tiny bit more research before our trip ;0.

Cawdor Castle

After Clava Cairns, we made our way to Cawdor Castle ~ one of those stops that honestly made it onto our itinerary mostly because we were already in the area!

The castle is best known for its connection to Shakespeare’s Macbeth (although the real castle was built well after the historical Macbeth lived).

We had originally considered heading toward Speyside for some whisky distillery tours that afternoon, but decided it was just too much driving for our one full day in this part of the Highlands…

Cawdor ended up being an easy stop before continuing on to Culloden Battlefield and then back to Inverness for dinner.

Urquhart Castle and Loch Ness

Urquhart Castle is an easy and worthwhile stop on the drive from Inverness to Fort William, with its ruins sitting right on the edge of Loch Ness.

Definitely watch the short historical movie in the visitor center before exploring ~ it helped us understand so much more of what we were seeing, including the castle’s connection to Robert the Bruce and later the Jacobite struggles.

The Jacobites were supporters of the exiled Stuart monarchy, and their fight to restore the Stuarts is a story you’ll hear over and over again while traveling through the Highlands.

Urquhart Castle was included with our Historic Scotland Explorer Pass (buy this pass here as it is worth it!), but you still need to reserve a free timed-entry ticket in advance ~ and I would absolutely do this early because popular times can sell out.

Also be sure to add the free parking reservation when you book. Parking is limited and there really isn’t anywhere else nearby to leave your car, so this is one detail you don’t want to forget!

We also saw quite a few people arriving at the castle by boat, which is another fun option if you want to experience Loch Ness from the water.

Jacobite Loch Ness Cruises offers trips that include Urquhart Castle, with cruises departing from Dochgarroch Lock or Clansman Harbour near Inverness.

Obviously, with my feelings about boats, we happily stuck with our rental car. ;0

Creag Meagaidh National Nature Reserve

After visiting Urquhart Castle and driving along lovely Loch Ness, we realized we still hadn’t seen any of the famous Highland coos!

I actually asked ChatGPT where we could find some in a more natural setting rather than a touristy stop. We had passed Drumbuie B&B shortly before Urquhart Castle, which I had seen all over Instagram, but it felt a little too much like a designated Highland coo photo stop for what we were looking for, so we kept driving.

ChatGPT sent us to Creag Meagaidh National Nature Reserve instead and sure enough, we found a whole bunch of coos here!

We also discovered this is a beautiful place for hiking, with a nice-sized parking lot and plenty of trails to explore.

But, as it was getting late and we still had dinner and a hotel check-in ahead of us, there was no hiking for us that day.

FYI – the drive from here to Inverlochy Castle was absolutely gorgeous and 100% worth pulling over a few times for photos along the way.

Glencoe Visitors Centre

Before heading into the heart of Glencoe, make a stop at the Glencoe Visitor Centre.

One quick heads up ~ Google Maps tried to send us to the old visitor centre farther up the road!

Luckily, I spotted the National Trust sign while we were driving along and we turned in :0.

The current Visitor Centre was completely revamped in 2019, but apparently Google Maps still hasn’t gotten the memo ;). I’ve pinned the correct location on my Glencoe map in the maps section above!

We loved learning more about the history of the Highlands and what life was actually like in this beautiful but incredibly harsh landscape.

There’s an excellent short film, really knowledgeable staff, and a reconstructed 17th-century turf and creel house out back that is definitely worth walking over to see.

The Visitor Centre itself is free (you do pay a small fee to park), and there are several walking trails that start here too.

We also had an amazing bowl of soup and hot chocolate in the café before setting off on the A82 (the incredibly scenic road that winds right through the middle of Glencoe).

I especially loved stopping here first because it gives you a better understanding of what you’re actually looking at as you drive through the glen instead of Glencoe just becoming a series of beautiful photo stops (which don’t get me wrong – IT IS THAT TOO!!).

Glencoe A82 Road Viewpoints

We dedicated an entire day of our Scottish Highlands trip just to exploring Glencoe starting at the Glencoe Visitor Centre, driving the A82 and then taking our time along Glen Etive (more on that next!).

And I am SO glad we did.

In my opinion, the A82 through Glencoe is the most beautiful road in the Scottish Highlands – EVEN IN POURING DOWN RAIN!!!!!

The scenery just keeps getting better around every bend, so this is definitely not a road you want to rush.

A few stops you don’t want to miss along the A82 (see map section above for locations of all of these):

• The Three Sisters Viewpoint – One of the most famous views in Glencoe and an easy roadside stop. Even after seeing countless photos before our trip, I wasn’t prepared for just how dramatic these mountains are in person.

• Lagangarbh Cottage – THE famous Scottish Highlands photo of the little white house sitting beneath Buachaille Etive Mòr! I knew I wanted this photo before we even arrived in Scotland, and it did not disappoint.

• Loch Achtriochtan – A beautiful little loch surrounded by mountains and another easy place to stop for photos.

• Meeting of the Three Waters – A quick waterfall stop right along the A82 and especially pretty after some rain (we actually saw a bunch of people climbing up to the top of these falls where I believe some pools to go into are!).

Tip: Give Glencoe more time than you think you need!

We spent an entire day at the Visitor Centre and exploring the A82 and Glen Etive, and never felt like we were trying to fill the day.

This was easily one of my favorite days of our entire Scotland trip.

Had we had one more full day in the Highlands, we would have loved to have done a hike in this area (we would have asked the helpful staff at the visitors centre for their best suggestion!).

Next time I will come with some rainproof pants to do this even in the rain :).

Glen Etive

Driving down Glen Etive Road (THE famous Skyfall road from the James Bond movie) was one of my favorite drives in the Highlands!!!!!

The 12-mile road is basically one lane with frequent passing places, so no giant tour buses here (the BEST!). Although truthfully, we really didn’t notice many large tour buses anywhere in this part of Scotland.

About a mile after turning off the A82, we spotted a bride and groom running up a hill with their photographer to take wedding photos. How romantic is that?? And seriously ~ what a place for wedding photos!

We drove for about 30–45 minutes before losing cell service and eventually turning around ;0.

The road ends at beautiful Loch Etive ~ and fun fact: Skyfall Lodge was never actually there! It was a movie set built in England.

About halfway down after turning off of A82 is the famous spot where Bond and M stop in Skyfall.

Everyone stops to recreate the photo, but when I asked my husband, he thought the people already doing it looked a little too Instagrammy which HE IS ABSOLUTELY NOT 😂.

So we kept driving and practically had the road to ourselves! We took some of my favorite photos and videos running down the middle of the road toward the mountains ~ on a Friday afternoon to boot!

Stop for the Skyfall photo, but definitely keep driving!!!!!

Loch Shiel and Glenfinnan Monument Viewpoint

We arrived at the Glenfinnan Visitor Centre parking lot around 9:40am for the 10:50 Jacobite train and got one of the last five parking spots!

Parking is £5 for the day and you pay at the machine in the lot. There was also an attendant there when we arrived who was quite happy and chatty ~ which somehow made our early morning arrival even better. 🙂

Before heading over to the more popular Glenfinnan Viaduct viewpoint, take the short trail to the left of the visitor center for one of the prettiest views in the area.

From above, you’ll look straight down Loch Shiel with the Glenfinnan Monument framed by the mountains ~ and trust me, the few minutes uphill are totally worth it!

The monument honors the Highlanders who fought in the 1745 Jacobite Rising, which began here when Bonnie Prince Charlie raised his standard at Glenfinnan.

And yes, there’s a Harry Potter connection here too!

Loch Shiel was used as part of the scenery for Hogwarts’ Black Lake, and you can even watch the Jacobite steam train cross the famous Glenfinnan Viaduct from up here.

We actually stayed in the area long enough to see the train twice that day ~ and my husband says his favorite view was still to come.

More on that next!

Glenfinnan Viaduct and Jacobite Train

Seeing the Jacobite steam train cross the Glenfinnan Viaduct was high on my Scotland list, but our day here did not go quite as planned ;0.

We arrived to the parking lot at 9:40 to see the first train at 10:50 (see above for tips on the parking lot!) and I accidentally led us up to the viewpoint above the Glenfinnan Monument instead of the classic viaduct viewpoint everyone photographs from. Oops!

The train was much farther away, but the view over the entire viaduct, Loch Shiel and the surrounding mountains was beautiful.

And while we waited, we made friends with two sweet girls from India who were the same age as our daughters.

Afterward, we wandered through the visitor center, learned even more about the Jacobites (we were practically Scottish history experts by this point – lol), grabbed a snack and hot chocolate and decided to slowly and leisurely walk over to see the viaduct up close.

Here is the link to my favorite clear umbrella for traveling (again ;0).

By the time we reached the actual viewpoint I had originally been looking for (after a cow control gate and then a somewhat steep climb), we realized the second train of the day would be coming in less than an hour :0.

So of course we stayed!

We made MORE new friends (this time from Michigan), watched the train cross from an entirely different angle, and then waited around long enough afterward to take photos without anyone else in them.

And THIS is exactly why I love slow travel.

Had we been rushing to check Glenfinnan off our list and move on to the next stop, we would have missed half the fun of this day.

A Few Tips for Visiting Glenfinnan Viaduct

• There are two great viewpoints and we accidentally did both! The viewpoint above the visitor center gives you the wider panorama with Loch Shiel, the monument, mountains and the viaduct in the distance. The more famous viewpoint is reached by following the trail toward the viaduct from the community parking area. The viaduct is about a ¾-mile walk from the visitor center, with an additional uphill climb for that classic elevated view.
• Check the Jacobite schedule for your exact travel dates. The steam train is seasonal, not year-round, and the schedule changes. In 2026, the morning Jacobite service ran daily from June 1 through October 23, while the second afternoon service had a shorter season, June 10 through September 25. So during the heart of the summer season there were actually two outbound Jacobite trains ~ which is how our little mistake turned into a chance to see it twice!
• Don’t rely on an exact viaduct crossing time too much! We used Google to get an approximate time, but on the day we visited, the second train was almost 30 minutes later than the time Google had given all of us waiting on the hillside! Give yourself plenty of extra time, check the schedule again the morning of your visit and definitely don’t plan to arrive at the viewpoint at the last minute. Besides, waiting around and chatting with everyone else was half the fun ;0.
• Parking really can be the tricky part. The National Trust parking lot only holds about 55 cars, but there is an adjacent community parking lot connected by a pedestrian path. If both are full, there really isn’t a secret Plan C nearby ~ the National Trust specifically says not to park along the road, on verges, pavements or in passing places, and recommends coming back later if both lots are full. Parking by the railway station and hotels is reserved for their passengers or guests. In summer, I would definitely arrive well before the train you want to see.

Last Important Tip: Don’t be afraid to give Glenfinnan a few hours instead of treating it as a quick photo stop. Walk both viewpoints, visit the small Jacobite exhibit, grab something warm at the café and leave some empty space in your day.

Our original plan was basically see the 10:50 train and then figure out what to do next and somehow that turned into one of the most relaxed and unexpectedly fun days of our Highlands trip :).

Nevis Range Mountain Gondola

We rode the Nevis Range Mountain Gondola in the afternoon after spending most of our day at Glenfinnan.

Unfortunately, the Scottish weather was not exactly cooperating with us as it was cold, rainy and VERY windy at the top, with Ben Nevis (the tallest mountain in Scotland) completely hidden in the clouds ;(.

So we took a quick peek outside, watched a few brave mountain bikers head down the mountain, grabbed some hot chocolate (the café at the top wasn’t serving much besides chips and candy bars by then!) and hopped right back on the gondola.

Earlier that day we had met people who rode up when the skies were clear and said the short hikes at the top had gorgeous views, so this is definitely one of those Highland activities where the weather makes all the difference.

The gondola ride takes about 15 minutes each way and cost £28.95 per adult in 2026.

My husband is pointing to the cloud covered Ben Nevis peak…

Steall Falls and the Water of Nevis

If you have a little more time in Glen Nevis, Steall Falls is another popular stop to add to your list (learn more on All Trails here).

We didn’t have time to fit this one into our trip, but the roughly 2.25-mile round-trip hike winds through dramatic Nevis Gorge before opening up to views of Steall Falls tumbling down the mountainside.

Plan on about 1½–2 hours and keep in mind that while the hike is fairly short, parts of the trail are rocky with some steep drop-offs.

And if you’ve seen photos of the slightly terrifying wire bridge near the falls ~ don’t worry, crossing it is completely optional!

What to Wear in Scotland

For our Scotland trip at the end of August and beginning of September, I was quite comfortable with a raincoat, good walking sneakers and sweaters that I could layer over a tee shirt as the weather changed throughout the day.

Had we spent more time hiking in the rainy Scottish Highlands, I definitely would have packed a pair of athletic waterproof pants and waterproof shoes.

But for everything we did, my layers and a raincoat were really all I needed.

Don’t forget an umbrella (this clear one is my absolute favorite for sightseeing!) for added warmth and rain protection.

Our Full August/September 2026 Scotland Day to Day Overview

DAY 1 | Fly from San Diego to Edinburgh via London on British Airways

DAY 2 | Arrive in Edinburgh 4:40pm | Blacklane private car to city center | Spend 3 nights at The Balmoral Hotel

DAY 3 | Edinburgh: Edinburgh Castle | Vennel Viewpoint | Royal Mile | Victoria Street | Cockburn Street | Greyfriars Kirkyard | Edinburgh Military Tattoo evening performance

DAY 4 | Edinburgh: Dean’s Village | Water of Leith Pathway | Stockbridge | Circus Lane | St Jiles Cathedral

DAY 5 | Pick up rental car at Edinburgh Airport | Drive to St Andrew’s with 2 hour stop at Falkland | Stay 1 night at Old Course Hotel St Andrew’s

DAY 6 | Drive from St Andrew’s to Inverness | Stop at Pitlochry and Dalwhinnie Whisky Distillery | Dinner at MacGregors and live music at Hootenanny in Inverness | Spend 2 nights at Ness Walk Hotel Inverness

DAY 7 | Inverness: Clava Cairns | Culloden Battlefield | Cawdor Castle and Gardens

DAY 8 | Drive from Inverness to Fort Williams | Urquhart Castle | Loch Ness | Creag Meagaidh National Nature Reserve (Highland Coos) | Dinner at Ben Nevis Bar in Fort Williams | Spend 3 nights at Inverlochy Castle Hotel

DAY 9 | Scottish Highlands: Glencoe Visitors Centre | Glencoe | Glen Etive

DAY 10 | Scottish Highlands: Glenfinnan Viaduct (Harry Potter train) | Nevis Range Mountain Gondola

DAY 11 | Drive from Fort Williams to Queensferry | Stop at Duone Castle, Stirling Castle, and Midhope Castle | Return car to Edinburgh Airport | Spend 1 night at Dakota Edinburgh Hotel

DAY 12 | Fly Edinburgh to San Diego via London on British Airways

From castles and scenic drives to charming Highland towns, incredible viewpoints, and some of the prettiest landscapes we saw in Scotland, I hope this guide helps you plan an unforgettable few days exploring around Inverness and Glencoe.

My husband and I absolutely loved our time in the Scottish Highlands and already know this is a part of the UK we can’t wait to return to!

Scotland also happens to have the highest percentage of redheads in the world ~ which explains why my redheaded husband kept saying he finally felt like he was where he belongs. 😂

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Life is short, the world is wide.

I want to make some memories.

~Mamma Mia

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