Scottish Highlands In 10 Days
Just came back from one of the most stunning trips in the land where many films took place, various authors were inspired to write but also several clans battles happened. Welcome the breath-taking Highlands in Scotland.
Our trip was from Saturday 3rd October to Monday 12th October. Our first segment was London Heathrow to Inverness (1h 45m) and we came back the same way (1h 35m) with British Airways.
We checked all recommended guidelines and confirmed the green light to buy the tickets some days before starting this adventure. Lesson learnt with other trips we planned too much ahead and we ended up receiving vouchers or simply losing money due to non-flexible tickets.
Inverness
We arrived at Inverness Airport around 10:35 am. It was way too early for check-in so we dropped our suitcases at the Courtyard Marriott Hotel, a 2-minute-walk from the airport. This was our base for the first 4 nights.
Once the luggage at the hotel, we took a taxi to fetch our car at Enterprise, the rental car company. This was only 15 minutes away. Why didn’t we pick it up from the airport? Well, it turned out to be £100 cheaper from the city and the taxi was £23. It was a winning deal. But I won’t spend too much time on these details as I already share financial freedom, working smarter (not harder) and lifestyle design tips on my free weekly newsletter Bullet Sunday.
We got our car by midday and we were ready to start the road trip. It was raining a lot. In fact, it was non-stop rain for the 80% of the trip.
Our first stop in the Highlands was 18 miles away (30 min) at Urquhart Castle, a 500-year-old-castle literally by the Loch Ness. We thought it was a castle that we could take few photos on the way and leave. The entrance was £9 per person with free parking. Can’t complain too much if we didn’t do our homework properly, can we? The castle was located in an incredible green area and it was absolutely beautiful as you can tell by the iconic photos regardless the miserable weather.
The next thing for us was to drive 23 miles (40 min) to have lunch at a village called Dores, on the east shore of Loch Ness. We had a little walk along the Loch Ness Beach and then had some tasty sweet potato, chickpea & celery veggie burger served with chips, salad and coleslaw on a bun in a local pub called The Dores Inn.
Ready for the next stop. We drove 37 miles (50 min) to a town called Aviemore in the Cairngorms National Park. Apparently, there was a Ring Cairn and Stone Circle worth seeing. Unfortunately, it was not super exciting as it was only a bunch of stones on the side of a residential estate.
To see stones, you’d better visit Stonehenge. Don’t get me wrong. I’m sure there was some history there but such a long drive only for that it’s not worth. We saw the city centre and train station which was like travelling back 100 years. Indeed, worth visiting that train station if you’re not too far. We didn’t have enough time to squeeze in the National Park unfortunately.
It was dark and quite cold already. Time to go back to the hotel via A9, around 36 miles (45 min) to finally check in, have dinner and get some rest. That was an intense first day.
The following day, we had breakfast and headed to Glenfinnan Viaduct. This was 88 miles (2h 15m).
Glenfinnan
We arrived at the Glenfinnan Viaduct; a location that became famous mainly because of Harry Potter films. This was a 21-arched viaduct overlooking Loch Shiel and the Jacobite monument.
There were multiple viewpoints to take stunning photos as well as a beautiful trail. We spent here probably a good 3 hours as we didn’t rush and tried to enjoy as much as possible. But if you don’t have time and want to say “I was here” then you probably need just an hour or so.
Fort William
Right after Glenfinnan we wanted to go to Ben Nevis. The intermediate stop was Fort William, around 17 miles (30 min). We took the A830 and surrounded the Loch Eil enjoying some scenic views.
We stopped at the Old Fort, site of a former fortress. Not much left to see there but still some nice views across the loch. I wouldn’t say this is a must but it can be an interesting stop to get yourself a coffee and stretch your legs a bit.
After this we were on our way to Ben Nevis, the highest peak in the United Kingdom. Something we wanted to see after our trip to Snowdonia, the second highest peak.
On the way, we stopped by at the Braveheart village, one of the locations of the iconic Braveheart film with Mel Gibson.
We kept driving and went all the way to the Glen Nevis Car Park, one of the most amazing driving experiences on earth as you’re truly in nature all the way.
From there it was around 1.2 miles (35 min) hike to the Steall Waterfall, the Scotland’s second highest waterfall with a drop of 120 metres. In fact, this took longer due to some uneven rocky wet and slippery areas as well as steep paths. Luckily, we had proper hiking boots but still you’ve got to be careful. In my case, I was with a 30 L backpack with all my camera gear trying to be extra careful at every step.
I have to say that initially I was a bit upset as the weather was really terrible and didn’t allow us to enjoy as much as we were hoping, but on the other hand as we got closer to the Steall it was all worth.
To enjoy this dramatic valley and impressive views, I’d recommend going early. We went there around 4.00 pm and came back by sunset. No doubts that we took unbelievable photos but the drive back was already very dark and to be honest not enjoyable with such a low visibility, heavy rain and curvy roads. Have this in mind if you plan to go.
It’s also worth saying that we were just by Ben Nevis but to truly climb you need a full day and it was quite late. So, if you’re thinking of doing Ben Nevis, then go there very early and allocate your entire day to it. Otherwise, do as we did, just a different trail nearby such as those waterfalls which are stunning and you’ll still get a flavour of the Ben Nevis mountain too (1,345 metres above sea level).
Inverness II
We drove back to Inverness, our base. This was around 80 miles (2h 15 min). A bit longer due to the night drive and heavy rain.
The first leg of our trip was done already on that first weekend. That is to say, some towns/villages close to Inverness in addition to Glenfinnan and Fort William area.
We had another 2 days in Inverness before heading to Kyle. So, the following day we went to Culloden Battlefield, the site of the 1746 bloody battle of the Jacobite Rising. Once again, the rain was very intense but after that weekend our mindset was ready to face it.
Kristina continued seeing more areas nearby as I needed to work for couple of days.
Kyle
It was Wednesday 5.00 pm and it was time to head to the next place, so we checked out from our hotel in Inverness and drove to Balmacara. This was around 84 miles or 2 hours. Funny enough we were running out of petrol and struggled to find a petrol station on the way.
We checked in at the Balmacara hotel and picked up the car to find a petrol station. The first one we tried it was 8 miles away in Kyle… but closed. We tried another one 12 miles away in the Broadford area and it was like seeing an oasis in the middle of the desert. Full tank and ready for the next day.
The lesson here is not to be overconfident with your tank. Make sure you check petrol stations everywhere you go as in some areas in the Highlands it’s not so simple to find one.
We only stayed for couple of nights here but truly just one day seeing stuff. The highlight here was the Eilean Donan Castle, just 5 miles away (6 min) from our hotel in Dornie.
You probably saw on my Instagram some impressive photos but in case you didn’t, this is a small island where 3 lochs meet: Loch Duich, Loch Long and Loch Alsh. It’s a truly charming castle.
Isle of Skye
Alright, so the next big thing was coming, Isle of Skye. A place known for its stunning landscapes, villages and castles. It’s hard to mention every place we visited as we drove a lot here. I can say that our first point was The Storr, a 700m-tall rocky hill on the north of Skye. This was 50 miles away (1h 15min).
Before arriving at The Storr, we had a stop in Portree. We knew another big trail was coming so we needed some fuel in our bodies: coffee and bagel. Full stomach, happy heart.
All set for The Storr. I wouldn’t say anything new if I told you, it was raining heavily again. Let’s skip that part. We parked somewhere close and started hiking uphill, a distance of 2.4 miles (3.4 km) with an average time of 1h 15 min non-stop. It was steep and extremely muddy. Our boots were literally dark brown. The mud took control. Certain segments were just about walking on 15-20 cm mud. It was a constant climb. The positive side was that the Old Man of Storr was not covered in mist so we could face it. The rain stopped for few minutes so I quickly took out my camera and shot some photos such as the one in the cover of this article.
On the way back to our parking area, we found out that yellow plastic on the car’s windshield. Bad news. We had a fine waiting for us: £60. Apparently, we parked in yellow lines. We went online and paid the same day £30 (the discounted price if we paid within 2 weeks). That was our baptism in the Scottish Highlands.
Next stop in the Highlands was Kilt Rock and Mealt Falls, a panoramic viewpoint of waterfalls, cliffs and the sea. This was a quick intermediate spot as we wanted to go to the Quiraing.
The Quiraing, another big trail just 13 miles away (25 min) north. This time we made sure there was a proper car park and we paid for it. This trail was a loop returning to the same point and covering around 4.3 miles (7 km). Medium length and in theory hard difficulty. Although for me The Storr was much more challenging. Perhaps because it was raining all the time and in the Quiraing the sun decided to show up. That makes a big difference. From the very beginning we could tell this was a special walk. Outstanding views pretty much everywhere. As we progressed uphill, we were very close to the cliff edge… and some significant drops, so needed to pay attention to take the right steps. Again, because it was a bit sunny, everything looked “easier”.
There was still time for the final spot 9 miles away (30 min) in the amazing Highlands: The Fairy Glen, a very old landslide full of stories and picturesque scenery. There was one particular point called Castle Ewen where we took some epic photos.
We were exhausted after hiking in all those places. We headed back and checked in at the hotel. This was around 20 miles (35 min) drive. It was a beautiful bed and breakfast called Oronsay in Portree. In fact, it was so safe that the owner said they never locked the door.
We parked the car and grabbed some takeaway dinner in town, just 5 minutes’ walk as a new regulation took place that day where restaurants to sit in needed to close at 6.00 pm. We ate our food at the B&B, showered and rested.
The following day, it was already Friday and we went for breakfast to the city again in a place called Café Arriba. At that point we realised that breakfasts were very similar in all the shops in town, so we had some coffee with vegetarian sausages and scrambled eggs bagel.
Next stop in the Highlands was Fairy Pools, 20 miles away (35 min) in Glenbrittle area. A bunch of waterfalls blue and green coming from the Cuillin mountains. The walk was around 1.5 miles (2.4 km). The water was indeed crystal clear and the land was full of autumn colours. It felt like a different planet in certain moments. We spent couple of hours there.
After that we headed to Talisker Distillery, only 4 miles (15 min) away. But just before, a quick coffee in a place called Caora Dhubh (Scottish Gaelic for Black Sheep). This was the best coffee we tried in the whole Isle of Skye so far. They used coffee from Artisan Roast Coffee Roaster from Edinburgh and locally roasted. Their coffee machine was La Marzocco and they had Oatly milk too. Everything was perfect at that place for us. So we enjoyed our coffee with some stunning views and the rainbow!
We went to the distillery’s shop as the tour was fully booked and bought a 10-year old Talisker single malt Scotch Whisky.
The next place in our Highlands journey was going to be the Neist Point Lighthouse, 30 miles away (1h) and the most westerly part of the Skye. This was an iconic lighthouse built a century ago on a rocky cliff overlooking the causeway and the coast. We parked and went downhill to the lighthouse. As pretty much everywhere, we found tons of sheep on the way. It was super windy but nothing could prevent us from reaching the target. Amazing views one more time. It was around 1.7 miles (3 km) walk and in less than 1.5 hours we were done.
As we were approaching the sunset in the beautiful Highlands, we drove to Dunvegan Castle. This was around 13 miles away (34 min). The castle was closed but we drove a mile or so extra to a nice viewpoint. And that was it for the day, friends. We arrived at our B&B, had a beer in town and then grabbed some pizzas in a place called Pizza in the Skye.
Saturday arrived and we started to feel physically tired, so we decided to do a local trail called Scorrybreac. But before, we went for some coffee at a new place called Birch. The best coffee in town. I’d say it was as good as the one we tried in the village of Carbost (Caora Dhubh). After that, we walked 30 minutes to the trail starting point and from there 1.7 miles (3 km). It was very refreshing with some stunning views as always. Some seniors walking their dogs and it really felt local.
We were both running out of energy and thought it was time to drive back to Inverness with one very last stop at the Red Cuillin viewpoint still in the Isle of Skye.
Finally, driving back 122 miles (around 3h) to Inverness for the last night before flying home. Our Highlands trip was coming to an end.
Inverness III
Our hotel still the Courtyard by Marriott close to the airport. One last night there before returning the car and flying back to London. We felt asleep so fast that I don’t even remember when that happened.
The following day we had a quick breakfast at the hotel, drove to the city centre, returned the car and walked to the city centre for the last view. We found also the best coffee of Inverness in a place called Inverness Coffee. I think the beans were mainly from Central America but they were roasted on a farm just outside Inverness. The shop itself was about coffee, I don’t think they were selling anything else except for coffee. Really good quality.
We took at taxi close to the train station to our hotel, packed and walked 3 minutes to the airport. Everything was smooth and fast.
The airport lounge was closed due to local restrictions so we had a drink in one of the shops while we were waiting to board our flight. It was time to say good bye to the scenic Highlands.
Final Thoughts
Well, well, well. I thought that Snowdonia and Lake District were my favourite places in the UK till I saw the Scottish Highlands. I don’t know how to rank this trip because after seeing over 60 countries and 500+ cities/towns/villages around the world, I’m more careful with my assessments. What I can definitely say is that this trip is highly ranked and part of my Top 10.
Whenever you plan to go to the Highlands, just make sure you’re familiar with the rain seasons, you’re comfortable driving in narrow/curvy roads on the left side (if you don’t live in the UK), have proper hiking shoes and take lots of photos.
The best time of the year to visit the Highlands is from May to September simply because of weather and daylight. July and August obviously are very busy months as summer takes place but nature is big enough for everyone to enjoy.
We did this inspiring Highlands trip in October and it was still amazing and less tourists. Just be ready to make small adjustments to your plans if the weather is not what you expected but that’s life, isn’t it?
