10 Days In Scotland: The Perfect Itinerary
Introduction
There is so much to see and do in Scotland, it’s hard to choose just what to see!! There’s castles, whiskey, beautiful landscapes, and cozy pubs, plus more!
All of these wonderful things make it really hard to plan a trip - there’s too much to choose from! When I was planning my trip to Scotland, I struggled a lot on what I should include and what I could skip. To be honest, the main reason I wanted to go to Scotland was the Fairy Pools and Isle of Skye! I have seen photos and videos and posts about the Isle of Skye for so long, it was a dream location for me! So for me, I knew that had to be in the itinerary. So, I started there and built my itinerary around that.
The good news is, I’ve done all of the hard work for you! In this post, I will lay out everything we did and the order we did it in, so you can have a wonderful trip to Scotland without all of the stress of where to start with your planning! You can follow this itinerary exactly or make it your own! Take what you like, leave what you don’t and add anything you find that you’ll love!!
Please note that this itinerary requires a rental car. If you aren’t comfortable with renting a car and driving in a different country (and on the left!), you will want to look into potential public transit options. Since we rented a car, I do not know about how extensive the public transit is in the countryside (but I do recall reading that it can be difficult to reach some areas).
With all that said, let’s jump right in!
Day 1: Arrival in Scotland & Stirling Castle
On this day you’ll:
Arrive in Edinburgh
Pick up your rental car
Visit Stirling Castle
Arrive in Oban
For Day 1, the first thing you’ll do is arrive in Scotland, of course!! We took an overnight flight so that we could arrive in Scotland and get right to our activities. Our flight landed around 1pm and we were able to pick up our car right from the airport. We rented a car through Hertz and just walked from our terminal to the rental car area to pick up our car. It was easy to do! When booking your rental car pick up time, you will want to make sure you’re planning according to your flight landing time and include time to get off your flight, go through customs, and get your bags. This took us about an hour, but can vary depending on how busy the airport is.
Once you’ve got your rental car, it’s time to get on the road! We looked up road signs before getting in the car and kept a screen shot of them with us. The road signs are pretty easy to understand and follow, so we didn’t use the screenshot that often, but it was nice to have! We experienced a lot of roundabouts, especially closer to cities, so you will just want to be prepared for those. And don’t forget to drive on the left!
Stirling Castle is about a short 45 minute drive from the airport. The road we took to the castle as we got close was steep, small, and had a lot of cars parked on it, so be careful! We were not aware that there was a parking lot at the castle, so we parked on this road and just walked up a small path/stairs to get to it! This was one attraction that we did not pre purchase tickets for and found that plenty were still available for us. If you are going in peak season, I would recommend purchasing tickets in advance just to be sure you’re able to get tickets.
There is so much to explore here, so take your time! We spent a few hours here and managed to catch a guided tour right as it started. If you’re able to catch one of these, I would recommend it. The guide was knowledgeable about the history of the castle and really enriched our experience!
Once you’ve finished your time at Stirling Castle, you’ll be on your way to Oban where you’ll spend the night. We didn’t get to Oban until later in the evening, leaving us just enough time for dinner before we went to sleep. Before flopping in bed of exhaustion at The Scot Hotel, we stopped by Cuan Mor for dinner.
Day 2: A Morning in Oban and a Drive to Isle of Skye
On this day you’ll:
Spend the morning exploring Oban
Embark on an Argyll Sea Tour
Leave Oban to make your way to the Isle of Skye
Stop at Glencoe and the Glenfinnan Viaduct on your way
Arrive in Portree on the Isle of Skye
For your second day, you’ll spend the morning exploring Oban (the Gateway to the Isles!) and taking a wonderful boat tour to spot some local birds and seals.
We toured with Argyll Sea tours on their 2 hour History and Wildlife tour. This tour only had a 12pm time slot, so our arrival on the Isle of Skye was a little later than we had wanted it to be. But we thought the later arrival was worth it. If you want to leave Oban a little sooner, they do have earlier options available, you will just have to take a shorter/different boat tour (it’ll still be worth it!). I highly recommend taking a boat tour, there was something so fun and exciting about being on the water on the lookout for local wildlife and beautiful views.
Once you’ve finished your boat tour you can head on your way to the Isle of Skye! There are a number of places you can stop along your way such as Glencoe and the Glenfinnan Viaduct (to see the Harry Potter train). Originally, this is what we were going to do, but we ended up skipping it due to our later departure from Oban. The views in Glencoe look beautiful and the train would be so cool to see, so stop if you can! If you’re stopping at the Glenfinnan Viaduct, you will want to check timetables for the train to make sure you see it.
Finally, you’ll arrive in Portree on the Isle of Skye. We stayed in a wonderfully cute airbnb that was a short 15 minute walk to the downtown area. One thing you will want to keep in mind for your time in Portree is to make reservations for your dinners if you want to eat out! We did not and could not find a restaurant with availability! We stood outside a restaurant for awhile before deciding on a little boba shop that sold takeaway food as well. Outside of this night, we cooked dinner and made sure we ordered a pizza well in advance for one night. The co-op grocery store is a great place to get food. They have a membership program that saves you money, but you can also shop there without one!
Phew! You’re finally done for the night and can rest!
Day 3: Isle of Skye Adventures
On this day you’ll:
Hike Old Man of Storr
Visit Talisker Distillery
Hike the Fairy Pools
The next few days on the Isle of Skye are pretty easy to rearrange (at least they were for us!). This day we had originally planned on doing the Trotternish Loop and see the Old Man of Storr, Kilt Rock, the Quiraing, Duntulm Castle, and the Fairy Glen. The weather had other plans for us though! This day for us was incredibly rainy and windy, and we felt it would be better to try something inside (the distillery!). Talisker Distillery is not far from the Fairy Pools, so it’s a good idea to do both of these on the same day.
After being soaked with rain and almost being knocked over by the wind at Old Man of Storr, we went back to our airbnb to warm up and decide what to do for the day. Old Man of Stor is a very short, easy drive from Portree, so doing it on its own and not as part of the loop is easy and not too much of a hassle!
Talisker Distillery was a cute little distillery where they make Scotch Whisky. They do tours, which would be a great thing to do when the weather isn’t cooperating with outdoor activities! We scheduled ours for a different day, so weren’t able to do a tour as they couldn’t accommodate our changing schedule (although they did offer a refund!). It’s worth the stop, the staff were incredibly friendly and answered questions for us since we couldn’t make our tour!
Finally, you’ll make your way to the Fairy Pools! This is one thing I was most excited to visit and something you’ll see a lot about while planning your trip! They’re worth the hike it takes to get to them! The hike wasn’t too bad (except for the rain and wind we encountered towards the end!). Once you make your way down the initial large hill, the hike is relatively flat with small hills every so often. There’s more than just the pools to look at though! The view as you hike is absolutely stunning with plenty of streams and small waterfalls to look at along the way!
And that’s it for day 3! After the Fairy Pools, you can relax for the evening and make sure you get plenty of rest for day 4!
Day 4: Castles & Coastal Views
On this day you’ll:
Take a boat tour with Stardust Boat Trips
Visit Dunvegan Castle
Explore the Fairy Glen
Stop at Duntulm Castle ruins
View Quiraing
View Kilt Rock
This day is PACKED with activities! Again, these are all outdoor activities that you can do at your own pace! Day 5 is a slower day that mostly involves shopping in Portree, so if that’s not your thing, you can move some of these activities to the next day!
On day 4, you’ll start your day with a Stardust Boat Trips! We took the Skye and Raasay Sea Eagle & Wildlife Tour and highly recommend it! The views were stunning and we saw plenty of wildlife (even an eagle picking up a fish!)!
After your boat tour, you can stop at The Habor Fish and Chip shop. You will pass right by it as you exit the boat and make your way back into town. They had some of the best fish and chips we tried, so make sure to stop! You’ll want to have cash, though, as they’re a cash only store.
From there, you’ll hop in your car and be on your way to Dunvegan Castle, home to Clan MacLeod. Dunvegan Castle is the only fortress in the Highlands to have been continuously occupied by the same family for 800 years. Here, you’ll get to explore the castle and the beautiful grounds and learn about the history of the castle and Clan MacLeod.
When you’re done exploring, you’ll make your way to the Trotternish Loop and you’ll finish your day by driving around it and stopping along the way. If you have the time in your day, you can also make your way to Neist Point, a very popular location to see in Scotland! Unfortunately, we did not have time in our day so we had to skip it.
First stop on the loop is the Fairy Glen! The Fairy Glen is free to visit, but parking does cost money (about £2 for 2 hours). The walk is a circle and is about a mile long. You can wander through the Fairy Glen, just make sure to stick to paths. The views are pretty and worth it!
From the Fairy Glen, you will follow the loop up to Duntulm Castle Ruins. These ruins are near the top of the loop and does not have a parking lot. Parking is mostly just side of the road parking, so be careful and be aware that parking/driving in this area may be difficult if it’s busy! We were lucky and were here when it was relatively empty, so parking was a breeze and we had the chance to explore almost completely on our own! Honestly, this was one of my favorite things we were able to see. The views were so pretty, it was sunny, and it almost felt like we were at the edge of the world! While the ruins aren’t as big or as wonderful as some of the other castles and ruins we visited, it was worth the quick stop, you’ll be driving by it anyway if you’re doing the loop!
Once you’re done here, make your way to the Quiraing! There are beautiful views and a longer hike you can do. If you’re not into hiking, you’re lucky! The view from the parking lot is great and you can stop for a look and not have to spend hours hiking. The hike is estimated to take about 2 hours.
Once you’re done at the Quiraing, you’ll make your way to Kilt Rock! There is no hiking here either, you can see the falls from the parking lot. Kilt Rock is free, but parking will cost £6.
That’s the last stop for today! While that’s all that is on this itinerary, there are plenty of other things you can stop and see or places to hike on the loop (for example: Brother’s Point and Lealt Falls). So, you can make this day you’re own and see what you want!
Day 5: A Slow Day in Portree
On this day you’ll:
Relax and stroll through Portree
There really isn’t much to say about this day, other than you get to explore the wonderful town of Portree! After all of our busy days, we needed a more relaxed day where we could sleep in and wander from store to store. There are so many cute shops to pop in and out of, from a book store to sweaters to local art!
On this day, other than shopping, we also stopped in a few restaurants and cafes to try a few things! We had tea/coffee at The Highland Cow Shop, ate ice cream from The Wee Isle of Skye Ice Cream Shop, and had lunch at the Isles Inn.
Day 6: From Skye to Inverness
On this day you’ll:
Drive from Isle of Skye to Inverness
Visit Eilean Donan Castle
Visit Culloden Battlefield
Eat dinner at Castle Tavern
Leaving Skye behind, you’ll make your way to Inverness today! Eilean Donan Castle sits right at the entrance to Isle of Skye, so you pass it on your way in and your way out, making it the perfect stop as you make your way to Inverness! Eilean Donan Castle is one of the most visited castles in Scotland, and it’s easy to see why! Perched right where three lochs meet, the views of the castle and surrounding areas are so beautiful! Tickets for entry are only purchased onsite, so you cannot purchase them in advance, but we had no problem getting tickets and walking around the castle! There’s also a cute little visitors center with a coffee shop that is adorable as well!
Once you’ve finished exploring the castle, you’ll get back on the road to Inverness! The first stop in Inverness is Culloden Battlefield. This is where the 1745 Jacobite Rising ended. Those who supported the Jacobite cause sought to restore the Stuart Monarchy to the British throne. Here, they fought the Duke of Cumberland’s troops in a battle that lasted less than an hour. You can learn all about the battle and those who fought in the battle while exploring the battlefield.
Finally, you’ll get to your airbnb/hotel to check in! We went to the Castle Tavern for dinner and enjoyed pub food while watching a soccer game!
Day 7: Inverness and Loch Ness
On this day, you’ll:
Get coffee at Milk Bar
Browse Lesley’s Bookshop
Victoria Market Food Hall
Embark on a Loch Ness tour with Jacobite Cruise
Urquhart Castle
Eat dinner at La Tortilla
Day 7 starts the way any good day should: a nice, warm cup of chai (or coffee, if you prefer!). Milk Bar was not far from our Airbnb and on our way to Leakey’s Bookshop, so we stopped in for a chai before making our way to the bookstore!
Leakey’s was one of my favorite part of our trip! It’s a big second hands bookstore in a converted church. I could have spent hours in here exploring!
Once you’ve finished exploring the bookstore, make your way to Victoria Market to peek around! They have a pretty big food hall as well - the perfect place to grab lunch!
When you’ve finished lunch, you’ll make your way to your pickup location for your Jacobite Cruises tour. We chose the Temptation tour because the tour started at the bus stop in Inverness and included Urquhart Castle ruins. There are other options though! Some start at the docks where the boat will pick you up (looked like there was plenty of parking), but we found it easiest for us to just walk to the bus station and have the bus drive us to the docks. We boarded the bus and rode it to the docks where we got on the boat for our ride on Loch Ness! On the boat ride, a tour guide will tell you about the area and the lore of The Loch Ness Monster. Our boat then docked at Urquhart Castle ruins where those who were visiting the ruins got off. We were then given an hour to explore the ruins before meeting our bus in the parking lot. The bus then took us back to the bus stop in Inverness!
After returning to Inverness, you can explore the area and do some shopping before going to dinner. For dinner, we chose (and would recommend!) La Tortilla. It’s a Spanish restaurant serving tapas and paella. We loved the paella and sangria!
And that’s it for Day 7!
Day 8: Drive to Edinburgh
On this day you’ll:
Drive to Edinburgh
Sip a beer at The Last Drop
Build a bag at Islander Workshop
Eat dinner at Maggie Dickson’s Pub
Sip hot chocolate from Knoops while walking along Victoria Street
Day 8 starts with the 3 hour drive from Inverness to Edinburgh. Leaving Inverness around check-out time, you’ll get to Edinburgh around 1-2, depending on the time you leave and how often you stop. The first thing you’ll do upon getting to Edinburgh is return your rental car!
We returned our rental car around 2pm and then headed directly to the city. This left us with our bags since we could not check into our next airbnb. Luckily, we were able to use Stasher to store our bags until check in time! This is a great and relatively cheap option where business put their spots on stashed and you can rent space to store your bag while you explore.
After stashing your bags, you can have a sip of beer (or cider or wine!) at The Last Drop, an old pub with a lot of history (where people would have their last meal and drink before being taken to the gallows in Grassmarket!). You can also explore the Grassmarket, if you have time. We had a little extra time between stashing our bags and getting to our Islander workshop, so we had a beer and cider at The Last Drop.
If you’ve not heard of the Islander Workshop, it’s a store that lets you build your own bag! You get to choose the body, straps, and the harris tweed flap. You choose the size you want upon booking and pick the rest out while you’re there, although they do let you change sizes once you’re there and see them in person. Once you’ve picked out your design (you only get 15 minutes to decide!), an employee will walk you through how to assemble the bag. These workshops are pretty popular on social media, so I would recommend booking pretty far in advance to ensure you get the time slot you want. If you aren’t interested in building your own bag, they have multiples stores with bags of different sizes and colors to pick from!
Once done with your workshop, you can pick up your luggage from wherever you’ve stashed it and check into your accommodation!
After you’ve settled and gotten everything situated, it’s back out to the city to get dinner! We chose Maggie Dickson’s Pub as it was nearby our airbnb and looked like it had a good vibe and good food!
Following dinner, you can make your way to Knoops on Victoria street for a post dinner hot chocolate. Here, your hot chocolate is customizable! They let you choose the kind of milk you want and the percent of chocolate you want your hot chocolate to be made of so you can make it as dark chocolate or as milk chocolate-y as you like!
And that’s the end of day 8!
Day 9: Castles, Whiskey, and a Ghost Tour
On this day, you’ll:
Learn about Whisky at the Scotch Whisky Experience
Tour Edinburgh Castle
Eat Lunch at Piper’s Rest
Visit St Giles Cathedral
Stroll along the Royal Mile
Have a Butterbeer at the Elephant Cafe
Eat dinner at Tattu
Take a Ghost Bus Tour
Today is a long day, packed full of fun activities. You’ll start your day with The Scotch Whisky Experience and a tour through Edinburgh Castle. These two are very close to one another (less than 5 minute walk), so it’s a good idea to pair them together. We booked the Whisky Tour for 10:00 am and the Castle for 11:00-11:30 entry time. This worked out perfect for us as we knew how long the Whisky Experience was but weren’t sure how long we would spend at the castle. When we finished the Whisky Experience, we were able to walk right up to the castle and enter for our time slot!
The Edinburgh Castle is big, and there is a lot to explore! This is a very popular attractions, so book in advance to ensure you get the time you want! There are different buildings and exhibits you can explore. Our favorite was the exhibit on prisoners as it felt like a very immersive experience and they showed you how and where prisoners of war were kept. We spent around 2 hours exploring, but you could easily spend more if you stop at every exhibit to read every sign! If you’re at the exhibit at 1, they fire off a canon, so don’t miss it! If you want to be able to see, you will have to arrive early to get a spot at the front, as people do start waiting around this area well before 1pm.
Once done at the Castle, you can start your stroll down the Royal Mile to explore all it has to offer! We stopped at the Piper’s Rest for lunch and tried a very delicious mince and tatties. Make sure you stop at St. Giles Cathedral while you stroll along the Royal Mile. Entrance is free but they do ask that you make a donation to help with the upkeep of the cathedral. The inside is beautiful!
Our airbnb was located on Victoria street, so we stopped at The Elephant House, a cafe where J.K. Rowling wrote some of Harry Potter, to grab a Butterbeer. The cafe is very tiny and they ask that you don’t sit down in the cafe unless you’re going to be ordering food. But, they’ve built a little takeout window where you can order a Butterbeer to go!
Following your adventures on the Royal Mile, you can return home to get ready for dinner! We treated this as our “nice” dinner where we both took the time to get dressed up and look nice! Tattu was about a 15-20 minute walk from the Victoria Street area and was pretty easy to walk. It’s an asian fusion restaurant with a really cool vibe! It is a little on the expensive side, but was worth every penny we paid! You can choose to order from the al a crate menu, or order a tasting menu. Depending on what you order, the tasting menus can be a little bit more expensive, but I liked that we were able to try a sample of different things! We went with the most expensive option (Emperor’s Choice) since it was our one “nice” dinner, but you can certainly enjoy this place without spending that much money.
Edinburgh is one of the world’s most haunted cities, so you can’t pass up a ghost tour! There are a lot of options, but we went with a Ghost Bus Tour. This tour drives y around Edinburgh while telling the history and ghost stories of the city. It’s a little silly as it’s partly a little show, but it adds to the experience to make it more fun!
Phew! That was a lot to fit into one day!
Day 10: Holyrood, History, and Goodbye
On this day, you’ll:
Tour Palace of Holyroodhouse
Eat Lunch at Tempting Tattie
Catch the hop-on/hop-off bus to tour landmarks
See Greyfriars Kirkyard, Greyfriars Bobby Statute
Tour Mary King’s Close
Visit Scott Monument
Shop Princes Street
Dinner at The Beehive Inn
Ice Cream at Mary’s Milk Bar
On your last day in Scotland, you’ll see some of the cities popular monuments and statues! For this day, we opted to use a City Sightseeing Hop-on/Hop-off bus tour to get around. This made it easy for us to get from one place to another without worrying too much about walking/transportation! You don’t have to though, you can do this day by public transportation or walking!
The first activity of the day is Palace of Holyrood House, the King’s Official Residence in Edinburgh! This is another popular activity, so book tickets in advance (we almost missed being able to go here)! We got to the Palace at opening time, as we wanted to leave as much time as possible for other activities. It was too early to catch the City Sightseeing bus, so we wandered down the Royal Mile to get there. It was actually really nice to walk the streets while they were mostly empty!
The Palace does have a bag policy so check to make sure that yours fits the requirement and know that they check your bag upon entry. Once you’re in, you get an audio tour that’s easy to use and follow and tells you everything you need to know about the Palace! Make sure you don’t take any photos inside, as they are not allowed. You can take photos outside though! We were lucky enough to be there on a sunny day and the gardens and Abbey ruins were beautiful!
After the Palace, you’ll walk up the Royal Mile about 15 minutes to get to Tempting Tattie for lunch! This is a baked potato restaurant that’s pretty popular on social media for their huge, stuffed baked potatoes. We shared one and couldn’t finish it!
When you finish your lunch, you’ll catch the hop-on/hop-off bus to some of Edinburgh’s iconic landmarks. We stopped at: Greyfriars Kirk Yard and Greyfriars Bobby Statute before taking a ride back closer to the Royal Mile for our Mary King’s Close Tour.
We did our tour with The Real Mary King’s Close. They take you down into a 17th century close (similar to an alley) where they show you what life on the close looked like and talk about those who lived there! I loved learning the history and getting walk back into time to witness it. No photos or videos were allowed here either, but it’s definitely worth adding to your itinerary!
When you’re done with your tour, you’ll take the bus back to the Scott Monument, a monument to Sit Walter Scott. It’s one of the most iconic monuments in Edinburgh! When you’re done admiring the monument, you can hop across the street to enjoy some shopping on Princes Street, one of Edinburgh’s prime shopping spots.
Finally, it’s time for dinner! We opted to have dinner back near our Airbnb, and chose to eat at The Beehive Inn, followed by ice cream at Mary’s Milk Bar.
That concludes your 10-day Scotland Itinerary!
Tips for your 10 days in Scotland
Rent a car for easier/faster access to the Highlands/more rural areas.
Book tours and restaurants in advance, especially in smaller towns as they fill up quickly!
Dress in layers! Scotland’s weather can be unpredictable, so it’s best to be prepared (check out my What to Pack for Scotland post for help deciding what to pack!)
Allow a little downtime in your schedule. If you pack in too much, you might not enjoy your trip due to being exhausted!
Final Thoughts
10 days in Scotland doesn’t seem like enough to see all the country has to offer (and it’s not!), but if you follow this itinerary (or just use it as a starting point), you’ll get to experience a lot of what this wonderful country has to offer!
If you have question, feel free to reach out!