Classic Scotland West to East

Tour Summary

• Arrive in Glasgow -

  We provide a visitor guide to Glasgow’s main attractions and recommended restaurants. The guide also includes directions for a short drive to the villages around Loch Lomond, so you can choose between staying in the vibrant city, or in a scenic rural location.

  Stopover in Glasgow / Loch Lomond area

• Glasgow to Oban -

  We provide 2 route options for the drive to Oban.

  The Shorter route follows the popular tourist trail along the shores of Loch Lomond. Along the way, we suggest places for journey breaks where you can join a cruise on Loch Lomond, enjoy a drink in a haunted 18th century inn, sample traditional Scottish delicacies at a smokehouse, or walk to the impressive ruins of Kilchurn castle beside the shores of Loch Awe, Scotland’s longest loch.

  Driving Distance: ~89 miles

  The alternative Longer route takes you into the Highlands via a short ferry crossing over the Firth of Clyde. We then guide you on a quiet road that meanders through the beautiful scenery of the Argyll Forest Park before arriving at  the charming 18th century village of Inveraray, which is well worth exploring. Highlights on this route are the Benmore Botanic Gardens, Inveraray castle and Kilchurn Castle.

  Driving Distance: ~111 miles (plus a ~20 minute ferry crossing)

  The day ends in the Oban where there is a great choice of seafood restaurants. We list our top recommendations in the guide so you can make reservations for a meal to remember.

  Stopover in Oban.

• Oban to Skye -

  Today you drive north to Loch Leven where you may wish to schedule a visit to the dark and moody valley of Glen Coe, where members of the MacDonald Clan were brutally massacred in 1692.

  From Loch Leven to Skye we provide 3 different journey options to get to Skye by either the bridge or the ferry.

  Option 1 - The Shortest route to the Skye ferry involves a drive via Fort William and the “Road to the Isles”, which will take you past Glenfinnan and the Silver Sands of Morar. You have a good chance of seeing the Jacobite steam train (Apr – Oct) as the railway runs close to the path of the road.

  Driving Distance: ~87 miles (Oban to Mallaig plus a ~40 minute ferry crossing to Skye) 

  Option 2 - The Alternative route to the Skye ferry is a longer drive via a road that wanders through the rugged wilderness and native forests of Sunart and Moidart. The scenery in this area is magnificent and it is all the better for the lack of other tourists.

  Driving Distance: ~98 miles (Oban to Mallaig plus a ~40 minute ferry crossing to Syye) 

  Option 3 - The Skye bridge route has the advantage that you don’t need to plan your day around a ferry timetable, so you might wish to schedule a journey break in Fort William and go for a cable car ride, or a short hike in Glen Nevis.

  Before crossing the Skye Bridge, you can fit in a tour of Eilean Donan castle which is a highlight on this route. We also supply directions for a small detour to one of our favourite viewpoints in Scotland.

  Driving Distance: ~120 miles (Oban to Skye Bridge)

  Stopover on Isle of Skye or the nearby Lochalsh area

• Day Trips around Skye & Lochalsh -

  Skye is a large island with many of the places of interest located along dead end single track roads. As a result, you are limited in how much you can cover in a day and you need to schedule at least a 2 night stopover.

  Explore Skye - We provide directions for a tour of the island that includes the famous scenic landmarks of Skye as well as Dunvegan Castle, Talisker Distillery, craft shops, tearooms, pubs and walks. More than enough to fill 2 whole days on Skye. Driving Distance: ~138 miles

  Alternative Day Trip around Loch Alsh & Loch Hourn - Skye can be a very busy place so we also provide directions for a tour around this quieter area where you can take in one of our favourite viewpoints, soak up the atmosphere at mysterious Iron Age Brochs, or enjoy a cup of coffee in one of the remotest tearooms in Scotland. You can return to Skye via a tiny car ferry that operates from Easter – October.

  Stopover in Skye & Lochalsh area

• Skye to Inverness -

  We provide 2 route options for the drive from Skye to Inverness:

  The more direct route takes you past Eilean Donan and we give you tips on where to go for a different photo shot of this iconic castle. We also suggest a small detour so that you can visit Plockton, arguably the prettiest village in Scotland. Traveling east, you come to Loch Ness and can choose between a drive past Urquhart Castle and the various “Nessie” attractions, OR a scenic road that passes along the quieter southern side of Loch Ness.

  Driving Distance: ~80 miles

  The longer route features some sections of the “North Coast 500” and takes a more northerly path across the Highlands. A scenic highlight of this route is the drive through Glen Torridon where you can see mountains formed from the oldest rocks on earth. On the last leg of the journey, we guide you south to meet the shores of Loch Ness, near Urquhart Castle, before heading into Inverness.

  Driving Distance: ~130 miles

  For an extended stay in Inverness, or if you arrive early in the afternoon, we supply a short touring route around the Black Isle where you find pretty villages and dolphin spotting boat trips.

  Stopover in Inverness Area.

• Inverness to Pitlochry -

  Whilst everyone else is blindly following the busy main road south, we guide you on a scenic journey via the Rothiemurchus forest and the Cairngorms National Park.

  We recommend you plan a picnic as this is a day where we’ll show you lots of hidden away places with idyllic settings for dining al fresco beside a loch or river.

  The main tourist attractions on this route are Culloden battlefield, Clava Cairns, Cawdor Castle and the Highland Folk Museum. But there’s much more to be discovered in our guides.

  The drive ends in the neat Victorian town of Pitlochry, where you can visit the famous “Salmon Ladder” and a Distillery (or two). Also nearby is the grand Blair castle which boasts its own private army, the Atholl Highlanders.

  Driving Distance: ~115 miles

  Stopover in Pitlochry / Aberfeldy Area

• Pitlochry to Edinburgh -

  For the last leg of your road trip, we provide 2 routes for the drive from Pitlochry to Edinburgh:

  The longer route takes you west, towards Loch Tay with opportunities to visit standing stones, a distillery and a haunted castle. You then drive through the Trossachs where you can take a small detour for a loch cruise on an old steam yacht.

  Famous castles covered on this day are Stirling Castle and Doune Castle. Fans of “Outlander” should recognize Doune castle from its appearances in the TV show.

  Driving Distance: ~111 miles

  The shorter route guides you to Perth via back roads with visits to Dunkeld, a charming 18th-century village, and Scone Palace, the ancient crowning place of Scottish Kings.

  From Perth, you have a short drive south to Edinburgh, but the day can be extended with a visit to the pretty village of Falkland where Mary Queen of Scots had a favourite palace. Falkland village has all been featured in the filming of the "Outlander" TV show.

  Driving Distance: ~81 miles

  Stopover in Edinburgh.

• Explore Edinburgh -

  Edinburgh is a compact city and easy to explore on foot. We provide directions for 3 walking routes that show you different sides of the Capital city; a walk down the historical Royal Mile, a verdant riverside walk to the Botanic Gardens that escapes the hustle & bustle of city life, and a more energetic walk to Arthur’s Seat with a good pub at the end.

  Edinburgh boasts a great range of atmospheric old pubs and we steer you to a selection of our favourites.

  The guide has details of the train / bus timetables that you can take for day trips to St Andrews or Stirling.

  The guide also includes some options for driving day trips that cover:

  • East Lothian where you can visit some spectacular cliff top castle ruins, a whisky distillery, pretty villages and embark on boat trips to Bass Rock.
  • West Lothian where you can see places that have featured in “Outlander” (e.g. Linlithgow Palace, Blackness castle, Midhope castle and Hopetoun house).
  • The Borders and a tour route around the regions many Abbeys and grand country houses. This route also features the famous Rosslyn Chapel.
  • St Andrews, where there is much more than a golf course to discover. We also guide you to explore the photogenic fishing villages of the East Neuk of Fife.

  Stopover in Edinburgh