Romantic Scotland

Tour Summary

• Discover 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 where you can explore pubs, museums and lots of shops selling kilts, whisky and typical tourist tat, 
  • a meandering riverside path to the romantic Botanic Gardens that escapes the hustle & bustle of city life,
  • a more energetic hike to Arthur’s Seat for a city view followed by the option to continue to an old Inn with lots of history.

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

  Stopover in Edinburgh

• Edinburgh Day Trips -

  The guide also includes options for day trips around the surrounding area by bus or train.

  If you wish to explore further afield, we provide a choice of driving day trips that cover:

  • East Lothian where you can visit some spectacular castle ruins, a distillery, pretty villages and embark on boat trips to Bass Rock.
  • West Lothian where you can visit Linlithgow Palace, Blackness Castle, Hopetoun House and some of the other sites used in the filming of “Outlander”.
  • The Borders and a tour route around the regions many historic Abbeys and grand country houses. This route also includes the famous Rosslyn Chapel.

  Stopover in Edinburgh

• Edinburgh to Pitlochry -

  Heading north from Edinburgh, you cross the impressive new Queensferry Bridge and speed north to Perth. If you wish, the drive can be extended with a detour to the pretty village of Falkland where Mary Queen of Scots had her palatial country retreat. “Outlander” fans should recognise Falkland village from its appearances in the TV series.

  From Perth to Pitlochry, we suggest a back road route that visits Scone Palace, the ancient crowning place of Scottish Kings, and the romantic ruins of Dunkeld Cathedral. The day ends in the Pitlochry area where you can take a whisky distillery tour, maybe catch a show at the Festival Theatre, or explore the woodlands of Scotland’s “Big Tree Country”.

  Driving Distance ~81 miles

  Short tours around Pitlochry: If you arrive early in Pitlochry, or wish to stay for several nights, you will enjoy the 2 short tour options supplied in this guide. These tours cover the grand Blair castle and scenic Loch Tummel as well as less obvious places such as a deserted Blackhouse village and a stone circle that is easily missed.

  Stopover in Pitlochry / Aberfeldy Area.

• Pitlochry Day Trips -

  We provide directions for a choice of day trips so you can take it easy, or explore further into the Highlands. The longer days trips cover:

  • Royal Deeside – This is the part of Scotland that captured the heart of Queen Victoria and inspired Prince Albert to build Balmoral Castle as their romantic Highland retreat. However, the castle that we recommend you visit in this area is actually Crathes Castle. Balmoral is more famous, but Crathes is some 250 years older and hasn’t changed all that much since it was built in 1596. Our directions will show you some lovely woodland walks and who knows, you might even bump into a member of the Royal family.

  Driving Distance ~112 miles / 166 miles (if including a visit to Crathes)

  • Cairngorms National Park – The Cairngorms is a great area for visitors with a wide and varied range of attractions to suit all interests. The tour route includes a film location from “Outlander”, historical ruins from the 1745 Jacobite rebellion and a secluded stone circle. More contemporary attractions are the Strathspey steam railway and the Highland Folk Museum. Of course, we also guide you to some scenic forest walks and picnic spots where, if you’re feeling bold, you could try wild swimming in plunge pools.

  Driving Distance ~151 miles (if doing the full circuit)

  Stopover in Pitlochry / Aberfeldy Area

• Pitlochry to Loch Fyne -

  There are faster routes, but we recommend that you take the very scenic tree lined road past Loch Tummel and then travel south west via Aberfeldy, Loch Tay and Loch Lomond. The journey has opportunities for stopping at waterfalls, picturesque villages, some unusual tourist attractions, a whisky distillery, a micro brewery and an excellent smokehouse restaurant where you might wish to reserve a table for a romantic dinner. 

  Your journey ends on the shores of Loch Fyne and you can choose between staying in the historical 18th century town of Inveraray with its ornate castle, or the active fishing village of Tarbert.

  Driving Distance ~102 miles (to Inveraray)

  Stopover in Loch Fyne area.

• Day Trips from Inveraray -

  We provide directions for a choice of day trips that cover:

  • Day Trip to Oban via Kilmartin Glen – This route guides you along a road that we rate as one of the best scenic drives in Scotland. A highlight of this tour is Kilmartin Glen where you find a cluster of standing stones and mysterious burial chambers. We guide you to an Iron Age hill fort where you can follow in the footsteps of the Kings of Dalriada by standing in the “Footprint of Fealty”. Thrill seekers can join boat trips to visit a whirlpool where legend tells of a Viking Prince who drowned whilst trying to win the hand of a local girl. In Oban you will find a great choice of seafood restaurants and the tour plan can de adapted so you spend the night here.

  Driving Distance ~62 miles to Oban / ~100 miles for the round trip

  • Day trip to Oban via Glencoe – Another route to Oban, but this time via a northern route that takes you across the wild open spaces of Rannoch Moor before entering the dark and moody valley of Glen Coe. Our directions include the option of a small detour to our favourite seafood restaurant where you could schedule a lunch stop, After lunch, you can burn off some calories with a walk on a quiet woodland trail that leads you to a charming little “Fairy bridge”. You can continue into Oban, or return to Inveraray via a scenic road along the shores of Scotland’s longest loch.

  Driving Distance ~92 miles to Oban / ~130 miles for the round trip

  • Day Trip to Mull / Stay on Mull – We provide information for exploring the Isle of Mull that lets you experience this island as either a day trip, or as a longer stay. If doing a day trip, you can join the group tours that meet you off the ferry and take you across the island to embark on boats trips to Iona & Staffa. If you wish to adapt the tour plan and stay on Mull for a few days, we provide a choice of driving routes that allow you to fill at least 3 full days with different sightseeing activities.

  Stopover in Loch Fyne or Oban Area

• Inveraray to Glasgow / Edinburgh -

  We provide 2 route options for the drive back to Glasgow or Edinburgh.

  • The shorter route option follows the popular tourist trail along the shores of Loch Lomond. This can be a busy road in summer, but we suggest places for journey breaks where you can enjoy a drink in a haunted 18th century inn, or join a cruise on Loch Lomond. Driving Distance ~65 miles to Glasgow
  • The longer option is a more meandering and quiet route via the Argyll Forest Park. Along the way, you can visit Benmore Botanic Gardens before taking a short ferry crossing over the Clyde for the last leg of the drive back to Glasgow. Driving Distance ~72 miles to Glasgow (plus a ~20 minute ferry crossing)

  The day ends in Glasgow, Scotland’s largest city, with its vibrant night life and strong sense of identity. Don’t worry if you need to get back to Edinburgh as it is just a 1 hour / 54 mile drive away.

  Stopover in Glasgow or Edinburgh.