We may have decided NOT to go to Scotland next year, but that doesn’t mean the bonny country is off the table forever. When we DO go, here are some ideas I have for the trip. Maybe this will inspire you to plan your own trip to the wilds of Scotland!
If you like unpredictable weather, magical landscapes, & friendly people…try the Isle of Skye.
Why we wanted to go: the Isle of Skye is one of Scotland’s top destinations for a good reason — it’s gorgeous & it has enough trails to keep you busy for a week. Another plus is that you pass some of the West Highland Way to get here, which makes for great stops at Glencoe & Mt Nevis!
Why we didn’t go: To enjoy this island you have to rent a car and Eric wasn’t excited about driving on the opposite side of the road. At first I was also concerned about tourists, but I found some great resources on places to visit & stay to avoid crowds.
Here’s our “almost” itinerary & notes:
- Fly to Glasgow, rent automatic car & drive 5hrs to Isle of Skye, stopping along the West Highland Way to see any of these sights: Glencoe, Trossachs, Loch Loman, Ben Nevis.
- Spend several nights on Isle of Skye, preferably at an inn AWAY from the heavy tourist area of Portree. AirBnB has TONS of great options, but my favorite is Blà Bheinn Bed & Breakfast because the owner is a fellow blogger whose appreciation for walking in nature is obvious on her website. There are crofter’s cottages, traditional inns, remodeled homes, new apartments…as long as you’re willing to spend at least $125/night you’ll have no problems finding something you like.
- Spend most of our time walking the less touristy paths (recommended by our innkeeper), but try to experience these: Rubha nam Brathairean, Old Man of Storr, Bla Beihnn, Fairy Glen, Kilt Rock & Mealt Falls, Dunvegan Castle, Neist Point at sunset), Talisker Distillery, Boat from Elgol to Loch Coruisk
- For more detailed walking routes, visit Walkhighlands.
- Drive back to Glasgow but take a different route, possibly spending a night to have more time to explore Eilean Donan castle, Cairngorms National Park, Perthshire area.
- For an actual trip diary similar to this itinerary, read this blog post.
- If you want to walk the 80mi Skye Trail as an inn-to-inn trip, click here.
If you want the Scottish Highlands without the crowds…try Knoydart Peninsula.
Why we wanted to go: I saw this video & it made me want to go. It’s a remote location, accessible only by boat or foot, & it’s the ideal place to visit if you want to “feel like a local.”
Here’s our “almost” itinerary & notes:
- Fly to Glasgow or Edinburgh & take the train to Mallaig-Inverie Ferry OR fly to London & take the Caledonian Sleeper train to Ft. Williams.
- Lodging is cheaper in Knoydart than in Skye but not as plentiful, so book early. If you want your own place for more than 2 people with a kitchen, try Lochside Knoydart (sleeps 6) or Knoydart River Cottage (sleeps 6-8). For an extensive list of lodging on Knoydart, click here.
- There aren’t a lot of dining options, so either find a place with a kitchen OR stay at a place like Doune or The Old Forge, both of which have in-house restaurants. For other dining options, click here.
- Take advantage of the inexpensive guided walks led by the Knoydart Ranger Services every Tuesday (April-October). They also offer private tours, mindfulness walks, deer stalking, mountain biking & boat tours.
- For independent walkers, visit Walkhighlands website & search “Knoydart” on their site — you’ll get trail notes galore! Some of the highlighted walks are Luinne Bheinn & Meall Bhuidhe & Ladhar Bheinn.
- If you’re open to a guided hiking trip, click here for a GREAT itinerary. It’s $2000/person for an 8-day trip (all meals & lodging included). Excellent blog post about this trip is here.
Why we didn’t go: requires a car if you want to be independent.
If you want a classic long distance walk through Scotland…try the West Highland Way.
Why we wanted to go: We loved our self-guided inn-to-inn walk in Ireland & wanted to repeat that experience. The West Highland Way is famous for its vast moody landscapes & traditional inns along the way.
Here’s our “almost” itinerary & notes:
- Everything you need to plan your own trip OR book through a travel agent is at the West Highland Way website. It breaks down the route in detail & lists baggage transfers, companies who book everything for you, accommodations & more.
- Some of the walks can be very long, so you may wish to break up the routes OR skip some of it. We were going to skip the first portion from Milngavie to Carbeth, since we didn’t have two weeks to take for this trip.
Why we didn’t go: Weather — rain & bone chilling wind is a guarantee during a long distance walk in the Highlands. This would be fine with me if it was just for one day, but it’s highly possible that most days during the trip could be like this. This would STILL be fine with me if we had a car & could just decide not to walk when the weather is terrible, but an inn-to-inn walk means you are walking to your destination…the walking IS the entire point of the trip. As someone with Rheumatoid Arthritis, walking repeatedly in conditions like that is incredibly painful for me. Maybe someday we’ll live in Scotland — then we can walk this route when the weather is nice without having to plan months in advance & hope for the best. What is more likely, however, is that we will find a central location, rent a car & stay for awhile so that we can hike when the weather is nice & bunker down when it’s not.
