If you’ve ever wanted to feel like you are on the set of Harry Potter, The Outlander or Braveheart, you need to experience The Highlands of Scotland. Romantic villages, rolling hills, stunning mountains, beautiful cities, and fishing villages – Scotland has it all.

I was fortunate to be the ‘navigator’ on this road trip and my traveling mate, Neil, had plenty of experience with driving right-hand-drive automobiles on the left side of the road. As the planner and photographer of the adventure, it was lovely not to worry with the actual driving, only the logistics of what our next stop was and how do we get there!

If you have experience or adapt well to this driving pattern, the absolute best way to see Scotland is to get behind the wheel and explore! Scotland really isn’t that big, so it’s a feat that is easily accomplished. We technically executed a 4-day trip in nearly 2-days. The other two days were traveling days, but it just worked best given our schedules.

I’ll share my adventure plan, and you can adapt it to fit your needs! If you have the time, I would venture off course a little more and perhaps expand our loop to bring in a few more hotspots. We planned our adventure for early February. My friends joked that people die of hypothermia in Scotland in Summer and that we were crazy! Yes, it was a bit chilly and at times cold, but the time of year lent well to seeing the Highlands in the brown and grey that I always imagine! If you make your plans for summer, it will better allow for beautiful hikes along the way. We were time-limited, so this fit our needs perfectly!

DAY 1

Basel > Edinburg Airport > Stirling

For us, day one was primarily a travel day. Neil and I had commitments on Thursday morning, so we arranged flights via EasyJet departing Basel, Switzerland at 13:05 and arriving in Edinburg, Scotland at 14:20. We also reserved a vehicle ahead of time to be ready to hit the road as soon as possible.

Upon grabbing the keys to the super comfortable and severely underpowered Toyota Auris, we quickly made our way to Stirling Castle in Stirling. We arrived 15 minutes later than planned due to a bit of traffic, so we missed the evening’s final tour. No worries – we grabbed our cameras and walked around the entry where we were able to photograph the castle’s exterior, some of its surrounding, and the phenomenal view overlooking the town.

What’s left to do when you are now ahead of schedule and have a bit of daylight left? Pop into the nearest pub for a cold beer and a hot fire! The Portcullis is steps away from the castle, so we landed there for a big local-brew and warmed up a bit by the coal fireplace. Now it feels like we are in Scotland!

We decided weeks before the adventure to make no lodging plans in advance and just ‘play it by ear.’ Anyone who knows me is likely shocked by this as I tend to over-itinerize these sorts of things. I always say it’s because I don’t want to get somewhere and not at least have a plan to adapt to or divert from. While enjoying a beer at The Portcullis, we took a quick glance at TripAdvisor’s available lodging and grabbed an incredibly cheap deal on 2 rooms at The Golden Lion. They are currently remodeling, so the room was less than amazing, but for two guys on a road trip who just need a place to crash, it was great. For £35 each, we each secured a room for the night and a full Scottish breakfast the following morning with VAT and parking included. The restaurant, bar, and foyer are beautiful so I fully expect the rooms being remodeled to match that wonderful vibe.

Dinner is a no brainer if you have one night in Stirling. Go to The Allen Park Pub & Restaurant and grab a reservation in advance if you know you’ll be staying in Stirling. Our dinner was stunning and consisted of Haggis Fritters, Steak & Frites (me), Short Ribs (Neil), and delicious Sticky pudding.

DAY 2

Stirling > Glencoe > Fort William > Inverness

The following morning, we enjoyed tea and a full Scottish Breakfast (eggs, bacon, sausage, beans, haggis, toast, mushrooms) while still in amazement that this was only £35.

We contemplated going back to Stirling Castle, but we had too much projected for the day and given the time of year. We wanted to target arriving in Inverness at dusk and knew we would spend the day driving with stops along the way, so we left around 8:30 and started our adventure, making the following stops before arriving in Fort William. This bit of driving is the most technical, but if you take your time and are diligent, it’s an easy drive and has some of the best views.

• Doune Castle (yep, where they filmed Monty Python and the Holy Grail)

• Loch Tulla

• Loch Ba Viewpoint

• Rannoch Moor Viewpoint

• Glencoe Valley Viewpoint

The best method for this is just to drive and makes stops when convenient for you. If you visit in the summer, there will be hiking opportunities such as ‘The Meeting of Three Waters,’ but there was plenty to see while in route. As you arrive in Glencoe Valley, you’ll quickly be amazed by the breathtaking views. This is the area where many scenes from Harry Potter were filmed. Hagrid’s stone home, scenes from Prisoner of Azkaban, and more are from this beautiful area. If you divert from the course to Inverness toward Glenfinnan on the A830, you’ll see the infamous viaduct that Hogwart’s Express is filmed passing over! The United Kingdom justifiably has great pride in the Harry Potter franchise’s success, and it was stunning to see this area in person!

We stopped in Fort William for lunch. There’s no shortage of great food here, and it seemed to have the best selection in the surrounding towns. Check out Blas, Garrison West, The Crofter Bar and Restaurant, or The Wildcat.

The next bit of driving is much easier and faster. We drove from Fort William to Inverness in just a couple hours and saw The Bridge of Oich, Urquhart Castle, and of course the infamous Loch Ness. Sadly, there was no sign of Nessie, and we again arrived 15 minutes too late for a castle tour, but we were able to see the view above the castle overlooking Loch Ness, one of the best possible views of the area. Had I not asked Neil to stop several times to take photos I’m thinking we would have been on time!

In line with my plan, we arrived by dusk and were able to check into Columbia Hotel Inverness, a low-cost option that we found on TripAdvisor over lunch. This option was only £60 including full breakfast, tea, etc. including VAT. We parked just 200 meters away in a carpark that was just £3 for the 14 hours of use.

We opted not to plan dinner ahead and instead arrived with a few ideas, Fig & Thistle, River House, or Rocpool. Rocpool was just next door but as we walked by there was a note on the door indicating they were at maximum reservation for the evening. We then walked two more blocks to River House and were able to get our names in with a 60-minute wait. This wait proved to be worthwhile! They had terrific oysters with chili, lime, and gin drizzle, a wonderful cod dish, and the perfect Nutella cheesecake. I paired all of this with a delicious Chablis and called it a night!

DAY 3

Inverness > Aviemore > Pitlochry > Edinburg

After a great nights sleep, we enjoyed tea and another full Scottish breakfast while planning out the day. I was fortunate that Neil was educated on the history of the area, it’s wars, and notable figures from centuries past. He wanted to first see the Battleground in Culloden. It was just a few minutes away from Inverness and is a must-see if nearby. This is the site of the last battle on the grounds in the United Kingdom, in 1745. Just as friends had warned, it was bitter cold. Sure, Siri told me it was 7 degrees but the wind chill was below freezing, and it was a wet morning. The skies were grey, and it was an intense experience to walk the grounds and learn more of the story.

We then hopped in the car and drove to the Findhorn Viaduct, explored around the Aviemore area, and into Pitlochry for lunch at Victoria’s Restaurant. This is a lovely town and is full of character. Over tea, we researched and landed on a hell of a deal via Hotel Tonight in the heart of Edinburg at Grassmarket Hotel Edinburg. This was half the price of most places and located in the center of where you want to be! I’ve grown to be a huge fan of places like this, similar to Premier Inn Covent Garden in London. It’s simple, modern, and offers far better pricing. I wasn’t sure that we’d have enough time, but Neil was determined to land in Edinburgh for the night. This would be just out of the way from our loop heading back to the airport as Edinburgh is east of the airport. This plan, however, paid off greatly! For only £120 per room, we were all set!

While in route to Edinburg, the rental car diverted us from the primary highway. It had a mind of its own, but I’m relatively sure it knew how much I would enjoy photographing shots of the countryside, sheep and the most beautiful cows I’ve seen.

In route to the city, I was doing dinner research! We had tried earlier in the day to get in The Witchery by The Castle, but it was fully booked. I had a few options in mind and checked back to The Witchery only to find 1 available 7:30pm slot for 2. I quickly scooped this up, and we made our way to the city!

This was my first time in Edinburg and in Scotland for that matter. Neil had been here before so knew an excellent parking garage to pop into and we walked to Grassmarket from there. Edinburg was buzzing! Ireland vs. Scotland rugby had just concluded with the usual Irish victory.

After checking in at the hotel and a couple hours of rest, we ventured out to explore and had a fantastic dinner at The Witchery featuring Witchery Haggis (with curried pineapple chutney, swede and potato bhaji), Scottish Filet, and a beautiful chocolate tart with a Brunello. Since we were, after all, in Scotland… we capped it all off with a delicious scotch.

We walked a bit, taking in the dark charm of Edinburgh. For a city known for its gothic feel, it was filled with happy and fun people. It’s a beautiful contrast, and I immediately fell in love with the city.

DAY 4

Edinburg > Basel

We got up early and grabbed a quick breakfast next door at Biddy Mulligans. I wasn’t expecting much as it just appeared to be a pub connected to the hotel. I had already gone to sleep with the music from the packed-out pub the night before, so I figured it would have that hungover pub feel in the wee hours of the morning, but it was lovely. They offer fantastic options in addition to tea or coffee. I went for the door-stop eggy bread, and it was the perfect end to the trip before heading back to the airport to return home.

Many of my winter adventures leave me feeling like I need to come back to experience the warm seasons, but this was perfect for me. I know there will be more green and less sleet in my face when trying to take pictures, but the charm of a foggy cold Scotland is phenomenal.

It did, however, lead us to the discussion of doing a similar format in Ireland! I think we may be booking that trip soon!