Scottish Highlands
“Wherever I wander, wherever I rove, The hills of the Highlands forever I love.” - Robert Burns
After spending just one short night in Fort William on my way from Edinburgh to the Isle of Skye, I can see why Robert Burns professed his love for this magical place. Note to self: next time book more nights here!
I flew into Inverness, so I had the opportunity to travel through the Highlands twice. On the way in I took the A9 down through the Cairngorms National Park to Edinburgh. On my way from Edinburgh to Skye I drove the A84-A82 through Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park. Both were wonderful journeys through stunning landscapes that offered plentiful opportunities for hiking, scenic vistas, castles and quaint villages along the way. I could have easily spent a full week here exploring the lochs, mountains and local pubs! See my Highlands Guide at the end of this post for a tiny snapshot of things to see and do on the drive from Edinburgh to Skye (including stops not technically in the Highlands, but close enough).
One of the most beautiful detours I made was the drive to Loch Etive. With storm clouds rolling in, I almost skipped this 12-mile detour off the A82. The road is a single lane winding through pastures and forests, following a cascading stream flanked on either side by rolling hills and mountains. Scottish red deer and highland cows graze along the road with the dramatic countryside as their backdrop. If you visit in late spring/early summer, you’ll be treated to hillsides covered with blooming rhododendrons in every shade of purple- see this Google Maps Street View from the area in June.
A Scottish red deer on the road to Glen Etive
The road to Glen Etive
Along the road to Glen Etive I caught a glimpse of a deep chasm cutting through one of the fields. It was nearing dusk, but I pulled over anyway to take a look- and found these lovely waterfalls and pools.
Little canyon, barely visible from the road
After spending almost a full day exploring Loch Etive, I didn’t have a chance to stop at the other sights on the way to Glencoe. I highly recommend giving yourself some time to explore all of the waterfalls and hiking trails off the ~10 mile stretch of the A82 between the Loch Etive road and Glencoe. Buachaille Etive Beag, Three Sisters and Loch Achtriochtan provide stopping points to park and explore!
View of the Glencoe Valley, off the A82
Eas-Nan-Arm Bridge, near Loch Duich
Eilean Donan Castle, near the bridge to Skye
Whisky break at Dalwhinnie Distillery
Station Square pedestrian street in Fort William
A delicious steak pie at Garrison West in Fort William
Lunch stop in Rothiemurchus for burgers (or scones!)
Evening along Loch Eil in Fort William
Highlands Guide
Eat & Drink
I didn’t do much dining on this leg of the trip, as I was mostly on the road or on a hike. Fort William, Glencoe, and many of the smaller villages I passed through along the way offered cozy pubs and cafes for a pit stop. Even though the Highland landscape can feel miles away from civilization, you’re never more than a 30 minute drive from a pub! This is Scotland, after all. Use Yelp or Google maps to discover what’s nearby.
Garrison West - fantastic dinner in a cozy, modern space in Fort William
Dalwhinnie Distillery - reservations are recommended for distillery tours during the summer, or just drop in for a tasting at the bar
Hikes & Sights
There are so many amazing hikes and walks through the Scottish countryside, thanks to the Scottish Rights of Way. I used Walk Scotland and Walk Highlands to find maps and hikes, but a quick Google search will also provide many other resources! Note: the trails are often very boggy so bring waterproof boots and be prepared to get muddy.
Glen Etive/Loch Etive - 12-mile detour off of A82, through scenic countryside with epic views of the mountains, lochs, rivers, deer and rhododendrons
Scenic A82 - driving west along A82, make sure to pull off to take in scenic viewpoints and waterfalls along the way such as:
Steall Waterfall & hiking in Ben Nevis (the highest peak in Britain)
Glenfinnan Viaduct - picturesque railway with a view of lochs and mountains, made famous as the location the Hogwarts Express route in the Harry Potter movies
Castles
Scone Palace - museum-like royal palace filled with art and surrounded by gardens
Drummond Castle - fairytale-like castle surrounded by beautiful gardens
Blair Castle - lovely 13th century castle at the foot of Cairngorms National Park
Kilchurn Castle - 15th century Clan Campbell castle ruins against a stunning backdrop of Loch Awe and the mountains
Castle Stalker - picturesque castle on a tiny island in Loch Linnhe (private tours only, but worth driving by for a photo of this beautiful location)
Eilean Donan Castle - ancient castle on the shore of three lochs, a great photo stop before crossing into Skye
Craigievar Castle - famous pink castle in the countryside
Dunnottar Castle - castle ruins on a dramatic cliffside
Dunrobin Castle - if you make it farther up north, it’s definitely worth checking out this Disney-like castle and surrounding waterfall nature walks in Big Burn