The Best 10 Day Scotland Itinerary

Scotland is one of those country’s that is truly out of this world.  The landscapes are unmatched, the people are incredibly friendly, old castles, sheep, and cows line the roads – what is there not to love?!  I’ve visited Scotland twice now and have explored the country in-depth from the north to south and east to west.  This is the best 10 day Scotland itinerary if you’re looking to explore coastal towns, castles, scenic drives, and beautiful landscapes.

 

For more on visiting Scotland, don’t miss…

• Everything You Need to Know About Planning a Trip to Scotland
• The Ultimate Scotland Packing List
• 9 Places to Visit in Scotland (that aren’t Edinburgh)

 

Getting to Scotland – Where to Start & End Your Trip

This itinerary focuses on starting and ending in Edinburgh.  However, you could also start and end in your trip in Glasgow; or start your trip in Edinburgh, ending in Glasgow (or vice versa).  Either way, when you rent a car – make sure to clarify if you plan on dropping your car off in a different location from where you picked it up.  This will cost more money but might be worth it if you want to explore both Edinburgh and Glasgow.

To get to Scotland, I recommend using a large search engine to compare airlines and prices.  However, I try to book direct when possible.  And bonus tip – if you’re based in the US make sure to sign up for Going for cheap flight alerts!

 

BOOK YOUR FLIGHT TO SCOTLAND HERE!

 

How to Get Around Scotland

There are trains and buses that can take you around Scotland, but for purposes of this itinerary, we’ll be focusing on exploring Scotland by car.  There are tons of road side stops in this 10 day itinerary that you will need a car for and I truly believe that the best of Scotland is seen on the road.

When booking a rental car in Scotland, I prefer to use Discover Cars to compare prices across multiple rental companies.

 

 

 

For more on renting a car in Scotland, don’t miss…

• Everything You Need to Know About Renting a Car in Scotland (if You’re an American)

 

Day 1 – Edinburgh

DAY 1 HIGHLIGHTS:  EDINBURGH CASTLE

 

How to Get from the Edinburgh Airport to Edinburgh

If you’re arriving in Edinburgh from the airport, there are many transportation options to get you into the city.   You can get a taxi which will get you to the city center in about 30 minutes.  When you go to get a taxi outside, you’ll put your address into a machine and it will tell you an approximate price.  You can pay cash or card in taxi’s in Edinburgh and the meter should be on.  You can also choose to take the Airlink 100 Express Bus for £4.50 one-way, which will also get you to town in 30-minutes.  Tickets can be purchased from a ticket machine in the airport and you’ll catch the bus at stop D in the bus terminal station.  You can also book a private driver to be waiting for you upon arrival into Edinburgh – you can do that here.  Lastly, you can choose to take the tram to town.  The tram is £7 one-way, a 35-minute drive to the city, and only available from 6:18 am-10:48 pm.  The main tram stop is at Haymarket Train Station.

I don’t recommend picking up your rental car at the airport upon arrival.  You won’t need it in Edinburgh so instead I suggest picking it up on your way out of town.

 

Where to Stay in Edinburgh

I recommend staying in either Old Town Edinburgh or New Town Edinburgh – either way, you really can’t go wrong.  If you’re staying in new town, I recommend Nira Caledonia.  If you’re staying in old town, I recommend Virgin Hotels Edinburgh.

 

For more on hotels in Edinburgh, don’t miss…

• 8 Best Hotels in Edinburgh

 

BOOK YOUR STAY IN EDINBURGH HERE!

 

SPENDING THE MORNING IN EDINBURGH

Begin your first day in Edinburgh at the delicious – The Edinburgh Larder.  The Edinburgh Larder is located in the heart of Edinburgh and is a great way to taste a traditional Scottish breakfast.  The restaurant does take walk-ins, but I recommend booking a table ahead of time.

If you want something a bit quicker, I suggest either LOWDOWN or Mor Bakehouse; both great choices for a quick breakfast and coffee.  They both have limited seating, but you can get a coffee and pastry to takeaway.

 

SPENDING THE AFTERNOON IN EDINBURGH

I always like to start my first day in a new city with some sort of tour to get to know the city better.  In this case, some quick, informative tours that I recommend include…

• Old Town Walking Tour – History and Tales of Edinburgh
• Underground Vaults Walking Tour (winner of “best experience” in 2022)
• Harry Potter Magical Guided Tour

After getting your bearings and learning about Edinburgh’s history, make your way to the Royal Mile before touring Edinburgh Castle.  The Royal Mile is perhaps Edinburgh’s most popular street running from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to the Edinburgh Castle.  There are several shops to stop in at or places that claim to be the inspiration behind something or other in the Harry Potter series.

I would also suggest touring the impressive Edinburgh Castle.  You can purchase tickets here ahead of time to guarantee entry.  (If you’re planning on visiting more attractions, you might want to consider purchasing an Edinburgh pass.)

For lunch, head to Makars Mash Bar around the corner to try one of the most controversial Scottish delicacies – Haggis.  I promise you that Makars is the place to try haggis.  Even if you aren’t too adventurous of an eater, it’s truly a fantastic place to be brave and try this dish (which I actually quite enjoy).

 

If you’re someone who likes to experience a city by food, book this Edinburgh Food and Drink Tour!

 

SPENDING THE EVENING IN EDINBURGH

If you want to experience another side to Edinburgh – the side of ghosts and haunted stories – you’ll definitely want to book a night tour.  Two that I recommend are…

• The World Famous Underground Ghost Tour (2022 winner of “best experience”)
• Edinburgh Darkside Walking Tour:  Mysteries, Murders, Legends (2022 winner of “best experience”)
• Underground Vaults Evening Ghost Tour with Whisky

For dinner I recommend Whiski Rooms for a cozy setting and traditional Scottish dishes.

 

For more information on visiting Edinburgh, don’t miss…

• How to Spend 2 Days in Edinburgh
• Complete Guide to Edinburgh

 

Day 2 – Edinburgh

DAY 2 HIGHLIGHTS:  ARTHUR’S SEAT + WHISKY TOUR

 

SPENDING THE MORNING IN EDINBURGH

On your second day in Edinburgh, grab a takeaway sausage roll and make your way up to Arthur’s Seat.  Arthur’s Seat is an ancient, extinct volcano just east of Edinburgh.  This hike brings you to incredible views over Edinburgh and takes around two hours.  (By the way, this “hike” is more like an easy walk – just make sure to wear comfortable shoes!)

If you have the time or just want to do a different type of walk, another option is to walk along the Water of Leith Walkway.  You can start near Dean’s Village and follow the river northeast from there.

 

SPENDING THE AFTERNOON IN EDINBURGH

In the afternoon, head for lunch at Cafe Andaluz Old Town – an incredible tapas restaurant in old town Edinburgh.  From here, I suggest going to Islander to pick up a tweed purse from a Scottish brand.  You can also make your own purse, which is a really fun way to bring home a piece of Scotland.  If you want to do this, you need to book ahead of time and you can do that here.

Another tour I recommend while in Edinburgh is a Scott Whisky Tasting “tour”.  Even if you aren’t a big whisky drinker, you absolutely cannot visit Scotland and not try Scottish whisky.

 

SPENDING THE EVENING IN EDINBURGH

For dinner, I recommend The Alchemist or The Devil’s Advocate.  Both have great food and fun vibes, but The Devil’s Advocate feels more like an upscale pub if that’s the vibe you’re going for.  If you eat at The Alchemist, make sure to stop by Flight Club for darts!

 

PLANNING TO SIGHTSEE IN EDINBURGH?  GET YOUR EDINBURGH PASS HERE!

 

Day 3 – Coastal Towns of Fife – Overnight in Perth

DAY 3 HIGHLIGHTS:  CULROSS + ANSTRUTHER

 

EXPLORING THE COASTAL TOWNS OF FIFE

Pick up your rental car early (I would say 10 am at the latest), and make your way north to Culross.  The drive from Edinburgh to Culross takes around 45 minutes.

Culross is a quaint town and Scotland’s most complete example of a burgh of the 17th and 18th centuries.  (A “burgh” is a town or municipality.). When you get to Culross, stop for tea and scones at Bessie’s Cafe.  I also recommend visiting Culross Palace and Gardens and wandering through the quaint streets.

From Culross, make your way further east to the town of Anstruther.  The drive from Culross to Anstruther is around 1 hr 10 mins.  Once you get to Anstruther, I recommend grabbing lunch (the small town is known for their fish and chips) and walking around.  Out of all of the coastal villages I visited, Anstruther was my favorite so I highly recommend making the drive here!

 

SPENDING THE EVENING IN PERTH

From Anstruther, make your way towards Perth – a one hour drive northwest.  Once you get to Perth and check into the hotel, I suggest having dinner at North Port Scottish Restaurant.  Make sure to make reservations ahead of time!

 

Where to Stay in Perth

On your third day in Scotland, I recommend spending the night in Perth which will put get you about half way between Edinburgh and Inverness.  This is a great stopping point after spending the day exploring the cute coastal towns of Fife.

When you spend the night in Perth, I highly recommend The Townhouse, one of my favorite B&Bs in Scotland.

 

BOOK YOUR STAY IN PERTH HERE!

 

Day 4 – Inverness

DAY 4 HIGHLIGHTS:  THE BLACK WATCH CASTLE & MUSEUM + SCONE CASTLE + ROTHIEMURCHUS

 

This is a heavy driving day with lots of stops so make sure to start your day early!  I recommend starting by the time The Black Watch Castle & Museum opens at 0930.  Without any stops, the drive north from Perth to Inverness is around 2 hours.

 

FROM PERTH TO INVERNESS

Start your morning visiting The Black Watch Castle & Museum.  This museum is located right outside of Perth and is great if you want to learn more about Scotland’s military history and life in the highlands.

From the museum, also stop at Scone Castle before making your way out of Perth.  Scone Castle is over 1,000 years old and a family still resides there today.  It’s a place where multiple Scottish Kings have been crowned.

For lunch, stop at The House of Brauer, a place for shopping but that also has a great food hall.  This is right before you reach Rothiemurchus – a fun estate where you can sign up for tons of outdoor activities.  When I visited Scotland, I did the quad biking here and loved it!  The scenery was great and we were also able to get up close with the highland cows which was a real highlight!  If you want to plan an outdoor activity at Rothiemurchus, make sure to make reservations ahead of time.

 

SPENDING THE EVENING IN INVERNESS

Once you arrive to Inverness and check into your hotel, head to dinner at River House.  River House was my favorite restaurant in Scotland so I highly recommend making reservations well ahead of time!

 

CHECK OUT MORE THINGS TO SEE & DO IN INVERNESS HERE!

 

Where to Stay in Inverness

My top hotel recommendations for Inverness include The Koko Rooms, The Royal Highland Hotel, and Paton Cottage.

 

BOOK YOUR STAY IN INVERNESS HERE!

 

Day 5 – Plockton

DAY 5 HIGHLIGHTS:  EILEAN DONAN CASTLE + RATAGAN PASS VIEWPOINT

 

FROM INVERNESS TO PLOCKTON

The drive from Inverness to Plockton is only a couple of hours but on your way, I do recommend going out of your way a bit to visit Eilean Donan Castle and Ratagan Pass Viewpoint (if it’s a nice day – if it’s cloudy you won’t be able to enjoy the views.)

Eilean Donan Castle was my favorite castle that I visited in Scotland.  It’s said to be the most iconic castle in Scotland and has been in several movies.  It first started as a defensive structure in the 13th century but then expanded into a castle for the MacRae family.

If it’s nice, a 15-minute drive up the mountains to Ratagan Pass Viewpoint gives you incredible views over the loch.  If you have the time, I recommend making the drive!  However, if it’s cloudy you won’t be able to appreciate the scenery so it probably wouldn’t be worth it.

 

SPENDING THE AFTERNOON/EVENING IN PLOCKTON

Once you arrive to Plockton and check into your hotel you can easily walk town in under an hour.  Plockton was the most beautiful town that I visited in Scotland and even though it’s very small and quiet, it’s worth the stay.

For dinner, make reservations at the Plockton Inn.  Out of the couple of restaurants in town, I think it’s the best of your options.

 

Where to Stay in Plockton

Plockton is a very tiny town and there aren’t a ton of hotel options.  I would highly suggest staying in town so you can enjoy the beauty of Plockton and don’t have to worry about driving into town.  The hotel that I recommend in the heart of Plockton is the Plockton Inn.

 

BOOK YOUR STAY IN PLOCKTON HERE!

 

Day 6 – Isle of Skye

DAY 6 HIGHLIGHTS:  CASTLE EWEN/FAIRY GLEN + SKYE MUSEUM OF ISLAND LIFE + RUBHA HUNISH

 

FROM PLOCKTON TO ISLE OF SKYE

The drive from Plockton to Isle of Skye is only about an hour, but depending on where you’re staying on the island the drive can be much longer.  Once you leave Plockton and reach Isle of Skye, I recommend exploring the northern part of the island before checking into your hotel.

 

SPENDING THE MORNING/AFTERNOON IN ISLE OF SKYE

As I mentioned earlier, spend your first day on Isle of Skye getting familiar with the northern part of the island.  Upon arriving, put “Castle Ewen” into your maps where you’ll be taken to a parking lot.  I recommend making the walk from here to “Fairy Glen”.  The walk is incredibly beautiful and remote with tons of sheep wandering around.  This walk is easy and should only take 1-2 hours, depending on how often you stop.

After completing your walk, make your way further north to Skye Museum of Island Life.  The Skye Museum of Island Life is a fascinating museum where you can see the history of the island and how the locals lived before transportation and tourism.  Please note that this museum is closed on Sunday so plan accordingly.

Finally, if you’re interested in visiting the very northern tip of Isle of Skye, the Rubha Hunish walk will take you there.  The journey is about 2 hours and is rated as difficult.

 

Where to Stay in Isle of Skye

Isle of Skye is large and there are areas that are pretty remote.  When deciding where to stay, I think you need to ask yourself if it’s best for you to be in a more remote location or decide if you want to be closer to town.  When I visited, I decided to go the remote route and loved every second of it.  Sure there weren’t any restaurants or coffee shops nearby – but waking up to rolling green hills and nothing else around – was pretty special.  I checked into Mondkstadt 1745 and would highly recommend it for anyone looking for a remote stay.  They do serve a phenomenal breakfast and a 5-course dinner so you don’t need to be too concerned with the remote location.

If you’d rather stay closer to town, I’d recommend choosing somewhere near Portree.  This is the capital of Isle of Skye and there are tons of great bars, restaurants, and shops around.  Here are some hotels in Portree that I’d recommend…

• Cuillin Hills Hotel
• The Rosedale Hotel & Restaurant
• The Skye Inn

 

BOOK YOUR STAY IN ISLE OF SKYE HERE!

 

Day 7 – Isle of Skye

HIGHLIGHTS OF DAY 7:  DUNVEGAN CASTLE + NEIST POINT + TALISKER DISTILLERY + PORTREE

 

SPENDING THE MORNING IN ISLE OF SKYE

Start your morning at Dunvegan Castle (opens daily at 10 am) – a castle that was first built in the 13th-century.  You can expect to spend about an hour here exploring.  From here, head west to Neist Point.  Neist Point is the most famous lighthouse on the island and is located on the very most western tip of Isle of Skye.  (Please know, this adds on quite a big drive so if you’re not interested in seeing the lighthouse, you can skip this attraction).

 

SPENDING THE AFTERNOON IN ISLE OF SKYE

For lunch stop at Café Cùil, an award-winning cafe with delicious food.  Please know that this cafe is closed on both Monday and Tuesday.  After lunch, stop at Talisker Distillery for a whiskey tasting.  Talisker is famous around the world and it’s a great place to learn about traditional Scottish Whisky while being able to taste it too.

After whisky tasting, make your way to the capital of Isle of Skye – Portree.  Portree is a beautiful area with great viewpoints, shopping, restaurants, and bars.  You could spend the entire afternoon and evening walking around here and eating dinner here.

 

For more tips on visiting Isle of Skye, don’t miss…

• The Best 2 Day Isle of Skye Itinerary

 

Day 8 – Oban

HIGHLIGHTS OF DAY 8:  OBAN DISTILLERY + MCCAIG’S TOWER

 

FROM ISLE OF SKYE TO OBAN

Depending on where you’re coming from on Isle of Skye, the drive south to Oban should take around 3.5 hours.  This is a somewhat challenging drive because you’re driving through Loch Lomond which is famous for its narrow streets; just take it slow and don’t rush.

 

SPENDING THE AFTERNOON/EVENING IN OBAN

Once you arrive to Oban, head up to McCaig’s Tower for views of Oban and the harbor.  I also suggest stopping at the Oban Distillery for a whisky tasting, followed up fish n’ chips at Nories.

 

Where to Stay in Oban

As for where to stay in Oban I have two different suggestions.  The first would be to stay right in town somewhere like No17 The Promenade, No.26 By the Sea, or The Scot.  Alternatively, you could opt to stay in a castle, just 30-minutes north from Oban at Isle of Eriska Hotel & Spa.  I stayed at this hotel and loved everything about it.  It’s luxurious, private, and has an incredible restaurant.  It was a nice change of pace to relax at the hotel versus running around every day.

 

BOOK YOUR STAY IN OBAN HERE!

 

Day 9 – Oban

DAY 9 HIGHLIGHTS:  DAY TRIP TO THE INNER HEBRIDES

 

On your last day in Oban, take a ferry to the islands known as the “Hebrides” – the inner and outer island chains.  The Inner Hebrides lie southeast of the Outer Hebrides and are made up of 35 inhabited islands and 44 uninhabited islands.  Luckily, getting to the Inner Hebrides from Oban is a quick and easy day trip.

While there are many islands to choose from, I recommend visiting Isle of Mull.  This is the 2nd largest island of the Inner Hebrides, the fourth largest island in Scotland.  Mull is only an hour ferry ride away from Oban and you can get tickets here.

There are many different things you can do when visiting Mull, but because of the times of buses and ferries you can typically only choose to do one thing per day; unless you’re spending the night or you take your car.  I spent the day exploring Tobermory, the capital of Mull.  Once getting off the ferry, you have to catch the bus – cash only for a ticket – for an hour ride northeast. You will then have the good part of the day to eat and drink your way down the brightly colored street before returning to the bus.

 

For more information on visiting Oban, don’t miss…

• The Best Things to Do in Oban in 48-Hours

 

Day 10 – Departure

Depending on whether or not you booked your return flight out of Edinburgh or Glasgow, head to the airport for departure.

 

Best Time to Visit Scotland

The best time to visit Scotland is during the late spring (May to June) and early autumn (September to October) when the weather is mild, and the tourist crowds are smaller.  This time of year provides comfortable temperatures, fewer midges, and breathtaking landscapes in full bloom or autumn colors.  Summer (July to August) is peak tourist season with warmer weather, longer daylight hours, and bustling festivals.  Winter (November to February) is cold and dark, but it does offer a unique charm with snow-covered landscapes and fewer tourists.

The two times I traveled to Scotland were in October and in June and both times the weather was pretty cold, rainy, and cloudy.  Overall, Scotland is known to have a lot of rainy days and this is more evident the further north you go.

 

Scotland Essentials – What You Need & Need to Know About Visiting Scotland

 

Scotland is a truly amazing country and while 10 days allows you to see the highlights, it definitely doesn’t begin to scratch the surface of the country (you would need years for that!).  I hope that this 10 day Scotland itinerary not only helped you plan your travels through Scotland but also inspired you!  Let me know if you have any questions about this itinerary or Scotland below.

 

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For more information on things to see and do in Scotland, make sure to check out my Instagram page/highlight reel by searching “#ppinscotland” or under my highlights for “Scotland”; alternatively, head to my TikTok and search for the saved “Scotland” highlight

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