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I planned this trip as Ireland and Scotland. One afternoon with a map made it obvious that fourteen days would not do Scotland justice on its own, so Ireland went on the someday list and Scotland got the whole two weeks.
Then I gave myself a mission: the city, the Highlands, and the ocean coast. All three. That is why Skye is not in this itinerary. Skye is on every Scotland route ever written. I took the ferry west to the Outer Hebrides instead, and Harris turned out to be the best part of the entire trip.
This is that route, written down properly. Eight bases over fourteen days, in the order I actually drove them, with the drive times, the bookings that have to happen first, and the reasons the order matters. It is a route, not a catalogue.
It is also honest, which is the part I care about most. My flight was cancelled and I lost a day. I queued an hour for the rental car. I drove the Bealach na Bà in pouring rain and I would not do that again. I cancelled a distillery tasting I had already paid attention to and got shop credit instead. I lost the trail on the Lost Valley hike and ended up in a field. One of my hotels felt like a casino. All of that is in here, because you cannot plan around a trip that only tells you about the good parts.
I am not an expert. I went once, for two weeks, travelling solo and eating vegan, and every opinion in these pages is shaped by that. Nothing in here is borrowed from another guide. It is one real trip, written by the person who took it.
What is inside
The full 14 day route with a map, all eight bases, and honest drive times
Eight chapters, one per leg: Edinburgh, Speyside, Lewis and Harris, Dornie, Applecross, Glencoe, Stirling, and Edinburgh again for the Fringe
Every hotel rated honestly, including the two I would go back for and the one I would not
The walks, with the trail warnings I wish I had been given
A driving chapter covering single track roads, the three passes, and what actually catches you out
Where to eat, with real notes on eating vegan in the Highlands and the islands
A skip list: what I left out, and whether I regret it
An honest FAQ, including whether the ferry will actually run
A reading list matched to the places, and the bookshops worth the detour
A Scotland packing list built from two weeks of weather
A one page quick reference table with every stay, ferry, drive and booking deadline
Who this is for
People who would rather take the ferry than the shortcut. If you want to see a lot, walk a lot, and drive roads that make you sit up straight, this route was built for you.
Who this is not for
If you want a slow trip with three days in one hotel, this will exhaust you. If Skye is the reason you are going to Scotland, this is the wrong itinerary, and I say so kindly.
I planned this trip as Ireland and Scotland. One afternoon with a map made it obvious that fourteen days would not do Scotland justice on its own, so Ireland went on the someday list and Scotland got the whole two weeks.
Then I gave myself a mission: the city, the Highlands, and the ocean coast. All three. That is why Skye is not in this itinerary. Skye is on every Scotland route ever written. I took the ferry west to the Outer Hebrides instead, and Harris turned out to be the best part of the entire trip.
This is that route, written down properly. Eight bases over fourteen days, in the order I actually drove them, with the drive times, the bookings that have to happen first, and the reasons the order matters. It is a route, not a catalogue.
It is also honest, which is the part I care about most. My flight was cancelled and I lost a day. I queued an hour for the rental car. I drove the Bealach na Bà in pouring rain and I would not do that again. I cancelled a distillery tasting I had already paid attention to and got shop credit instead. I lost the trail on the Lost Valley hike and ended up in a field. One of my hotels felt like a casino. All of that is in here, because you cannot plan around a trip that only tells you about the good parts.
I am not an expert. I went once, for two weeks, travelling solo and eating vegan, and every opinion in these pages is shaped by that. Nothing in here is borrowed from another guide. It is one real trip, written by the person who took it.
What is inside
The full 14 day route with a map, all eight bases, and honest drive times
Eight chapters, one per leg: Edinburgh, Speyside, Lewis and Harris, Dornie, Applecross, Glencoe, Stirling, and Edinburgh again for the Fringe
Every hotel rated honestly, including the two I would go back for and the one I would not
The walks, with the trail warnings I wish I had been given
A driving chapter covering single track roads, the three passes, and what actually catches you out
Where to eat, with real notes on eating vegan in the Highlands and the islands
A skip list: what I left out, and whether I regret it
An honest FAQ, including whether the ferry will actually run
A reading list matched to the places, and the bookshops worth the detour
A Scotland packing list built from two weeks of weather
A one page quick reference table with every stay, ferry, drive and booking deadline
Who this is for
People who would rather take the ferry than the shortcut. If you want to see a lot, walk a lot, and drive roads that make you sit up straight, this route was built for you.
Who this is not for
If you want a slow trip with three days in one hotel, this will exhaust you. If Skye is the reason you are going to Scotland, this is the wrong itinerary, and I say so kindly.