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Loch Katrine in Scotland

Best Ways to See Scotland

Looking for the best way to see Scotland? Whether you want to take a leisurely road trip through the Scottish Highlands or immerse yourself in Scottish culture on a professionally guided tour, the local travel experts at Nordic Visitor know the best ways to travel in Scotland according to what you want to see and do on your trip.

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Discover the Top Ways to Travel Around Scotland

There's no singular best way to see Scotland. What’s best for you depends on how you want to travel, the attractions you want to see, your length of stay and the time of year you visit. As a country with over 6,000 miles of coastline, rugged Highlands, idyllic lowlands, charming villages, historic cities and numerous isles off the north and west coasts, there are numerous routes you could follow to see Scotland’s top sights.

The best way to travel around Scotland is by car, whether on an independent road trip or as part of a guided tour. As local travel experts in Scotland, with staff based at our office in Edinburgh, Nordic Visitor offers a variety of package tours that offer the best way to see the Scottish Highlands and other popular areas, like the Isle of Skye, the St Andrews area and more. 

Keep browsing to get tour suggestions and tips for the best way to visit Scotland.

 

— WHY US?

Why book with Nordic Visitor

  • Hassle-free & seamless travel experience
  • Flexible & customisable tour options
  • Value for your money
  • Professional service from local experts

Experience Scotland on a road trip

Explore the Highlands and beyond on a self-drive tour. We handle your accommodation booking and route planning; you drive and experience Scotland at your own pace.

Scotland
Best seller
Self-drive
10 days / 9 nights
4.9
Apr - Oct

Classic Scotland

1884GBP

Eur

View map
Best seller
10 days / 9 nights
Apr - Oct

Classic Scotland

1884GBP

GBP

Close map view
Scotland
Best seller
Self-drive
8 days / 7 nights
4.9
Apr - Oct

Scottish Highlands & Isle of Skye

1579GBP

Eur

View map
Best seller
8 days / 7 nights
Apr - Oct

Scottish Highlands & Isle of Skye

1579GBP

GBP

Close map view
Scotland
Best seller
Self-drive
17 days / 16 nights
4.9
Apr - Oct

Grand Tour of Scotland

3490GBP

Eur

View map
Best seller
17 days / 16 nights
Apr - Oct

Grand Tour of Scotland

3490GBP

GBP

Close map view
Scotland
Best seller
Self-drive
14 days / 13 nights
4.8
Apr - Oct

Complete Scotland

2865GBP

Eur

View map
Best seller
14 days / 13 nights
Apr - Oct

Complete Scotland

2865GBP

GBP

Close map view

Join a small group tour in Scotland

Meet like minded travellers on your Scotland trip, in a small group of 16 people at most. See the top attractions and well-kept secrets with your local guide.

Scotland
10% OFF IN 2024
Best seller
Guided Groups
7 days / 6 nights
4.7
May - Sep

Wonders of Scotland

Pace Level Level 2 (Classic)
Activity Level Level 2 (Moderate)

2672GBP

2405GBP

Eur

View map
10% OFF IN 2024
Best seller
7 days / 6 nights
May - Sep

Wonders of Scotland

2672GBP

2405GBP

GBP

Close map view
Scotland
10% OFF IN 2024
Best seller
Guided Groups
10 days / 9 nights
4.8
May - Sep

Highlights of Scotland

Pace Level Level 2 (Classic)
Activity Level Level 2 (Moderate)

4095GBP

3686GBP

Eur

View map
10% OFF IN 2024
Best seller
10 days / 9 nights
May - Sep

Highlights of Scotland

4095GBP

3686GBP

GBP

Close map view
England, Scotland & Wales
10% OFF IN 2024
Guided Groups
12 days / 11 nights
Apr - Oct

Wonders of Britain

Pace Level Level 1 (At Leisure)
Activity Level Level 1 (Easy)

5009GBP

4508GBP

Eur

View map
10% OFF IN 2024
12 days / 11 nights
Apr - Oct

Wonders of Britain

5009GBP

4508GBP

GBP

Close map view
Scotland & Ireland
10% OFF IN 2024
Guided Groups
14 days / 13 nights
Apr - Oct

Wonders of Ireland & Scotland

5519EUR

4967EUR

Eur

View map
10% OFF IN 2024
14 days / 13 nights
Apr - Oct

Wonders of Ireland & Scotland

5519EUR

4967EUR

EUR

Close map view

Explore Scotland on a private tour

Enjoy flexible sightseeing and more Scottish cultural insights on a privately guided tour with a local driving you around in style.

Scotland
Best seller
Privately Guided
10 days / 9 nights
Apr - Oct

Classic Scotland - Private

5847GBP

Eur

View map
Best seller
10 days / 9 nights
Apr - Oct

Classic Scotland - Private

5847GBP

GBP

Close map view
Scotland
Privately Guided
14 days / 13 nights
Apr - Oct

Complete Scotland - Private

8831GBP

Eur

View map
14 days / 13 nights
Apr - Oct

Complete Scotland - Private

8831GBP

GBP

Close map view
Scotland & Ireland
Privately Guided
14 days / 13 nights
Apr - Oct

Classic Scotland & Ireland - Private

7259GBP

Eur

View map
14 days / 13 nights
Apr - Oct

Classic Scotland & Ireland - Private

7259GBP

GBP

Close map view
Scotland
Privately Guided
7 days / 6 nights
Apr - Oct

Scottish Highlands - Private

3734GBP

Eur

View map
7 days / 6 nights
Apr - Oct

Scottish Highlands - Private

3734GBP

GBP

Close map view

Experience Scotland your way

We have tours for all varieties of travel styles and interests. See our options for exploring Scotland below.

Best way to see Scotland by car

Want to explore on your own? Nordic Visitor’s self-drive tour packages include a rental car of your choice and everything else you need for the best Scotland road trip experience. Take comfort in the fact that all of your accommodations are arranged for you by your own personal Nordic Visitor travel consultant in Edinburgh. And know exactly where you’re driving each day — and which optional attractions are nearby — with a personalised itinerary and Scotland travel guide booklet. We’ll also provide you with a hand-marked map of Scotland and our own 24/7 helpline.



The best way to see Scotland in a week or more is with an itinerary that starts from Edinburgh and loops around the Highlands, with overnights in places such as Inverness, the Isle of Skye, Fort William and the Loch Lomond area. With about 10 days or more, you can build on this route with stays in locations such as the Orkney islands, the further-flung isles of the Outer Hebrides and the “Castle Trail” area of Aberdeenshire. If you have 2 weeks or more, you can do the works: the Highlands, Inner Hebrides, Outer Hebrides, Orkney and the east coast. All Nordic Visitor self-drive tours are customisable, so can request extra nights to be added to your personal itinerary.



BEST WAY TO SEE SCOTLAND WITHOUT A CAR

If you want to let someone else handle the driving in Scotland — and make new friends on your Scottish journey, a guided small group tour by Nordic Visitor is the way to go. Unlike a standard bus tour, our tour groups are limited to 16 travellers so that you can enjoy more personal interactions with your local driver-guide and fellow adventurers. You’ll travel in a comfy mini-coach to Scotland’s world-famous sights — such as Loch Ness, the Quiraing and Eilean Donan Castle — while enjoying some authentic Scottish storytelling on the way. What’s more, all tours operated by Nordic Visitor include quality accommodations and opportunities to taste real Scotch whisky on distillery tours.

Want to travel with a guide on your own customised route? Nordic Visitor’s privately-guided tours offer the flexibility of a self-drive tour but with the ease of riding in a premium 4x4 jeep driven by a professional local guide. Private tours are a great option for those who are tracing Scottish roots, have a specific interest in Scotland’s historical sites or want a behind-the-scenes look at filming locations from the Outlander series



All of our itineraries can be tailored by our local experts with extra nights in Edinburgh, arrivals or departures from Glasgow, and more. 

 

What do our customers say?

The reviews speak for themselves. See what Nordic Visitor travellers said about their experience with us.

Simon,

Highlights of Scotland, October 2020

A very good tour with a great information pack.

A very good tour with good information and map with highlighted attractions and a very good information pack.

Kalli

Express Scotland, October 2019

Absolutely love working with Nordic Visitor!

I have already traveled twice with Nordic Visitor, and am already in the process of booking a third trip! Absolutely love working with you! Every bed and breakfast we stayed at was amazing. The hosts were so welcoming with great suggestions of things to do and places to eat. The rooms were very comfortable, and the amenities were awesome! 

Paul,

Scottish Highlands & Isle of Skye, September 2020

The best holidays we have ever had!

Superb!! Our first ever 'touring' holiday and right up there with the best holidays we have ever had. We are not youngsters, so this was taken on with a bit of trepidation, but were soon put at ease by the sheer quality of accommodation provided along with the superb travel itinerary book (yes, it's that thick and detailed) and map. Even though we often used local recommendations, these became our trusted companions throughout the week - and are now valued reminders of an exceptional holiday - Thankyou Nordic Visitor, we will be back!

Crystal, United States

Classic Scotland & The Orkney islands, September 2019

Wonderful experience!

Thank you so much! Our experience in Scotland was wonderful! We felt prepared for what to expect, particularly as it relates to making dinner reservations on the islands we visited. The food recommendations were excellent , the accommodations were cozy, and the recommendations for sites and attractions greatly appreciated. A special thank you to Agne who answered all my inquiries, helped us make dinner reservations and confirmed all our dates and meeting times - she was a pleasure to work with!  

David,

Classic Scotland, September 2020

Excellent trip

All accommodations were excellent with very friendly hosts. Car rental pickup was very quick and easy and car was excellent. Rebecca was excellent, she took all our requirements and made a personal tour for us. Her attention to detail was excellent.The documents at our first hotel were excellent especially the map with everything marked on for us.

David

Scottish Highlands & Isle of Skye, June 2019

A positive experience, beginning to end!

This tour was a positive experience for us, beginning to end. The planning by Nordic Visitor was complete, thoughtful, and worked flawlessly. Scotland was stunning and most interesting - we just wish we had more time. To Nordic Visitor: Great Job! We'll be back!

Gary, Canada

Scotland Winter World, November 2019

The accommodations, destinations and car were great!

The tour went very well. All the accommodation was excellent. We are very pleased with all the arrangements and communications that we had with Rebecca. The accommodations, destinations and car were great. Our only wish is that we would have had more time at some of the locations. We had a hard time packing it all in!

Jennifer

Express Scotland, July 2019

Nothing but great words to say about Nordic Visitor!

We were thrilled with all of our accommodations. All hosts/hostesses were very friendly and we felt very welcomed. The rental car service was also very good and thorough. And we felt as though everyone had a good working relationship as the businesses had nothing but great words to say about Nordic Visitor so we felt good that everyone was working together to make our visit a great one!

Scotland Travel Guide

Learn some fun facts and do some research before your Scottish adventure.

Our Services

Whether you travel independently or with a guide in your Nordic Visitor package, you will receive personalised service from a designated travel consultant and high-quality travel documents. What's more, all self-drive clients receive a hand-marked map that outlines the driving route, overnights and highlights along the way. Travel with ease knowing that Nordic Visitor has close professional relationships with local service providers, which are carefully selected by our staff for their consistently high standards.

Book With Confidence

  • Protect your money & plans with our flexible booking terms  .
  • 97% of customers say they’d recommend us to friends.
  • We work closely with trusted, high-quality suppliers.
  • Enjoy personal service from Scotland travel experts.
  • Get peace of mind with a 24/7 helpline during your stay.
  • We’re here for you in case of unforeseen circumstances.

Contact us

Whether you’re looking to add a night in Edinburgh, want restaurant recommendations or have questions about your tour, we’re happy to help so get in touch with our friendly team to answer any of your travel queries

Call

Our main phone number is
+354 578 20 80

Chat

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