This Scotland express self-drive tour is a fast-paced version of our tours around Scotland, designed to include as many of the top sights as possible in only six days. Your road trip will take you from the capital Edinburgh up into the Highlands to the beautiful Isle of Skye and through legendary locations such as Loch Ness and Glen Coe. Admire the rugged landscapes of the country and visit top attractions to make the most of your week in Scotland.
Just a few of the majestic sights you’ll take in during your trip.
A day-by-day plan to guide your journey.
Make your way into Edinburgh city centre where your hotel will be located. Many travellers opt to take a taxi or use public transport, but for a more direct and comfortable ride, we will be happy to organise a private airport transfer for you. For those arriving early in the day, we recommend spending the afternoon walking through the city, strolling along the Royal Mile and exploring the Old and New Towns, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are also plenty of museums and landmarks to visit within the city centre, including the majestic Edinburgh Castle.
Spend the night in Edinburgh.
Start your road trip driving into the Highlands. On the way you’ll have many possible stops, such as the picturesque village of Dunkeld and the 13th-century Blair Castle. Driving through the Cairngorms National Park you could also stop at the Highland Folk Museum. Arriving near Inverness, you can drive to the Battlefield of Culloden Moor, to see where the last battle on British soil occurred in 1746, marking "the beginning of the end for the Highlands." Nearby you can visit Clava Cairns, a series of tombs and standing stones dating back roughly 4,000 years.
Spend the night in the Inverness area.
Driving distance: 251 km / 156 miles
Today‘s journey will take you from Inverness to the famous Isle of Skye. Drive along the shores of Loch Ness and, if you have time, take a boat tour in search of its notorious and elusive monster, or go explore the nearby Urquhart Castle ruins. Further along the drive, make a stop at the iconic Eilean Donan Castle. When you arrive on Skye, your first stop will be at the scenic village of Portree, where you can explore and admire its colourful buildings and dine at a local restaurant.
Spend the night on the Isle of Skye or nearby.
Driving distance: 182 km / 113 miles
Start the day early to explore Skye, a haven for nature lovers. Drive around the northern part of the island via the breathtaking Trotternish Peninsula, passing "The Old Man of Storr," one of Skye’s most famous landmarks. On the way you can see the beautiful Kilt Rock Waterfall and enjoy the scenery of the Quiraing. Later, head to the Sleat Peninsula and catch the ferry to the mainland. On your drive to Fort William stop at Glenfinnan where you can visit the Glenfinnan Monument, overlooking Loch Shiel, and admire the Glenfinnan Viaduct, featured in Harry Potter.
Spend the night in the Fort William area.
Ferry from Armadale to Mallaig: 30 minutes
Driving distance: 254 km / 157 miles
Today, drive across the Trossachs National Park and Loch Lomond area and back to Edinburgh (you can choose to end your trip in Glasgow in the optional activities). This journey takes you past the magnificent Glen Coe, Scotland’s most famous and scenic valley. For a fun photo opportunity, don't miss the Doune Castle, featured in Monty Python & the Holy Grail and Outlander. If time allows, you could also stop by Stirling Castle, one of Scotland’s top attractions, or at the impressive Kelpies, two giant horse-head sculptures.
Spend the night in Edinburgh.
Driving distance: 261 km / 162 miles
On your day of departure, we recommend taking the Airlink bus or a taxi directly from your hotel to reach the airport. If you would like to add any additional nights to your trip or to arrange a private transfer, you can do so during the booking process. If your flight is in the afternoon, you may have time for some last-minute shopping, to visit one of Edinburgh’s museums, or take one last stroll through the charming city centre.
Customise your adventure with these Optional Extras.
We recommend adding your extra activities to the tour now for the best booking experience and to secure your spot, as activities are likely to sell out.
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Here’s a map of your travel route, to help put things in perspective.
Don’t worry, we’ve got this covered.
These should tide you over until you’re in Scotland to take your own pictures.
We don’t like to brag, so we’ll let our happy customers do it for us.
Overall I am thankful for finding and booking through Nordic Visitor. I will probably book through them again! The trip was well thought out with lots of details that helped me every step of the way for my first time not only outside of the US, but to Scotland.
Everything we needed to enjoy our trip and itinerary was included.
This was our second trip with Nordic Visitor and it was as wonderful as the first trip. The information package that they give you at the start of the trip was extremely helpful. The hotels and B&Bs that they booked were amazing. We hope they will expand their trip locations so we can go on more of their trips. They were able to accommodate our request for an extra day at the start of the trip and to end the tour in Glasgow instead of Edinburgh.
Sleep soundly, in the accommodation type of your choice, and wake up ready to enjoy another day of exploration.
Enjoy your road trip with a free GPS and Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) to reduce liability.
Our best price per person when booking for two.
We recommend that all our travellers read through the following information about driving in Scotland, what the tour includes, the itinerary, accommodation, and other useful information for your travels.
ABOUT OUR SELF-DRIVE TOURS
This is a self-drive tour, which means you will follow a detailed and personalised itinerary during your road trip in Scotland. No dedicated driver or tour guide is included. All accommodation, rental vehicle, and other planned activities or added services will be pre-booked by Nordic Visitor (as specified in the itinerary). As this is a self-drive tour, you are welcome to stop when and where you wish on your drive. Except for accommodation and booked activities, other highlights we’ve listed in the itinerary are suggestions based on Nordic Visitor favourites.
TRAVEL SEASONS IN SCOTLAND
Scotland is beautiful all year long, but we want travellers to be aware that the summer is the high travelling season, with July and August being the peak months. Due to this fact, many of the highlights, such as Isle of Skye and Edinburgh, will be extremely popular and offer limited availability, for attractions, accommodations, restaurants and tours alike.
For a more relaxing experience, we recommend booking well in advance or arriving during the shoulder season, from April to June or September and October. However, if you wish to travel in July or August, we will endeavour to make this a great adventure.
ACCOMMODATION
Our team of local travel experts carefully selects hotels, B&Bs, and guesthouses around the country based on excellent ratings, personal experience and comfort. Generally, in Scotland, whilst room sizes may vary, our room types are based on European standard sizes. Please note that twin rooms, triple and family rooms are not commonly available in Scotland, so please contact us for booking assistance if that is something you would like. Please also be aware that, due to the historic nature of the properties we usually select, most of the rooms are only accessible by going up stairs, as there are often no lifts available. Please contact us if you are not able to walk up stairs.
DRIVING IN SCOTLAND
The roads in Scotland are usually in good conditions all year long and are renowned for their road trip worthiness. Please be aware that in the UK motorists drive on the left side of the road (and on the right side of the car). If you are not used to driving on the left, we highly recommend choosing a vehicle with automatic transmission for your self-drive tour. If you want a manual transmission vehicle, keep in mind that you will need to shift gears with your left hand (floor pedals are the same). Drivers will also have to get used to the narrower roads of the UK as well as the rural single-track roads with passing places and be careful of animals on the road.
For inexperienced drivers who still want to explore and discover Scotland, we recommend one of our guided small group tour or our privately guided tours, where you will have a local, experienced guide at the wheel.
ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE FROM GLASGOW
If you are planning on arriving in Glasgow, you could book a private transfer from Glasgow Airport to your accommodation in Edinburgh to start the journey in a comfortable way. During certain tours, you will have the options to end your trip in Glasgow, rather than Edinburgh, as well if that is more convenient for you.
SAFETY & WEATHER CONDITIONS
Please note that sightseeing and transport is dependent on weather and road conditions and might need to be altered if conditions are not favourable. This includes ferries and drives. If something unexpected occurs, you can call our 24-hour helpline to speak directly with a Nordic Visitor staff member.
CURRENCY RATE
All bookings are charged in British Pounds (£, GBP). Prices displayed in other currencies are indicative only and based on the daily exchange rate. Therefore, conversions from GBP to other currencies will fluctuate from day to day.
AFTER BOOKING WITH NORDIC VISITOR
After booking your package with Nordic Visitor, you will be contacted within two business days by one of our travel consultants who will serve as your dedicated contact person for all your travel needs before, during and even after your holiday. Your travel consultant will provide you with details about your booking and your remaining payment (if not paid in full). You will also receive more information about what to expect during your holiday.
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