A Fun-Filled Scottish Highlands Road Trip Itinerary

The main reason we went to Scotland was to take a barge cruise through the Scottish Highlands with Caledonian Discovery.  During that cruise, we would be hiking, biking, and boating slowly through the Highlands.  Therefore, we knew we would see plenty of Scottish Highlands’ nature during that time.  However, there are other things to see in the Scottish Highlands like castles, cathedrals, and distilleries that we wouldn’t see on our cruise, so we also decided to spend four days on a Scottish Highlands road trip.  Our Scotland road trip itinerary took us from Edinburgh to Inverness with overnights in Stirling, Braemar, and Urquhart.

5 Great Edinburgh Restaurants On or Near the Royal Mile

When we traveled to Edinburgh, we were on the lookout for great restaurants, but also restaurants that were close to where we were staying on the Royal Mile.  We discovered five delicious Edinburgh restaurants on or near the Royal Mile, some through research and some just by happenstance.  They ran the gamut from fine-dining, Michelin-rated restaurants to casual eateries.  All had fantastic food and are worth a visit.

3 Top Scottish Golf Courses (That Aren’t St. Andrews)

When a golfer goes to Scotland, everyone asks if they are going to play the Old Course at St. Andrews, the most famous golf course in the world.  But since Scotland is the birthplace of golf, there are a ton more Scottish golf courses  beyond St. Andrews, and many of them are top golf courses in their own right for various reasons.  The following is my account of three fanfreekintastic Scottish golf courses I was able to experience on our trip about Scotland starting in Edinburgh and finishing at the end of Loch Ness.

Exploring the Scottish Highlands on a Barge Cruise

The Scottish Highlands have two separate travel components.  One includes castles and distilleries and other touristy sites.  We found these were best enjoyed on a Scottish Highlands road trip.  The second is the natural beauty of the Scottish Highlands.  This second aspect of the Highlands is best enjoyed slowly.  We found that the best way to enjoy the Scottish Highlands was on an active holiday on a Scotland cruise. 

What to Expect on a Scotland Cruise with Caledonian Discovery

We had long wanted to visit the Scottish Highlands.  We wanted to see the purple heather, the yellow gorse, the green moss.  We wanted to enjoy the Scottish Highlands slowly, hiking and communing with nature.  While we love road trips and spent a few days road tripping through the Scottish Highlands by car visiting Scottish castles, distilleries, and cathedrals, we were excited to try out a different way of experiencing the Scottish Highlands, on a Scotland Cruise with Caledonian Discovery. 

10 of the Best Castles in Scotland for a Road Trip Itinerary

Scotland has thousands of castles, so it’s impossible to see all of Scotland’s castles in one road trip.  However, it also means that no matter what route you choose, there are sure to be a number of castles along it to visit.  Our Scotland road trip itinerary took us from Edinburgh and north through the Highlands through Stirling, Perth, Cairngorms National Park, and Elgin.   Part of this route is through Aberdeenshire, which has the most castles per acre than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, and is even home to Scotland’s Castle Trail.  These are 10 of the best castles in Scotland we included in our road trip itinerary.

20 Fun Things to Do in Edinburgh in 3 Days

When traveling to Scotland, it is a must to include Edinburgh on the itinerary.  However, we wanted to explore more of Scotland, especially the beautiful Highlands, rather than spending our entire vacation in the city.  Luckily, even though there are many things to do in Edinburgh, Scotland’s Old Town is compact so travelers can easily see much of Edinburgh in three days or less.