I had just finished Jolie Vines’ Dark Island Scots series when we boarded the train north through the Cairngorms. Rookie move. I spent the next forty minutes pressed against the window narrating fictional Scottish heroes to myself while my newly adult son reconsidered our whole relationship.
Scotland was the second leg of a longer Ireland + Scotland trip for my son’s 18th birthday in May 2025. Quick overview can be found here. This post covers the Scotland Highlands itinerary specifically: one week between Inverness, the Highlands, Edinburgh, and a Glasgow day trip that ended with a tattoo.
I also came home, pitched Scottish property ownership to my husband as an investment opportunity (I am not writing this for laughs-absolutely serious), and currently have an active Zillow alert running. That is, unfortunately, not a joke.
Trip overview
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| When | May 2025 |
| Length | 1 week in Scotland |
| Who | Me and my son for his 18th birthday |
| Base 1 | Inverness (Highlands base) |
| Base 2 | Edinburgh |
| Day trip | Glasgow |
| Transport | ScotRail city-to-city + hire car for Highland routes |
| Vibe | Adventurous, romantasy (for me), whisky, full emotional spiral |
This is not a “see all of Scotland in seven days” situation. It is a slower Scotland itinerary built around time together, big landscapes, and a few deliberately cinematic moments.
Getting around Scotland
For this Scotland route, ScotRail handled the long hauls and I would do it exactly the same way again. The stretch through the Cairngorms specifically: put your phone in your bag. If you are a nature observer, this journey looks exactly like you think it does and somehow still manages to surprise you.
For Highland day trips out of Inverness, a hire car is non-negotiable. The roads are narrow, dramatically rocky and high, and not a public transit situation. Plan your driving days when you are rested and build in extra time for pull-offs and views.
Inverness: Best base for a Highlands itinerary
Inverness is my preferred Highland base for a reason. It gives you direct access to some of the most dramatic landscapes in Scotland without throwing you straight into Edinburgh’s sensory load on day one. As someone who designs itineraries around pacing and nervous system capacity, the order matters. Start here.
Where we stayed:
Hôtel Colomba is my recommendation. City centre, beautiful bar, genuinely comfortable. Coming back after a long Highland day feels earned rather than just functional.
If you want a Scotland Highlands itinerary that feels doable rather than punishing, I like:
- 3 nights Inverness (Highland day trips).
- 3–4 nights Edinburgh (city time).
- 1 Glasgow day trip tucked into the Edinburgh days.
Scotland Highlands itinerary day trips: the part that got me
I am going to be honest with you. One of these stops got me. Like, actually got me deep in my chest:
Our private day tour with Niall who was our guide, driver, and apparently a man who travels with bagpipes, took us through gin distilleries, up to Bealach na Bà, along Loch Carron, and eventually to an old Highland graveyard tucked into the hills. And that is where he stopped, pulled out the bagpipes, and played for us for a few minutes. It felt so very sacred and so special I have trouble articulating it.
I know. For people in Scotland, this is completely normal, but I did not grow up with this in rural Louisiana, and standing there with the grass moving and the hills around us and the water bluer than I expected, I felt that frisson in my chest in a way I was not prepared for. Awe is the closest word and it still does not cover it.
I also got a little weepy, which I am laughing about, but genuinely: there is something about witnessing a tradition that has survived everything history has thrown at it that hits differently when you let it. I am grateful we got to be there for it. I am grateful Niall played for us. 🎶
That feeling is part of why I keep designing travel experiences around moments rather than checklists. The seconds I spent standing in that graveyard are gone. I lived them and got to share that plot of Earth with thousands before and after me.
Scotland Highlands itinerary highlights (day-trip ideas from Inverness)
| Stop | What to know |
|---|---|
| Loch Ness | The atmosphere earns the visit. Nessie remains unconfirmed. Go anyway. |
| Invermoriston Bridge | 18th‑century stone bridge, trees, and rushing water. Give yourself time here. |
| Great Glen Gin Distillery | Small, personal, and genuinely worth the stop. Beautiful setting on the Great Glen Way. |
| Glen Ord Distillery | Classic Highland malt near Muir of Ord. Great if you are whisky‑curious. |
| Bealach na Bà | One of the highest and most dramatic mountain passes in Scotland. Slightly terrifying to drive.🏔️ |
| Loch Carron | A sea loch framed by mountains that looks photoshopped. The drive along it is one I keep thinking about. |
If you are building a one-week Scotland Highlands itinerary, one full guided day like this is, in my opinion, non‑negotiable.
Edinburgh 🏰
Edinburgh rewards people who give it time. Two to three days minimum. Rush it and you will leave frustrated and weirdly unfinished with the city. Also be soooo prepared for the steps and hills. Train them legs and glutes!
Where we stayed:
APEX Grassmarket puts you in the Old Town with castle views and everything worth doing within walking distance. Solid for a first visit or a repeat one.
What we actually did in Edinburgh
- Mercat Ghost Tours
Book in advance, do the evening session. The underground vaults are atmospheric in a way photos cannot capture. My son showed up deeply skeptical and was fully invested within ten minutes. This one delivers. 👻 - The Islanders Bag Experience
This has its own full post because it earned it. One of the most memorable parts of the entire trip and a beautiful way to take something real home with you. - Tuk Tuk Indian Street Food
I ordered from Tuk Tuk three times. On the SAME trip-no exaggeration LOL! Award-winning Indian street food, BYOB, small sharing plates, the YUMMIEST butter chichen EVER. 🍛 - Costa Coffee
Between castles you sometimes need a flat white and a predictable table. Scotland has Costas everywhere.
Glasgow: the tattoo day trip 🖤
My son wanted his first tattoo for his 18th birthday. We found a brilliant artist I had been following on Instagram for a while, he got inked as did I, and no, they are not matching.
We did not do Glasgow justice in a day, but even in that short slice it felt grittier and louder than Edinburgh in the best of ways-very youthful and exciting. It is on the list for a proper return visit.
If you are traveling with teens or newly adult humans, anchoring a day trip around something that matters to them (tattoo, record shop crawl, football match) is an easy way to make the itinerary feel like theirs too.
Why this Scotland week mattered beyond the scenery
Part of what I do (the travel side, the fitness side, all of it) comes down to one thing: time is finite and most of us are spending it braced rather than present.
I genuinely believe that taking care of your body gives you more of it, and better quality too. So that you can hike up a hill without drama. Stay out past 5 p.m. Say yes to the early morning experience even when it is not your natural preference. Be in your body for the moment rather than just getting through it.
That is what this Scotland trip gave me. Not just beautiful views, though the Bealach na Bà and Loch Carron will stay with me for a long time. The feeling of being fully present in a place. 🌿
I came home and immediately brainstormed ways to return bc it is truly that special of a place to me.
Practical quick reference
| Category | My pick |
|---|---|
| Inverness stay | Hôtel Colomba |
| Edinburgh stay | APEX Grassmarket |
| Best meal | Tuk Tuk Indian Street Food (x3) |
| Most cinematic stop | Bealach na Bà into Loch Carron |
| Best tour | Mercat Ghost Tour, Edinburgh |
| Getting around | ScotRail city‑to‑city, hire car for Highlands |
| Best decision | Glasgow tattoo day trip |
| Biggest regret | Not buying property here yet |
Thinking about your own Scotland Highlands itinerary?
Scotland is my most personally beloved destination and the one I return to most. It is also where I run group retreat experiences for bookish, romantasy‑loving women who want thoughtful pacing and a setting that actually delivers.
If that sounds like your kind of trip, come find your people. 🛋️🖤
👉You should join us in my Facebook group but also…figure out where your ultimate romance realm is 😉
