Only have a week in Scotland but want to see the best bits? This post has two routes I’d give a friend on their first visit:
- The classic loop from Edinburgh: Stirling, Loch Lomond, Glencoe, Loch Ness and Highland Perthshire, with no day longer than two hours behind the wheel.
- The west coast version from Glasgow: Loch Lomond, Glencoe, two nights on the Isle of Skye, Inverness, Fort William and Oban. There’s more driving, but you get Skye.
Both cover the places most first-time visitors want to see, without the long single-track days of the North Coast 500.
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Your 7 day Scotland itinerary at a glance
The classic loop from Edinburgh
- Day 1: Edinburgh to Stirling (1 hour)
- Day 2: Stirling to Loch Lomond (1 hour)
- Day 3: Loch Lomond to Glencoe and Fort William (1 hour 45 minutes)
- Days 4 & 5: Fort William to Loch Ness (50 minutes)
- Day 6: Loch Ness to Highland Perthshire (2 hours)
- Day 7: Pitlochry to Edinburgh (1 hour 30 minutes)
The west coast and Skye version from Glasgow
- Day 1: Glasgow to Loch Lomond and Glencoe (2 hours 30 minutes)
- Days 2 & 3: Glencoe to the Isle of Skye (3 hours)
- Day 4: Isle of Skye to Inverness (2 hours 45 minutes)
- Day 5: Inverness to Loch Ness and Fort William (1 hour 45 minutes)
- Day 6: Fort William to Oban (1 hour 15 minutes)
- Day 7: Oban to Glasgow (2 hours 30 minutes)
Driving times are without stops or traffic. Highland roads nearly always take longer than the sat nav says, so add a quarter on top.
I have popped the route onto a google map with all the stops marked.
The classic loop from Edinburgh
Day 1: Edinburgh to Stirling
Driving time: 1 hour
Leave Edinburgh and head west along the Firth of Forth. First stop is South Queensferry for the Forth Bridges. The best view is just outside the town on the road to Newton: look for the car park on the right, and take care turning in.
Next, follow the A904 west to Blackness Castle, the “ship that never sailed”, which played Fort William in Outlander. Then join the M9 to Falkirk for the Kelpies, the largest equine sculptures in the world, set beside the Forth and Clyde Canal. There’s a café on site if you need a coffee.
Finish the day in Stirling. Park up and explore the Old Town, the castle and the Wallace Monument. I’ll leave you to decide which castle wins: Edinburgh, Blackness or Stirling.
- See: Forth Bridges, Blackness Castle, the Kelpies, Stirling Castle
- If you have time: Linlithgow Palace, the Wallace Monument, the Battle of Bannockburn Visitor Centre
- Where to stay in Stirling: The Meadowpark Bar and Rooms
Day 2: Stirling to Loch Lomond and the Trossachs
Driving time: 1 hour
Today you head into Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, with a couple of options on the way. Outlander fans should stop at Doune Castle (Castle Leoch in the series), just north of Stirling. Or head west to Inchmahome Priory, on an island in the Lake of Menteith.
If you’d rather go straight to the loch, take the A811 towards Balloch. For me the best views of Loch Lomond, the largest loch in Great Britain by surface area, are from the east side.
Base yourself around Balmaha and Rowardennan: small villages, busy in summer, with beaches along the shore. Climb Conic Hill for one of the best view-to-effort ratios in Scotland, and keep an eye out for your first Highland coo. If you want to bag a Munro, Ben Lomond (974m) starts from Rowardennan.
Read my guide to things to do at Loch Lomond.
- See: Doune Castle or Inchmahome Priory, Loch Lomond, Conic Hill
- If you have time: Blair Drummond Safari Park, Glengoyne Distillery
- Where to stay at Loch Lomond: The Oak Tree Inn (Balmaha), The Lodge on Loch Lomond, The Loch Lomond Arms, Cameron House
Day 3: Loch Lomond to Glencoe and Fort William
Driving time: 1 hour 45 minutes
This is the day you really arrive in the Highlands. Before leaving the loch, stop at Loch Lomond Shores for gifts, then visit Luss, with its cottages right on the water. Join the A82 north through Crianlarich and Tyndrum. Stop for a coffee at the Drovers Inn or the Green Welly Stop before the most spectacular stretch of the trip.
Glencoe is Scotland’s most famous glen, home to Buachaille Etive Mòr, one of the most photographed mountains in the country. Take a photo of the wee white house beneath it. You don’t need to climb anything to enjoy the glen: stop for the Three Sisters, meet the deer, or walk round Glencoe Lochan, one of my favourite easy walks.
Read my guide to Glencoe.
- See: Luss, the A82 over Rannoch Moor, Glencoe, Glencoe Lochan
- Where to stay in Glencoe: The Clachaig Inn, Kingshouse Hotel
- Where to stay in Fort William: The Garrison, Lime Tree An Ealdhain, The Nevis Bank Inn, Inverlochy Castle Hotel
Days 4 & 5: Fort William to Loch Ness
Driving time: 50 minutes
Head north up the Great Glen to Fort Augustus, at the southern tip of Loch Ness. Watch the boats work their way up the flight of locks on the Caledonian Canal, then get out on the water. Cruise Loch Ness runs both sightseeing cruises and RIB trips that whizz up the loch. Urquhart Castle is about half an hour up the loch by car.
I recommend staying two nights here, because it gives you a free day for one of these:
- Eilean Donan, Scotland’s most famous castle, about an hour’s drive from Fort Augustus
- Glenfinnan, to watch the Jacobite steam train (the Harry Potter train) cross the viaduct
- Neptune’s Staircase, the flight of eight canal locks at Banavie, near Fort William
- Ben Nevis, the UK’s highest mountain, if you’re a hillwalker. Allow a full day.
Read my guide to Fort Augustus and Loch Ness.
- See: Fort Augustus locks, a Loch Ness boat trip, Urquhart Castle
- Where to stay at Loch Ness: Lock Chambers, Caledonian Canal Centre, The Whitebridge Hotel (friendly, dog-friendly, great food), Foyers House
Day 6: Loch Ness to Highland Perthshire
Driving time: 2 hours
Now you turn east across Scotland. The road passes Loch Laggan, where it’s worth stopping for a photo of Ardverikie Castle (privately owned, so photos from the road only). When you reach the A9, stop at Dalwhinnie, my favourite distillery in Scotland. Book the tasting tour, although the driver will have to sit this one out.
The A9 is one of Scotland’s busiest roads, so spend the afternoon on the roads either side of it:
- Blair Castle
- feeding red deer or heading out in a 4×4 with Highland Safaris
- the Queen’s View over Loch Tummel
- a detour to Loch Tay
Stay the night in Pitlochry or beside one of the lochs.
Read my guide to Perthshire.
- See: Loch Laggan, Dalwhinnie Distillery, Blair Castle, Queen’s View, Highland Safaris
- Where to stay in Highland Perthshire: Knockendarroch or Fonab Castle in Pitlochry, The Inn at Loch Tummel, Fortingall Hotel near Loch Tay
Day 7: Pitlochry to Edinburgh
Driving time: 1 hour 30 minutes
There’s plenty to see on the way back to Edinburgh. Before leaving Pitlochry, walk in Faskally Wood, which is at its best in autumn.
Heading south, stop at Dunkeld. Walk up through the Hermitage to the waterfall, find the Birnam Oak by the River Tay, and have lunch at the Taybank.
Next is Scone Palace (say “Scoon”), the crowning place of the Kings of Scots, with peacocks wandering the grounds. Then on to Loch Leven. Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned in its island castle in 1567, before escaping the following year. The 13-mile Heritage Trail runs round the loch past RSPB Loch Leven.
Rejoin the M90 for your last stop: North Queensferry, for a close-up view of the Forth Bridge. It’s the perfect last memory before you cross back into Edinburgh.
- See: Faskally Wood, Dunkeld and the Hermitage, Scone Palace, Loch Leven, North Queensferry
- Where to stay in Edinburgh: Virgin Hotels Edinburgh, The Balmoral, Market Street Hotel, Gleneagles Townhouse
Spending an extra day in the city? Here’s my local’s guide to Edinburgh.
The west coast and Skye version from Glasgow
Flying into Glasgow? It puts you right next to the west coast, so this version swaps Perthshire for two nights on the Isle of Skye. There’s more driving, with two days of close to three hours, but it’s the way to see Skye in a week.
Want the classic loop instead? Stirling is under an hour from Glasgow on the M80, so start there and follow the Edinburgh route above.
Day 1: Glasgow to Loch Lomond and Glencoe
Driving time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Head north out of Glasgow to Loch Lomond. My favourite stops on the west shore are Duck Bay, Luss, Firkin Point, Tarbet and Inveruglas. Then carry on up the A82 over Rannoch Moor into Glencoe. Walk round Glencoe Lochan or call in at the Glencoe Visitor Centre, and get your photo of the wee white house under Buachaille Etive Mòr.
- Where to stay: The Clachaig Inn or the Kingshouse Hotel in Glencoe. Ballachulish, Kinlochleven and Bridge of Orchy are good alternatives.
Days 2 & 3: Glencoe to the Isle of Skye
Driving time: 3 hours
Drive north through Fort William and west to the Skye Bridge. Stop at Eilean Donan Castle on the way, and if you have time, take the detour over the Ratagan Pass for the viewpoint.
Spend two nights on Skye. Take in the Old Man of Storr, the Quiraing, the Fairy Pools, Coral Beach, the Fairy Glen and Neist Point Lighthouse. Plan your days with my guide to the Isle of Skye.
- Where to stay: Portree is the easiest base, with bars, restaurants and shops. Try Marmalade, the Bosville or the Cuillin Hills Hotel, which has views over Portree Bay. For something special, try Kinloch Lodge on the Sleat Peninsula, or the Sligachan Hotel, with its whisky bar under the Cuillin.
Day 4: Isle of Skye to Inverness
Driving time: 2 hours 45 minutes
Cross back to the mainland and drive east to Inverness, the capital of the Highlands. Walk along the River Ness to the Ness Islands, and visit Inverness Castle and St Andrew’s Cathedral.
- Where to stay: Ness Walk on the river, Rocpool Reserve, Kingsmills Hotel, or Bazpackers if you’re on a budget
Day 5: Inverness to Loch Ness and Fort William
Driving time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Follow Loch Ness south, stopping at Urquhart Castle and taking a boat trip on the loch. Carry on to Fort William, at the foot of Ben Nevis. See more things to do in Fort William.
- Where to stay: see the Fort William hotels under Day 3 of the classic loop
Day 6: Fort William to Oban
Driving time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Drive down the coast to Oban, the “Gateway to the Isles”. Walk the seafront, climb up to McCaig’s Tower and visit Oban Distillery. Read more about Oban and Argyll.
- Where to stay: The Isle of Eriska Hotel, a luxury hotel on its own island just north of Oban; Inverlonan Bothies, off-grid luxury bothies near Oban; or The Loch Melfort Hotel, a dog-friendly boutique hotel south of Oban with great food
Day 7: Oban to Glasgow
Driving time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Take your time on the drive back, then spend the afternoon in Glasgow: the museums, Kelvingrove Park and the city’s food scene. Read my guide to things to do in Glasgow.
Got longer? Try my 10-day route
With ten days, you get Skye and the Cairngorms without the long driving days. My classic 10-day Scotland itinerary runs from Edinburgh through Perthshire and the Cairngorms to Inverness, across to Skye for two nights, then south via Glenfinnan and Glencoe.
7 day Scotland itinerary FAQs
Is a week enough time in Scotland?
A week is enough for central Scotland and the southern Highlands, or for the west coast with a short stay on Skye. It isn’t enough for the far north or the outer islands without spending most of your trip in the car.
Can I fit the Isle of Skye into 7 days?
Yes. Follow the west coast version from Glasgow above, which gives you two nights on Skye. It means two driving days of nearly three hours each. If you’d rather slow down, my 10-day itinerary gives Skye the same two nights at an easier pace.
Should I start in Edinburgh or Glasgow?
Edinburgh suits the classic loop through Stirling, Loch Lomond, Glencoe, Loch Ness and Perthshire. Glasgow suits the west coast version with Skye, because it’s closer to the start. Both cities have international airports.
How much driving is there on a 7 day Scotland road trip?
The classic loop from Edinburgh is about 350 miles, and no day is longer than two hours without stops. The Glasgow version has more driving, with its longest days around three hours. Allow extra time either way, because you’ll want to stop constantly.
Do I need a car for this itinerary?
For these routes, yes. Stirling, Fort William, Pitlochry, Inverness and Oban are all on the railway, but places like Glencoe, Loch Lomond’s shores and most of Skye are hard to reach without a car.
When is the best time for a 7 day road trip in Scotland?
May to September gives you the longest days and the best chance of good weather. May and September are my favourites: quieter than peak summer, and Highland Perthshire in autumn colour is special. See my guide to the best time to visit Scotland.
Ready to plan your trip?
Want to compare these routes with the NC500, the islands or the North East 250? See my guide to the 10 best Scotland road trips, with a map of every route. And before you book, read my Scotland itinerary mistakes to avoid.
Love, from Scotland x
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