First visit to Scotland and looking for a classic 10 day Scotland itinerary? I’m here to help!
Starting and finishing in Edinburgh, this self-drive route takes you to the places most first-time visitors dream of, including Loch Ness, the Isle of Skye, Glencoe and Loch Lomond. Along the way are plenty of my favourite quieter stops, like the Hermitage at Dunkeld and Lochan Uaine in the Cairngorms.
With where to stay at each stop and the driving time for every day, here’s how to plan your perfect 10 day Scotland road trip.
A classic 10 day Scotland itinerary from Edinburgh
This self-drive itinerary is a 10 day, 9 night loop from Edinburgh. It’s easy to make it longer with extra nights on the Isle of Skye.
The driving distances are deliberately short at the start. If you haven’t driven in Scotland before, it’s worth getting used to the roads before you tackle the longer days. All driving times are without traffic, using standard Google Maps routes.
My suggested 10 day Scotland itinerary:
- Day 1: Edinburgh
- Day 2: Dunkeld and Highland Perthshire (1 hour 30 minutes)
- Day 3: The Cairngorms National Park (1 hour 30 minutes)
- Day 4: Inverness (40 minutes)
- Day 5: Loch Ness (1 hour)
- Days 6 & 7: The Isle of Skye (2 hours)
- Day 8: Glenfinnan to Glencoe (3 hours, or 4 hours by ferry)
- Day 9: Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park (1 hour 30 minutes)
- Day 10: Back to Edinburgh (2 hours)
Only have a week? Follow my classic 7 day Scotland itinerary. It has a loop from Edinburgh through Loch Lomond, Glencoe, Loch Ness and Perthshire, and a Glasgow version that includes Skye.
I recommend hotels on this itinerary because most other kinds of accommodation in Scotland need a stay of two nights or more. I don’t recommend Airbnb in Edinburgh because of its impact on local housing costs. Before you book, read my guide to the itinerary planning mistakes to avoid.
Starting from Glasgow?
Glasgow has plenty of international flights, and because this route is a loop, it works just as well from there. You have two easy options:
- Follow the loop in reverse. Loch Lomond is under an hour from Glasgow, so start with Day 9. Then head north to Glencoe, take the Road to the Isles to Skye, and come back via Loch Ness, Inverness, the Cairngorms and Perthshire, finishing with a night in Edinburgh. This way round, the longer drives come earlier in the trip.
- Start in Edinburgh anyway. Take the train from Glasgow to Edinburgh, which is under an hour, and follow the itinerary as written. You’ll finish at Loch Lomond, under an hour from Glasgow Airport for your flight home.
Where to stay on this Scotland itinerary
I recommend that you stay in hotels on this itinerary because most other kinds of accommodation in Scotland need a stay of two nights or more. I don’t recommend Airbnb in Edinburgh because of its impact on local housing costs. Before you book, read my guide to the itinerary planning mistakes to avoid.
A classic 10 day Scotland itinerary map
Download my map of this 10 day Scotland itinerary to your Google Maps app.
Day 1: Edinburgh
Scotland’s capital needs no introduction. With an incredible castle, the historic Old and New Towns, the festivals, fantastic restaurants, quirky bars and great shopping, Edinburgh is a must on any trip to Scotland.
Spend your first day soaking up the sights with my local’s guide to things to do in Edinburgh. Got one day in Edinburgh? Here’s how I’d spend it:
- Morning: stroll to Dean Village or fashionable Stockbridge and the Royal Botanic Garden. Find a cute café for lunch.
- Afternoon: head back to the Old Town and go underground at The Real Mary King’s Close, then explore the Royal Mile and the Castle.
- Evening: dinner, then a classic Scottish bar for a real ale and a whisky.
Day 2: Dunkeld and Highland Perthshire
Driving time: Edinburgh to Dunkeld, 1 hour 30 minutes
Time to check out of your Edinburgh hotel and hit the road. You’re heading north to Highland Perthshire, known as Big Tree Country and sometimes called Scotland’s New England, and it’s only a couple of hours away.
Spend the day exploring the lochs and glens with my guide to Perthshire. If you only have one day, make Dunkeld your destination:
- Shop and eat: head to Aran Bakery, Great British Bake Off contestant Flora Shedden’s artisan bakery. Find seriously cool homeware at LON Store, pick up a bottle at the Dunkeld Whisky Box, and find a local gift at the Blue Magpie.
- The Hermitage: stroll up through the trees at the Hermitage to the folly overlooking the thundering falls. Look out for red squirrels on the way.
- The Birnam Oak: walk along the River Tay to find the Birnam Oak, a centuries-old oak linked to the Birnam Wood of Shakespeare’s Macbeth.
- Evening: have a drink by the Tay. My favourite is the Taybank’s beer garden, which serves wood-fired pizzas.
Day 3: The Cairngorms National Park
Driving time: Dunkeld to Aviemore, 1 hour 30 minutes
With forests dotted with deep green lochans, a high Arctic plateau where winter temperatures have dropped as low as -27°C, and a home for ospreys, reindeer, pine martens and red squirrels, the Cairngorms National Park is one of Scotland’s true wildernesses.
Much of the park can only be reached on foot or by bike, which keeps it a safe home for red squirrels, golden eagles, crested tits, crossbills and, of course, hikers and bikers.
Spend the day in the park with my guide to the Cairngorms. Short on time? Don’t miss these:
- Stroll up to Lochan Uaine, the “green lochan”, and try to spot the fairies
- Walk around Loch Vaa and its pretty boathouse
- Feed the birds by hand at RSPB Loch Garten, and look out for crested tits
- Get the paddleboards or bikes out at Loch Morlich, often called the UK’s highest beach
Day 4: Inverness
Driving time: Aviemore to Inverness, 40 minutes
The capital of the Highlands, Inverness is a great base for exploring the Moray Firth, and the starting point for the North Coast 500. It’s a bustling small city of over 45,000 people, with lovely walks along the river.
- Visit the new Inverness Castle visitor centre
- Walk along the River Ness to the Ness Islands
- Browse the shelves at Leakey’s Bookshop
- Head out of town to the Clava Cairns, Culloden Battlefield and Fort George
Day 5: Loch Ness and the Caledonian Canal
Driving time: Inverness to Fort Augustus, 1 hour
Beyond the tour buses and hordes of selfie-taking Nessie fans lies one of Scotland’s most beautiful lochs. Halfway along the 62-mile Great Glen, Loch Ness has a monster myth, uncharted depths and a name known around the world, so it’s no wonder thousands of people visit every year.
Explore with my guide to Fort Augustus and Loch Ness, and don’t miss:
- Urquhart Castle, on the shore of the loch
- A RIB trip on Loch Ness, or a cruise if you prefer things more sedate
- A walk along the Great Glen Way, including the 3-mile round trip to pretty Kytra Lock
- A drink by the canal, watching the boats work through the Fort Augustus locks
Days 6 & 7: The Isle of Skye
Driving time: Fort Augustus to Portree, 2 hours
The Isle of Skye is at the top of most people’s list of Scottish islands, and it’s no wonder. With the Black Cuillin, the Fairy Pools, the Quiraing and the Old Man of Storr, remote Neist Point Lighthouse and the waterfall pouring over Kilt Rock, Skye’s outdoor attractions are legendary.
Explore with my guide to the Isle of Skye, but don’t miss a walk on the Elgol peninsula for the view of the Cuillin, or a boat trip to Loch Coruisk. Then head to Glenbrittle for a swim in the Fairy Pools, a chain of pools running down from the Black Cuillin.
Want more time here? Skye is the easiest place to add an extra night or two.
Day 8: Glenfinnan to Glencoe
Driving time: Portree to Glencoe, 3 hours, or 4 hours including the ferry crossing
No visit to Scotland is complete without a drive through Glencoe, the “Glen of Weeping” and one of the Highlands’ most famous sights.
On the way, take the Road to the Isles. Catch the ferry from Armadale on Skye to Mallaig (check CalMac’s service updates first to make sure it’s running), then drive through Glenfinnan, where you can watch the Jacobite steam train, the Harry Potter train, cross the Glenfinnan Viaduct. If the ferry isn’t running, drive back over the Skye Bridge instead. Glenfinnan is then a detour of about half an hour west of Fort William.
In Glencoe, explore with my guide to Glencoe, but make time for Glencoe Lochan. It’s a walk among the trees beneath two of Glencoe’s most famous peaks: the Pap of Glencoe, which guards the entrance to the glen, and Beinn a’ Bheithir, the Mountain of the Thunderbolt.
If you have walking boots, find the Lost Valley. Hidden between the Three Sisters, it’s where the MacDonalds of Glencoe are said to have hidden their cattle.
Day 9: Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park
Driving time: Glencoe to Loch Lomond, 1 hour 30 minutes
Covering 720 square miles, with two forest parks, 22 large lochs, 40 hills over 2,000ft and one of the UK’s largest nature reserves (phew!), Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park deserves far more than a day. You do have time for a taste, though.
Drive the Loch Lomond Scenic Route for the best views of the loch, climb Conic Hill for coos and sunset views, call in at the Lodge visitor centre, explore the paths around pretty Loch Ard, and walk the Millennium Forest Path. For more, read my guide to Loch Lomond.
Day 10: Back to Edinburgh
Driving time: Loch Lomond to Edinburgh, 2 hours
It’s the last day of your trip, so take your time on the drive back. Two easy stops on the way:
- Stirling: the castle, the Old Town and the Wallace Monument
- The Kelpies: the giant horse-head sculptures beside the Forth and Clyde Canal at Falkirk
Flying home from Glasgow instead? Glasgow Airport is under an hour from Loch Lomond.
10 day Scotland itinerary FAQs
Is 10 days enough time in Scotland?
Ten days is enough to see Edinburgh, the Highlands, Loch Ness and the Isle of Skye without rushing, which is what this itinerary does. It isn’t enough to add the far north or the outer islands as well. For the North Coast 500 or the Outer Hebrides, allow two weeks or more.
Can I do England and Scotland in 10 days?
You can, but you’ll see only a little of each. If you do combine them, give Scotland at least a week. The train from London to Edinburgh takes about four and a half hours, so you could spend three days in England, then follow my 7 day Scotland itinerary.
Can I start this itinerary in Glasgow?
Yes. It’s a loop, so you can join it anywhere. From Glasgow, Loch Lomond is under an hour away, so start with Day 9 and follow the route in reverse. Or take the train to Edinburgh, which is under an hour, and start at Day 1.
How much driving is there on this 10 day itinerary?
The whole loop is about 500 miles. Most days are one to two hours of driving without stops. The longest is Day 8, from Skye to Glencoe, at around three hours, or four with the ferry.
Do I need a car for this itinerary?
Yes. This is a self-drive route, and places like the Cairngorms lochs, the Fairy Pools and Glencoe Lochan are hard to reach without a car. If you don’t drive, a small-group tour is the easiest way to see Skye and the Highlands.
When is the best time to do this road trip?
May, June and September are my favourites: long days, fewer crowds than July and August, and fewer midges. Book Skye accommodation months ahead for the summer. See my guide to Scotland month by month.
Ready to plan your trip?
Want to compare this route with the NC500, the islands or the North East 250? See my 10 best Scotland road trips, with a map of every route. And for everything else, from when to go to what to book first, start with my guide to planning a trip to Scotland.
Kate, Love from Scotland x
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