A local’s pick of the best weekend breaks and getaways in Scotland – eight short trips, each easy to reach from Edinburgh or Glasgow, and each with somewhere genuinely good to stay.
Scotland is one of the best places in Britain for a weekend break. Within two hours of Edinburgh or Glasgow you can be on a Hebridean island, climbing a Munro, eating fresh langoustines on a harbour wall in Fife, or walking among 5,000-year-old standing stones on Orkney.
So, where should you go for a weekend in Scotland? For food and pretty villages, the East Neuk of Fife. For the outdoors, Highland Perthshire or the Cairngorms. For dramatic scenery, the Isle of Skye. For a proper island escape, Arran or Orkney. Here are eight of my favourite weekend breaks – all worth a Friday-to-Sunday trip, all easy to reach by car, train or short flight, and each with where to stay.
(Looking for the prettiest places to base yourself rather than trip ideas? See my guide to Scotland’s prettiest small towns. Planning a couples’ escape? See romantic getaways in Scotland.)
Which weekend break is right for you?
- For foodies → the East Neuk of Fife: coastal villages from Elie to Crail, with seafood all the way.
- For road trippers → Angus: a hidden-gem coastline from Dundee to Aberdeen, dramatic castles and southern Cairngorms glens.
- For outdoorsy types → Highland Perthshire: mountains, lochs and glens — Scotland’s “New England,” brilliant in autumn.
- For hillwalkers → Loch Lomond & the Trossachs: start your Munro-bagging on some of Scotland’s most accessible hills.
- For island adventures → the Isle of Skye: Scotland’s most dramatic island, with a brilliant food scene.
- For national park explorers → the Cairngorms: turn off the A9 into the UK’s largest national park.
- For history hunters → Orkney: 5,000 years of history on an island you can reach in a weekend.
- For a bit of everything → the Isle of Arran: “Scotland in miniature” — whisky, mountains and one beautiful island.
1. The East Neuk of Fife
Best for: seafood, coastal walks, pretty harbour villages How long: 2 nights minimum, 3 to do it justice Getting there: 1h15 from Edinburgh by car; train to Leuchars then bus to Crail or Anstruther
One of my favourite ways to spend a weekend in Scotland is a trip to the East Neuk of Fife, visiting some of Scotland’s prettiest villages — Elie, St Monans, Pittenweem, Anstruther and Crail.
For foodies, Fife is heaven: freshly cooked seafood from the Lobster Hut in Crail, traditional harbourside fish and chips in Anstruther, more seafood at the East Pier Smokehouse, a Michelin-starred lunch at The Peat Inn or the lovely Kinneuchar Inn. Pick up your own dinner at the brilliant Bowhouse Market or the Ardross Farm Shop.
Work up an appetite on the Fife Coastal Path, a 117-mile route from North Queensferry to St Andrews and beyond. It’s suitable for all ages – kids love the tiny harbours, the sandy beaches and the lovely Cambo Estate.
Read more: the East Neuk of Fife · things to do in Fife · visiting St Andrews
Where to stay: Glampers will love Catchpenny Safari Lodges on the coastal path, or a shepherd’s hut at Craigduckie Farm. Stay at the traditional Ship Inn in Elie , or rent a seaside cottage – try Harbour House or Sandcastle Cottage in Crail and the Admiralty House in Pittenweem.
2. Angus
Best for: dramatic castles, sunshine, fish and chips, the V&A Dundee How long: 2 nights, 3 if you add the southern Cairngorms glens Getting there: 1h30 from Edinburgh by car; direct trains from Edinburgh and Glasgow to Dundee in ~90 minutes
With beautiful beaches, the dramatic Dunnottar Castle and as much fresh fish as you can eat — not to mention the most sunshine in Scotland — the Angus coast is a hidden gem for a weekend break.
For city trippers, Dundee has reinvented itself as “Scotland’s coolest design city,” home to the spectacular V&A Dundee. If you fancy getting outside, head up to the Cairngorm plateau, where the views stretch across Glen Clova and the dramatic Corrie Fee.
Looking for fish and chips? The Bay in Stonehaven was voted the UK’s best food experience. Over in Arbroath, the smokie — haddock smoked over oak and beech — is a delicacy.
Read more: things to do on the Angus Coast
Where to stay:If you are looking for luxury, the Hideaway Experience has secluded lodges with hot tubs and views for miles. There are glamping tents and a huge field for campers at Greenhillock as well as pizza ovens and plenty of space for kids to play. Why not stay in Tin House in Glenogil, or The Bothy in Kirriemuir.
3. Highland Perthshire
Best for: Munro bagging, autumn colour, lochs and rivers, foodie pubs How long: 2 to 3 nights Getting there: 1h15 from Edinburgh, 1h30 from Glasgow by car; direct trains to Pitlochry and Dunkeld
Highland Perthshire is one of my favourite places for a weekend break, with wooded glens, huge lochs and plenty of Munros to climb.
You could rent a lodge with a hot tub and settle in — or horse-ride along the River Tay at Kenmore, ride a RIB onto the loch with Loch Tay Safaris, paddleboard on Loch Earn, drive a 4×4 up a mountain, mountain-bike at Comrie Croft, or climb Scotland’s 10th-highest mountain, Ben Lawers. Perthshire is also called “Scotland’s New England,” which makes it the perfect spot for an autumn weekend.
Read more: how to get outside in Perthshire
Where to stay: The Meikleour Arms Hotel has rooms, cottages and a lovely French-Scottish farm-to-fork restaurant. The Taybank in Dunkeld is a stylish boutique hotel with a live-music bar and one of the best beer gardens in Scotland. The Grandtully Hotel and Ballintaggart Farm are foodie boltholes on the River Tay. For camping, Comrie Croft ticks every box; for luxury, the Loch Tay boathouses.
4. Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park
Best for: beginner Munros, lochside walks, day trips from Glasgow How long: 2 nights for one Munro, 3 to bag two Getting there: 45 minutes from Glasgow, 1h30 from Edinburgh by car; train from Glasgow Queen Street to Balloch in 45 minutes
With 41 mountains over 2,000 ft, the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park is a hillwalker’s paradise. Start slowly with Conic Hill and Ben A’an for big views without much effort, then Ben Ledi for views over the whole park — before bagging your first Munro on Ben Lomond or Ben Vorlich.
Read more: Loch Lomond & the Trossachs · hillwalking for beginners · how to climb Conic Hill, Ben Ledi, Ben Lomond, Ben Vorlich
Where to stay: You can’t get closer to the water than the Lodge on the Loch, with balcony rooms and the best views. The budget-friendly Inn on Loch Lomond at Inverbeg is well placed, with rooms from around £50. For a luxury lodge, Loch Lomond Waterfront has five-star lochside lodges. Mhor 84 and its big sister Monachyle Mhor are stylish boutique boltholes. For camping, try Beinglas Farm, Loch Loch Katrine Eco Camp or Sallochy
5. The Isle of Skye
Best for: dramatic mountain scenery, foodie destinations, fairy pools How long: 3 nights minimum — Skye is too far for a 2-night trip Getting there: ~5 hours from Edinburgh and Glasgow by car; train to Mallaig or Kyle of Lochalsh, then ferry or bus
Skye is famous for its dramatic scenery — the Quiraing, a giant landslip on the Trotternish Ridge, and the Old Man of Storr, Skye’s chimney rock stack. Hike to Camasunary Beach at Elgol, take on the magnificent Sgùrr na Strì, or simply view the Black Cuillin from Sligachan Old Bridge or the Fairy Pools at Glen Brittle.
If hiking isn’t your thing, the food is reason enough to visit. The Oyster Shed does freshly shucked oysters, Scottish prawns and mussels for lunch. For dinner, Loch Bay Restaurant in Stein serves Michelin-starred fruits de mer, and The Three Chimneys at Loch Dunvegan is a Scottish icon and a bucket-list restaurant.
Read more: things to do on the Isle of Skye · The Three Chimneys · Loch Bay Restaurant
Where to stay: The Old Inn at Carbost is a traditional pub with rooms near the Talisker Distillery. My favourite hotels are the Sligachan Hotel under the Cuillin and the five-star Edinbane Lodge.
Prefer glamping? Set peacefully in the owner’s garden surrounded by trees are Syke Yurts, perfect for families and Fire, which is designed for couples. With no wifi or mobile phone signal you are guaranteed peace and quiet – a luxury on this most popular of islands.
6. The Cairngorms National Park
Best for: outdoor adventure, wildlife, mountain biking, family-friendly weekends How long: 2 to 3 nights Getting there: 2h30 from Edinburgh and Glasgow by car; direct trains to Aviemore on the Highland Main Line
The A9 carries travellers from the Central Belt to the north coast — but it’s well worth slowing down to spend a weekend on the way. Visit the pretty Perthshire villages of Dunkeld and Pitlochry, Blair Atholl and its castle, stop for the gorgeous Queen’s View over Loch Tummel, and walk the Victorian Hermitage garden.
Further north, Dalwhinnie is Scotland’s highest whisky distillery, and you can meet the wildcats at the Highland Wildlife Park near Kingussie before exploring the Cairngorms proper from Aviemore.
Read more: the Cairngorms & Aviemore
Where to stay: Heading north, Balsporran B&B sits right on the A9 with lovely rooms and excellent breakfasts. For something off-grid, the Lazy Duck near Nethy Bridge has a campsite, hostel and three hideaway lodges.
7. Orkney
Best for: prehistoric history, dramatic coastlines, puffins in spring How long: 3 nights minimum Getting there: 1 hour by plane from Edinburgh or Glasgow to Kirkwall; or NorthLink ferry from Aberdeen (6h) or Scrabster near Thurso (1.5h)
You might be surprised you can take a weekend break on one of Scotland’s northern islands — but Orkney is just an hour by plane from Edinburgh or Glasgow.
Discover Skara Brae, a 5,000-year-old Neolithic village uncovered by a storm in the 1800s, and walk the Ring of Brodgar and the Stones of Stenness. Follow the coastal path from Stromness to Birsay, climb to the Kitchener Memorial above seabird cliffs to spot puffins, and find the sea stack of Yesnaby Castle. Don’t miss the beautiful Italian Chapel, decorated by WWII prisoners of war.
Read more: how to visit Orkney
Where to stay: Instabillie is a self-catering cottage in a traditional Orkney croft house with views over the Bay of Skaill. For hotels, try The Kirkwall Hotel, the Murray Arms in St Margaret’s Hope, or the Ferry Inn in Stromness.
8. The Isle of Arran
Best for: Scotland in miniature — mountains, beaches, whisky, all on one island How long: 2 to 3 nights Getting there: 1h30 from Glasgow by car and ferry, 2h30 from Edinburgh; CalMac ferry from Ardrossan to Brodick takes 55 minutes, with a connecting train from Glasgow
With rugged Highland mountains, windswept beaches, ruined castles and its own whisky, Arran truly is “Scotland in Miniature” — and it sits just an hour from Glasgow in the Firth of Clyde.
The fast 55-minute CalMac ferry runs from Ardrossan to Brodick, and the train from Glasgow connects with the boat, so you don’t even need a car. Spend your days climbing Goat Fell, hiking to the Machrie Moor Standing Stones, exploring the King’s Caves and the island’s two castles — Brodick and Lochranza — and touring the distillery, brewery and cheese shop.
Read more: how to visit the Isle of Arran
Where to stay: The stylish Glenisle Hotel in Lamlash has a top-floor suite with a roll-top bath and views over Holy Island. The Douglas Hotel in Brodick overlooks the ferry terminal and Goat Fell, and the Auchrannie Resort is a full spa hotel with a pool. For camping, I love Glen Rosa, Lochranza and Bridgend.
When to go
May, June and September are the best months for a weekend break in Scotland — long days, decent weather and fewer midges than peak summer. October is glorious for autumn colour, especially in Perthshire and the Cairngorms. For the full breakdown, see my best time to visit Scotland guide.
FAQs
Where is the best weekend break in Scotland?
The best weekend break in Scotland depends on what you’re after. For food and pretty villages, the East Neuk of Fife is hard to beat. For dramatic scenery, the Isle of Skye. For an active weekend, Highland Perthshire or the Cairngorms. For an island escape, the Isle of Arran or Orkney are both reachable in a long weekend.
What are the best weekend getaways in Scotland?
The best weekend getaways in Scotland combine a short journey with a real sense of escape: the East Neuk of Fife for foodies, Highland Perthshire and Loch Lomond for the outdoors, the Cairngorms for families, and Skye, Arran or Orkney for an island getaway. Each is reachable from Edinburgh or Glasgow for a Friday-to-Sunday trip.
What is the prettiest weekend break in Scotland?
Plockton on the west coast and the East Neuk of Fife villages (Crail, Pittenweem, St Monans, Anstruther) are the prettiest weekend break destinations in Scotland — white-painted harbour cottages, good seafood and excellent walking on the doorstep. For more, see my guide to Scotland’s prettiest small towns.
Where can I go for a long weekend in Scotland from Edinburgh?
From Edinburgh, the best long weekend trips are the East Neuk of Fife (1 hour), Highland Perthshire (1.5 hours), the Cairngorms (2.5 hours) and the Isle of Arran (2 hours by car and ferry). Skye is reachable in 4–5 hours and is worth a long weekend for its dramatic scenery.
Where can I go for a weekend break in Scotland by train?
The best weekend breaks by train are Pitlochry and Aviemore (both on the Highland Main Line from Edinburgh and Glasgow), the East Neuk of Fife (train to Leuchars then bus), and the Isle of Arran (train to Ardrossan then ferry). The Caledonian Sleeper from London also reaches Edinburgh, Glasgow and Fort William.
When is the best time for a weekend break in Scotland?
May, June and September are the best months — long days, decent weather and fewer midges than peak summer. October is excellent for autumn colour, particularly in Perthshire and the Cairngorms. Winter weekends are quieter and atmospheric, especially for hotel-based breaks.
Is it Friday yet?
Love, from Scotland x
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