A Guide to the Perfect Scotland Trip
Scotland has been on my bucket list for a few years now. I have always romnatized the whimsical dark mideveil feelings of Edinburgh and adored the fantasy inducing villages and towns. When I tell you how much I adored Scotland during the winter months…. this trip was magical. Truly another level of travel, experience, friendship and exploration. Between the snow capped mountains of Glencoe, the architectural wonders of Edinburg, witnessing the majestic highland cows in real life, black sand beaches and small fishing town Portree during snowfall I genuinely can not envision a more perfect winter trip. This blog aims to display the basics of planning a trip to Scotland, travel tips and tricks when navigating this beautiful country in the U.K. as well as my itinerary. Let’s get into it.
When to Visit?
As always with travel there are peak times and off season times. This guide will be referring to off season times as that is when I traveled to Scotland. Middle to late January was the exact time frame. The obvious pros of traveling to Scotland during off season is that the prices are almost slashed in HALF, there are little to NO tourists and you essentially will have free range of hikes, Edinburgh, restaurants and common tourist attractions with no wait, reservations needed etc. With that being said the cons include the frigid temps and extreme unpredictable weather forecasts. Heavy snow and even rain is possible making driving, hikes and almost every single outdoor activity tough. I personally never ever decide travel based on weather as I can’t change it or predict it so do with that info what you will! If you are a budget traveler like myself January and February are very good months to see the country! Burns day, a day honoring Robert Burns Scotland’s most famous poet takes place January 25th so it may be a bit busier during that weekend!
The warmer months May-August are peak season. The weather is much more tolerable and warm but the prices are higher, tourists flock in massive groups and there is a bit more navigation and travel time to account for.
PRICES (1 USD = 0.83 GBP)
I was pleasantly surprised with the prices of things in Scotland. The culture and style of Scotland is very casual and laid back making for an easy transition when purchasing food and accommodations.
A typical meal in Scotland at a pub was around 10-12 pounds. Breakfast at a local coffee shop or cafe was around the same! Of course a nicer restaurant would put you at about 25 pounds. We personally never felt the need to splurge on one of those meals as the pubs offered delicious specials of not only fish and chips but also Scottish salmon with greens and potatoes, lovely drink options and traditional Scottish cuisine such as Haggis. For anyone reading this I would highly suggest researching the ingredients prior to ordering as it is an acquired taste for sure!
How to get to and around Scotland?
You have two options for flights when planning a trip to Scotland. If you are wanting to exclusively visit Scotland and not stop in London you will be flying into Glasgow (GLA) or Edinburgh (EDI). These two airports are a bit pricer than if you flew into London Heathrow (LHR) but adding on the price of round trip train tickets and travel times it would probably be worth it if you wish to visit Scotland only.
I personally was on this trip with my friend who lives in London so of course catered the trip to involve London and her!
So, that being said my route included flying from Chicago to London (LHR) and it cost me about $400 round trip BUT using my two favorite travel credit cards
I was able to book this flight with just points! These links include information regarding these cards as well how to get your own! Depending on which card you would receive 600-800$ in points when signing up (terms apply).
We traveled from London Kings Cross to Edinburgh Waverley. I would HIGHLY suggest purchasing these round trip tickets as soon as you solidify your travel plans as I booked a week prior and they were on the pricer side for sure. This was during off season and there were hardly any seats left as many Londoners were commuting out of the city etc.
Our tickets were with LNER and cost 200 pounds round trip per person. That being said on a typical day and if you book in advance you can secure those tickets at almost half that price.
The actual process was pretty simple! There are no luggage prices but we traveled with Osprey packs due to the terrain of Scotland…. Lugging a suitcase up and down those steep brick roads would not have been pleasant.
Once in Edinburgh the city is extremely walkable and we had no issues navigating the city via google maps. As far as traveling out of Edinburgh you will most likely need to book a tour with a driver or rent a car. We opted for a full tour experience for reasons mentioned below but if you wish to rent a car it is possible! Scotland does not require a U.K. driver’s license. International ones will suffice!Public transport is available as well and is extremely reliable but will take a significant amount of time compared to a car once leaving any major city hubs.
Where should you stay?
Where you choose to stay in Scotland is heavily made up upon what your goals are for the trip as well as what time of your you are visiting, if you are staying in the cities (Edinburgh and Glasgow) or also going up into the Highlands as we did!
I HIGHLY suggest visiting the highlands during your trip. Often times in the UK people venture towards the cities and forget about how gorgeous and diverse the terrain is elsewhere.
Personally, we did 2 nights in Edinburgh and then did a Highlands and Isle of Skye tour for 3 days as well! If I could do the trip over again I may have extended our time in the Isle of Skye/ Portree and stayed 1 night in Inverness as well.
Budget accommodations Edinburgh: Code Pod Hostels the Loft, Ibis Centre South Bridge Hotel, Cityroomz, Haymarket Hub Hotel
Moderate accommodations Edinburgh: B+B Edinburgh, Murrayfield Hotel, Ivy BraveHeart Guest House
Luxury accommodations Edinburgh: The Witchery by the Castle, The Scotsman Hotel, Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh
Budget accommodation Portree: Portree Independent Hostel, Portree Youth Hostel
Moderate accommodation Portree: The Caledonian Hotel (we stayed here and absolutely adored it! Clean simple rooms with yummy daily breakfasts to order with fresh fruit and coffee/tea), The Isles Inn
Luxury accommodation Portree: Cuillin Hills Hotel, Marmalade Hotel
Budget accommodation Iverness: Inverness Youth Hostel, BazPackers, Travellodge Iverness
Moderate accommodation Iverness: Cedar Villa Guest House, Royal Highland Hotel
Luxury accommodation Inverness: Ness Walk Hotel, Culloden Hotel
Rabbie’s 3 day Isle of Skye Tour
So, the age old question of should you book with a tour with a company or venture off alone? I personally usually always opt for venturing off by myself but I will say in this particular situation I am SO pleased with the choice to book with Rabbie’s.
Unless you are a very strong driver and want to to go to the immnese research into the unpredictablity of the weather in the Highlands of Scotland during off season I would book with a tour guide like Rabbie’s to take out the stress of the driving and planning so you can focus on learning and listening in the comfortability of a heated or air conditioned 16 person Mercedes Van. Our tour guide Mark was the perfect balance of a tour guide with loads of history and information as well as some well timed comedic relief. The tour was personalized to what the small group wanted to prioritize, the weather and interests.
This tour included:
Glencoe
Fort Williams
Loch Lamond
Loch Ness
Isle of Skye/ Portree
Eileen Dolan Castle
HIGHLAND COWS
What to do in Edinburgh?
Edinburgh was personally one of my favorite cities I have visited to date. I felt completely transported into another era! The rich historic feeling of Old Town as well as the eccentric vibes of New Town made for a perfect walkable city tour.
Edinburgh Castle
National Museum of Scotland
The Writer’s Museum
The Scott Monument
Walk the Royal Mile / Victoria Street
Arthur’s Seat
Calton Hill for sunset
Prince Street Gardens
Dean’s Village
Greyfier’s Bobby’s Monument / Cemetary
What to do in the Isle of Skye?
Walk through Portree shops and by the water
Hike the Old Man of Storr
Visit the fairy pools
Skye Museum of Island Life
The Fairy Glen
Kilt Rock
Quiraing
Dunvegan Castle
Neist Point
Tailisker Distillery
What to wear in Scotland?
I would suggest depending on your luggage situation to pack the most versatile clothing possible. In Edinburgh I got away with jeans, black booties, sweaters and a long black trench coat. As far as the highlands it will be COLD. Pack layers layers layers. Assuming you go during off season (fall and winter) pack hiking boots, hats, mittens, fleece lines leggings, wool socks, turtle necks, waterproof winter jacket and hand warmers.
Be sure to also pack documents including:
Passport, ID, Visa
Debit, credit cards and cash
Reusable water bottle
Hiking pack or fanny pack
Small first aid kit
Umbrella
Scarf, stocking cap, mittens or gloves
Important travel tips for Scotland?
International driver’s license are compatible to rent a car in Scotland
Scott’s drive on the left side of the road with the steering wheel on the right.
The roads in the Highlands are very narrow and have passing points, the vehicle closest yields first.
“Loch” means lake
“Ben” means mountain peak
Bring a international travel adaptor to charge your electronics
The water is safe to drink, bring a reusable bottle for your travels.
Food to try includes Haggis, neaps and tatties, fresh salmon, whiskey, potatoes and herbs, fish and chips, trout, scallops and all the seafood you can get your hands on!
The weather is very unpredictable and very very rough to endure when raining or snowing. Take it day by day and as I always say when I travel… I can’t change it so why worry about it?
Scottish people are so kind and helpful. If you are in need or have a question do not be afraid to ask!
Beware of the midges! We traveled to Scotland in January so luckily I did not have to endure these annoying creatures but I have heard horror stories about these relentless bugs! They bite and fly in swarms, be sure to grab midge spray at a local shop prior to hiking.
And there you have it, a full Scotland Itinerary! This trip was so special to me as I was traveling with my best friend who I see maybe twice a year. Between the stunning architectural statements and livelihood of Edinburgh, the fairy tale like mystical feeling of Scotland’s small villages and castles, gorgeous glens and lochs, endless hiking oppurtuniteis and the chance to see the sought after Highland cow (we did!!!) Scotland is an absolute must see in the U.K. I genuinely hope this helps someone plan a dream trip to this whimsical country.
