Planning a 1 week Scottish Highlands itinerary? We’re here to help! We spent 2 weeks exploring the Scottish Highlands in our self-converted Berlingo – and it was incredible!
We saw puffins, dolphins, waterfalls, mountains, ragged cliffs and beautifully long roads. From hiking through national parks to wandering around castle ruins, there’s something for everyone in Scotland (as long as you like nature)!
Scotland is the UK’s mountainous gem with some of the best scenic landscapes in the country. Our time driving through the Scottish Highlands is something we’ll never forget, and now we get to share our tips with you!
In this travel guide, we’ve created four different itineraries you can use to spend 1 week in the Scottish Highlands.
We’ve also added a few recommendations on where to stay, where to eat and how to get around the Highlands. Let’s plan your Scotland trip!
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1 Week Scottish Highlands Itinerary (4 Different Routes)
We’ve created four alternative Scottish Highlands routes as Scotland is huge! It’s impossible to explore absolutely everywhere in 1 week. Now you can choose which itinerary suits you most.
We highly recommend renting a car (or driving your own) so you can go on the best one week Scottish Highlands itinerary. If you’d rather book a tour, we have a list of recommendations at the end of this travel guide.
Three of our Scottish Highland itineraries start and finish in Inverness with one starting in Edinburgh. You can start your trip from Inverness, Glasgow and Edinburgh, depending on the flights available.
Scottish Highlands Itinerary Route 1 – The Scottish Highlights
The first 7 day Scottish Highlands itinerary takes you through two beautiful national parks, two major cities, Harry Potter filming locations and the mighty Isle of Skye.
Day 1: Inverness – Cairngorms
Start your day in Inverness, a small Scottish city with a population of around 50,000 people. It’s the perfect place to start your itinerary and you can rent a car here if you need to.
Once you’re ready to go, head down south to explore Cairngorms National Park – the largest national park in the UK!
Cairngorms National Park is a not-so-hidden gem in Scotland, but we usually find it gets missed off other itineraries! It’s definitely worth a visit for the incredible views, castles and charming towns.
- Visit Balmoral Castle & Estate & Craigievar Castle & Blair Castle & Gardens
- Go Hiking (Meall a’ Bhuachaille is a lovely hike we did)
- Relax on a lake-side beach
- Go Kayaking or SUP boarding
- Look out for wildlife
Stay in Aviemore for the night or book a nearby campsite. Aviemore has a lovely old pub called The Old Bridge Inn and they often have a pizza truck outside.
Day 2: Cairngorms – Edinburgh
We’ve covered all the best things things to do in the capital in our Edinburgh travel guide. You can easily spend a day wandering around the Royal Mile (main street), visiting Edinburgh Castle or hiking Arthurs Seat.
Our favourite places to eat in Edinburgh are Soul Vegan, Sora Lella and Wanderlust Cafe & Bistro!
Where to stay in Edinburgh: Leonardo Royal Hotel Edinburgh – in the heart of the city!
Day 3: Edinburgh – Loch Lomond & Glencoe
From Edinburgh make your west towards Loch Lomond. Loch Lomond is another one of Scotlands National Parks and the lake stretches around 23 miles from Balloch to Ardlui.
Following the lake is an awesome drive with many viewpoints, a waterfall and a lovely town named Luss! You can also book tours from Edinburgh to take you to the Highlands!
Glencoe is one of the most picturesque areas of the Scottish Highlands. It’s one of our favourite places and we’ve visited twice now! For a Harry Potter filming location, take this trail to see where Hagrids Hut was filmed!
If you want a detailed itinerary on how to travel from Edinburgh to Glencoe in a day with the best stops, check out our Lochmond & Glencoe itinerary from Edinburgh. We did this trip in winter, so it will work all year round.
Day 4: Fort William- Glenfinnan to the Isle of Skye
After leaving Glencoe, head to Fort William to look around the small strip of town. This is a great time to stock up on any essentials at the nearby shops. Fort William is the base of the highest mountain in the UK, Ben Nevis.
Watching the Jacobite Steam Train cross the Glenfinnan Viaduct is a bucket list item in Scotland and you can see the train from April to October. The times are around 10:45, 13:20, 15:15 and 18:05.
We recommend visiting the bridge at least 10 minutes early and hiking to the grassy platform to watch the train. The morning trains are the best for photos! Seeing the train is one of the best things to do in the Scottish Highlands, especially if you’re a Harry Potter fan.
Even if you’re not a Harry Potter fan, the train is beautiful to see and we felt like it put on a show. End your day by driving over the impressive Isle of Skye bridge ready for an early day in the morning.
You can also go on the Jacobite train from Inverness or Fort William!
Day 5: Isle of Skye
Next on your Scottish Highlands 1 week itinerary, continue exploring the Isle of Skye. We have a full guide on how to where to visit in the Isle of Skye, but here’s a few of our favourite highlights:
- The lovely town of Portree
- Admire or hike the famous Old Man of Storr
- See the impressive Quiraing
- Explore Dunvegan Castle
- Walk the trail of the Fairy Pools
Day 6: Isle of Skye – Chanonry Point & Inverness
You’ll have around 2 days to spend on the Isle of Skye before driving back to the Inverness area and hitting some nature spots on the way.
We recommend ending your day with a visit to Chanonry Point to look out for seals and dolphins! The best time to get there is when the tide is coming in. We watched two dolphins hunt for salmon and many seals popping out of the water.
Where to stay in Inverness: Kingsmills Hotel – affordable and great location!
Day 7: Inverness
On your last day in Inverness, see the Ness Islands, take a day trip to Loch Ness and go on a boat cruise or wander around the historic city.
Inverness is pretty small, but there’s still plenty of things to see such as Leaky’s bookshop, Inverness Castle and the botanical gardens.
That’s how to explore the Scottish Highlands in 7 days! Continue reading to explore more travel routes in scotland.
➤ Check out our 1 Day Scottish Highlands Itinerary from Edinburgh
Scottish Highlands Itinerary Route 2 -The Lower West Highlands
Our second Scottish Highlands route focuses on the west coast with a few days on the Isle of Skye and exploring Scotland’s white-sand beaches.
Day 1: Inverness & Loch Ness
Start your 1 week Scottish Highlands itinerary in Inverness and spend the morning seeing the city and grabbing lunch. We recommend Culture Cafe!
Next head to Urquhart Castle, and spend the afternoon on a boat cruise around the famous Loch Ness. Keep an eye out for Nessie! There’s also a few beaches in the area such as Dores Beach, it’s a lovely area to chill!
Day 2: Castles & Isle of Skye
On day 2, you’ll have a 2.5-hour driving day to get from Inverness to the Isle of Skye. On your way to the Isle of Skye visit Eilean Donan Castle, a 13th century castle that’s been restored. It’s one of Scotland’s historic gems.
Cross over Skye Bridge to get to Isle of Skye and if you’re feeling up for it, head to the Fairy Pools for a short 1-2 hour walking trail.
It’s best to stay in Portree for your first night, however, it’s also a great base for your 3 days on the island. Book your stay at Rockview Guesthouse.
Day 3: Isle of Skye
The Isle of Skye is one of the best things to do in the Scottish Highlands.
With a few days on the Isle of Skye you can really relax, enjoy the landscapes and do some hiking! Spend day 3 hiking to the top of Old Man of Storr, visit Kilt Rock and hike the famous Quiraing.
Although you can see the dramatic Quiraing rock formations from the car park, we highly recommend taking the Prison Walk trail (easier) or the full loop to see the views and landscapes. This will take around 2-3 hours. Don’t forget to look for Highlands Cows in the north of Skye!
➤ Here’s our 3 day Isle of Skye travel guide!
Day 4: Isle of Skye
Start your morning with a visit to some of Isle of Skye’s beaches such as An Corran Beach or Claigan Coral Beach. You can even see dinosaur imprints on An Corran and it’s not far away from Staffin Campsite, where we stayed for a night.
Next visit the Fairy Glenn for a mystical walk around the stone fairy circles. Sadly they’re not natural circles, but it’s still worth a visit!
In the afternoon visit Dunvegan Castle and take a sunset stroll to Neist Point Lighthouse.
Day 5: Isle of Skye – Applecross
After a beautiful few days on the Isle of Skye, head over to Applecross to admire more of the west of Scotland and continue your 7 day Scottish Highlands itinerary! This route is only suitable if you’re comfortable with steep, narrow roads and aren’t driving a motor home.
One of the main highlights of this route is the Bealach na Bà Pass featuring the steepest road in the UK! Head to Bealach na Ba Viewpoint to see the impressive road from above!
Grab some food at the Applecross Inn and continue driving to Shieldaig admiring the Scottish views and nature. Watch out for sheep crossing the road!
Day 6: Toriddon & Gairloch
From Shieldaig, drive to Torridon for a hike in the Torridon Hills and grab some lunch or a snack at the Wee Whistle Stop Cafe.
The scenery in Torridon is stunning and we saw wild deer early in the morning here. There’s a Deer Museum where you might be able to spot them more easily!
On your way to Gairloch, visit Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve and check out Loch Maree. There’s a short 1-hour wood trail that’s perfect for stretching your legs.
Spend your afternoon in Gairloch and take some time to relax at Gairloch Beach or Big Sands. The village is quaint but there’s the beaches are the main highlight!
Day 7: Gairloch – Inverness
Start your morning with a vegan scone and drink from Mountain Coffee Co before making your way back to Inverness to finish your 1 week in the Scottish Highlands.
It will only take around 2 hours to get to Inverness, so you can visit Ullapool, Rogie Falls, Chanonry Point or The Singleton Distillery!
Where to stay in Inverness: Kingsmills Hotel
Scottish Highlands Itinerary Route 3 – Hiking Paradise
If you love hiking, mountains and nature parks, this 7 day Scottish Highlands itinerary is for you! This itinerary is a slower pace so you can spend more time enjoying the nature and surroundings.
Day 1: Edinburgh – Loch Lomond
Start your journey in Edinburgh and head straight to Loch Lomond to soak up the beauty. Don’t worry, you’ll get a chance to visit Edinburgh on the last day. Have a look at the best things to do in Loch Lomond on our Lochmond & Glencoe itinerary from Edinburgh and have a look at itinerary one.
Day 2: Glencoe
As mentioned before, Glencoe is one of our favourite areas in Scotland and incredibly picturesque! It’s hard not to add Glencoe to your 1 week in the Scottish Highlands.
It’s one of our favourite places and we’ve visited twice now! For a Harry Potter filming location, take this trail to see where Hagrids Hut was filmed!
We didn’t do any hard hikes in Glencoe as we wanted to feel good for our big Ben Nevis hike day, but here’s a few shorter hikes to enjoy in the valleys:
- Lairig Gartain via Glen Cloe (2.5 – 3 hour trail down a beautiful valley)
- Tom a’ Ghrianain (Signal Rock), An Torr, and Hagrid’s Hut Circular (1 hour trail)
Day 3: Ben Nevis
This day will be your biggest and longest hiking day! Conquering Ben Nevis was another major achievement on our Scottish bucket list. If you’re up for the challenge, wake up early and set off before 8 am to try to finish the hike by 4 pm.
Generally, it can take between 6-8 hours to complete and it took us 7.5 hours with breaks. It’s a pretty long hike and a constant incline for 4 hours, but the rewards are incredible!
Ben Nevis is also part of the infamous ‘3 Peaks Challenge’ here in the UK, so you’ll see a few people zooming around the paths trying to also complete Scafell Pike and Snowdon in 24 hours.
Day 4: Glenfinnan & Fort William
Next on your 7 day Scottish Highlands itinerary, take an easy morning and watch the famous Jacobite train before grabbing some brunch from The Wildcat Cafe in Fort William.
Glennifan is home to the famous Glenfinnan Viaduct with the Jacobite Steam Train (Harry Potter) passing over the bridge. You can only see the bridge at 10:45, 13:20, 15:15 and 18:05 throughout April to October.
There’s also a beautiful lake across the road from the viaduct which is another filming location for Harry Potter!
Spent the evening on a cruise around the water admiring Ben Nevis from below. Browse for tickets here.
Where to stay in Fort William: Nevis Bank Inn – perfect location!
Day 5: Loch Ness & Cairngorms National Park
Drive 1.5 hours up to the incredible Loch Ness and visit Urquhart Castle. If you have time, take the boat cruise around the lake or continue onto Cairngorms National Park for some hiking!
Best Hikes in Cairngorms National Park:
- Meall a’ Bhuachaille (3 hour 45 minute trail around a lake and peak)
- Loch an Eilein Circular (1.5 hour easy trail around a beautiful lake)
- Balmoral Cairns (2.5 hour hike to see a pyramid & Balmoral castle)
- Glen Clova Mayar and Driesh Circular (6 hour hike with incredible views)
Day 6: Cairngorms National Park – Edinburgh
Continue with any hiking, beach chilling or watersports you’d like to do in the morning before setting off to Edinburgh for the afternoon.
Spend a few hours in Edinburgh soaking up the city’s highlights and dine at Soul Vegan for dinner and have the most incredible Malaysian meal!
Find out the best things to do in Edinburgh in our detailed Edinburgh Travel Guide. Book your Edinburgh Castle tickets in advance and head out on a Harry Potter walking tour.
Where to stay in Edinburgh: Leonardo Royal Hotel Edinburgh – in the heart of Edinburgh!
Day 7: Edinburgh
Start your morning bright and early with a sunrise hike up Arthur Seat. This is the perfect way to finish your week in the Scottish Highlands (and Edinburgh).
Grab some lunch from the Wanderlust Bistro and explore any areas of Edinburgh that you didn’t get to on day 6. Edinburgh is a highlight for us and we wanted to sneak it into this 7 day Scottish Highlands itinerary.
Scottish Highlands Itinerary Route 4 – The North Coast 500
We’ve written an in-depth NC500 itinerary full of the information you’ll need to use this itinerary. For now, we’ll share a brief overview of what you can up to on this 1 week Scottish Highlands itinerary.
➤ Check out our North Coast 500 itinerary to plan your trip!
Day 1: Inverness – Torridon
Drive from Inverness to Torridon via the incredible Applecross landscapes. You’ll get to drive the steep Bealach na Ba Pass and tackle the beautiful roads from Applecross to Shieldaig.
End your day in Torridon and watch the deers roam around the area.
Day 2: Torridon – Ullapool
From Torridon, head to Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve and admire the views or do some woodland trails. Spend the day in Gairloch, enjoying Big Sands and Gairloch Beach. Head to Mountain Coffee Co for a snack!
Don’t miss Corrieshalloch Gorge Nature Reserve to see the incredible Falls Of Measach. This was one of our favourite spots on the NC500! End the day in Ullapool.
Where to stay in Ullapool: Croft No.8 Bed & Breakfast – Cosy guesthouse with lovely views!
Day 3: Ullapool – Durness
Start your morning exploring the Bone Caves and visit the ruins of Ardvreck Castle. The broken castle is open to the public and not monitored, so you can walk around and pop your head inside!
Next on your 1 week in the Scottish Highlands, head to Lochinver for some food and spend your afternoon at Achmelvich Bay.
Read our NC500 itinerary for more details on this route!
Day 4: Durness – Thurso
Visit Smoo Cave in the morning to admire the huge underground creation! From 10 am, there are boat tours you can take that go further into the cave. There’s also a trail leading towards the oceanside cliffs that we loved!
Watch the surfers at Ceannabeinne Beach before following the road to Thurso passing Tongue and Melvich Beach.
Where to stay in Thurso: Westlea Bed and Breakfast – in the heart of the town!
Day 5: Thurso – Dornoch
On day 5, head to Dunnet Head (one of our favourite locations in the Scottish Highlands) to see puffins! From the rugged cliffs, you can watch the sea birds soar around and if you’re lucky you’ll see the orange feet of puffins. We couldn’t believe our eyes! It’s also the most Northerly Point of Mainland Great Britain!
See the famous John O’Groats Signpost and the rocky formations of Duncansby Stacks and make your way down south to Dornoch.
➤ Add Dunnet Head to your 1 week Scottish Highlands itinerary!
Day 6: Dornoch – Inverness
We spent our morning in Dornoch visiting Dunrobin Castle and the lovely gardens surrounding it, which is worth a visit! From there you can continue heading south to Inverness and watch the dolphins and seals at Chanonry Point.
Day 7: Inverness
End your 1 week Scottish Highlands itinerary exploring Inverness and Loch Ness! We recommend Culture Cafe for some lunch or the Victorian Market.
That’s the end of our one-week Scottish Highlands itineraries! We’ve covered some amazing spots in the Highlands for some great road trips. Hopefully, there’s an itinerary that fits your style of travelling and you can fully plan your trip!
Here are some options for guided tours and excursions around the Scottish Highlands:
Tours from Edinburgh – Visit Loch Ness, Glencoe more of the Scottish Highlands or take a day trip to Glenfinnan, Fort William and Glencoe.
Tours from Inverness – You can visit the Isle of Skye and Eilean Donan Castle on a day trip or explore Urquhart Castle and take a Loch Ness Cruise.
Tours from Glasgow – The best trips from Glasglow include a tour of Loch Lomond, Trossachs and Stirling Castle or a visit to Loch Ness, Glencoe and more of the Highlands.
Tips for Visiting The Scottish Highlands in 7 Days
Driving isn’t totally easy when exploring the Highlands, there are single-track roads, sharp winding bends, sheep and other animals wandering around. The roads are also getting busier every year with huge motorhomes exploring Scottish nature too which means it’s pretty tight!
Our number one tip is to book your hotels and guesthouses in advance, even campsites! In the summer months, these can all get booked up really fast and you don’t want to miss out.
July and August are the peak and busiest months for crowds and midges.
If you want to make the most out of your 1 week in the Scottish Highlands, wake up early! It’s so quiet in the morning (before 10 am) and you can truly soak up the Scottish nature.
As for the bugs, try visiting before June or after September for a chance of fewer bugs. But always check for ticks as they can be lurking around in the grass. Always wear bug repellent when exposed to nature in the summer or grassy areas. We recommend Smidge and Avon Skin-So-Soft.
Best Time to the Scottish Highlands
Generally, the best time to visit the Scottish Highlands is between April to October. But, summer is when the bugs come out and it can make camping difficult.
We visited Scotland in June and sadly it rained almost the entire time (apart from one day when we hiked up Ben Nevis, so lucky)
Spring & Autumn – March to May and October to November might be the best times to visit for less crowds, less chance of bugs and a hope of some good weather.
Summer – The summer is a lovely time to visit with possible 25°C days and sunny hikes, but it can also rain a lot or have cold spells when you’re expecting sun. It’s the busiest time of year and usually the most expensive.
Winter – If you want a winter wonderland, visit the Highlands from January to February. We spent one day in Glencoe in December and the mountains were already snow-topped. It was magical in Edinburgh!
Plan your 7 days in the Scottish Highlands around the season you’d rather, but be prepared for any type of weather!
How to get to the Scottish Highlands
Flight – Inverness is the best airport to start your 1 week Scottish Highlands itinerary, but Edinburgh and Glasgow are also great options (and often cheaper to fly into)
Train – You can also get to the major cities by train from cities like London, Manchester or Bristol. Check ScotRail for routes.
Bus – Take a coach to Edinburgh or Glasgow to start your Highlands trip. The most affordable options are Megabus, National Express and Flixbus. You can then take another bus or train to Inverness or your starting point.
Have the best time exploring the great Scottish Highlands. We have many more travel guides in the United Kingdom plus more Scottish posts!
- North Coast 500 Road Trip Itinerary
- The Perfect Isle of Skye Itinerary
- 3 Day Edinburgh Itinerary
- 1 Day Scottish Highlands Itinerary from Edinburgh
- Scottish Highlands Bucket List
- 1 Day York Itinerary & 1 Day Cambridge Itinerary
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