The Scottish Highlands driving tour started from Inverness, the unofficial capital of the Highlands. We took the overnight sleeper train up from London’s King’s Cross and reached Inverness comfortably early in the morning. Our plan was to drive all the way from Inverness to the Isle of Skye and back to Edinburgh (via Stirling) in the next four days.
Day 1: Inverness to Garve
After breakfast at the railway station, we started driving to our first stop, the Battlefield of Culloden. Fans of Outlander may already know this, but this was the location where the Scottish Jacobite rebellion was brutally defeated by the English forces. Thousands of Scottish clansmen died on that battlefield, which had a devastating effect on Scottish culture. Now, it is a field with markers and flags that denote mass graves for particular clans. It would have been just a field with some stones for me, but there was a young 16-year-old boy playing the most plaintive melody on bagpipes that created an atmosphere of hushed reverence even 250 years after the battle.
We then made our way to Loch Ness and the ruins of Urquhart Castle. While we didn’t catch sight of Nessie, the medieval castle and the view of Loch Ness from the castle were stunning sights. The history of the castle is essentially a history of clan rivalry and raids, and a signboard in front of the castle listed the spoils of a raid by the MacDonalds in 1545, including thousands of sheep, goats, cattle, pigs, horses, and geese. The signs also described what each building was used for in its heyday, so you could imagine the hustle and bustle of a great keep complete with cattle, sheep, and geese.
We were on our way out of Inverness by early evening but made a pit stop at a small local family farm called Robertson: The Larder and Children’s Farm. I really recommend this stop, especially for those with kids. They had a decent-sized petting and feeding zoo with Highland cows, sheep, goats, hens, and alpacas. Both the kids and the kids at heart (and the greedy animals) had an enjoyable feeding session. We spent about an hour and a half there until they closed. It was difficult to drag the kids away because, in addition to the animals, they also had a sand pit with toys and cars. The family store (very friendly owners) sold cheese, sauces, preserves, and baked goods. We had some cheese and crackers and strawberries, so a good time was had by all.
We drove all the way to the Dundonnell Hotel near Garve that night. The location of the Dundonnell Hotel is on the coast of Little Loch Broom. We walked along the coastline for a bit when we came across a little cairn that was inexplicably covered in what seemed like banners with Sanskrit writings on them. Definitely strange. The hotel itself was very nice—good views, comfortable spacious rooms, excellent food at the restaurant, free Wi-Fi, and very affordable rates.
Day 2: Inverewe Gardens and Drive to Skye
Our plan for Day 2 was to drive all the way to the Isle of Skye. Our first stop, though, was the botanical gardens of Inverewe near Gairloch. The Inverewe Gardens cover about 49 acres, and thanks to the influence of the North Atlantic Drift or Gulf Stream, tropical plants thrive here despite the Scottish cold climate. The garden is set out almost like a terrace garden, with separate sections for vegetables, flowers, and tropical plants. We were right in time to see the very rare bloom of a tall (about 9m) cactus-like Central American plant called the Puya alpestris, which was blooming for the first time in 11 years and would last only for a week.
After lunch, we set off again on a very scenic drive to the Isle of Skye. It was truly beautiful all around, especially with the view of Loch Maree and the mountains surrounding us. Sheep were everywhere, grazing freely. We were driving rather slowly and stopping multiple times to take pictures of the scenery. Words just don’t do justice to the beauty of the drive.
We reached the Tigh na Bruach Bed and Breakfast in the evening, where we were staying for the next two nights. The bed and breakfast itself was quite large and could accommodate almost all of us (S had to find another room at a nearby hotel). We had a mixed experience here, so I would only recommend this if you were not traveling with kids. While the husband was very pleasant and welcoming, I couldn’t say the same about the wife. Her very first words on meeting us were not a hello or welcome but a very strident “Close the door or my cat will escape.” (We didn’t see a cat for the two days that we were there, so perhaps it had escaped.) Keep in mind, we were traveling with four kids—two six-year-olds and two three-year-olds—and they were cooped up in a car all day long.
We got two rooms upstairs, and by the time we grabbed our luggage, we already got a complaint that the kids were too noisy and needed to be quiet because her son was asleep (we never saw the son either). Keep in mind, they were not screaming, just being their normal selves. The next morning, we were yelled at because we didn’t leave the house before 10 (we were never told that we had to, as we were staying for two nights). Then, when we gave the phone to the kids to keep them quiet at breakfast time, I got a caustic remark about how kids were using too much electronics. For some reason, anything unplanned seemed to fluster her. When the kids didn’t sit at the seat she had designated – with a milk glass instead of a coffee cup – she was strangely agitated until we switched the cups for the glass. Her husband was polite, cheerful, and incredibly nice, so perhaps she was just having a bad day. The breakfast was superlative and the only highlight of the stay – proper Scottish breakfast with eggs, sausage, fruits, and bean. Very delicious.
Day 3: The Isle of Skye
By the end of the day 3, we were convinced that the Isle of Skye is one of the most beautiful places to visit in Scotland. The weather was wonderful – bright and sunny – and extremely rare. The weather is normally rainy, windy, and cold, and every single local made it a point to tell us how lucky we were to have such incredible weather. Our first stop of the day was whisky tasting at the Talisker Distillery. We observed the whisky-making process and learned how they obtain the distinctive smoky, peaty flavor by burning peat moss. It seemed like such a small distillery, but this island has been manufacturing Talisker Whisky for almost two hundred years. I also learned that the origin of the barley plays almost no role in the final taste of the whisky, and most distilleries bulk order malted barley from Europe and Canada.
Our next stop was Neist Point Lighthouse. It had a green knoll with a long protrusion that stretches like a huge tongue into the water, and at the distant end, there is a lighthouse. We didn’t walk all the way to the lighthouse but climbed up the hill to get a beautiful 360-degree bird’s-eye view of the location. I must give a special mention to Café Lephin near Neist Point Lighthouse, where we had our lunch. It was a really nice café with great service, clean restrooms, free Wi-Fi, and some amazing sandwiches and soup. It was also my nephew’s birthday that day, so we ordered some cupcakes and sang Happy Birthday three times until he was satisfied that he turned three.
We spent the day driving around the island and admiring the dramatic views we could see from every point. We also visited Kilt Rock and the Mealt Falls, the Sligachan Old Bridge, and drove past Dunvegan Castle. The Isle of Skye is connected to the mainland by the Skye Bridge, completed in 1995, which replaced the old ferry crossing and made it much more accessible to visitors. We ended the day at Portree, the main town on the Isle of Skye, with several restaurants and tourist shops.
Day 4: Eilean Donan to Fort William
Our first stop of the day was the Sea Probe Atlantis on the Isle of Skye itself, an underwater boat trip that promised us a look at marine wildlife and, as they said, “spot crabs, starfish, sea urchins, jellyfish, sea squirts, and various types of fish.” None of these creatures seemed to have gotten the memo, so all we could see underwater were giant forests of kelp. Admittedly, there was something mesmerizing about seeing these huge plants wave eerily in the dimly lit view through the large glass windows from the lower deck. It reminded me of where the merpeople would live in a Harry Potter book. The marine life may have been there, but it was extremely difficult to see anything amidst the kelp. On the water surface, we did see otter families playing about, so it was not a total loss, but the Sea Probe definitely didn’t live up to its hype.
After that, we took the ferry to Mallaig to see Eilean Donan Castle. This castle has such an impressive location that there is no vantage point from which it doesn’t awe you. It was my favorite castle in the UK. They also had the best tour guides, a jolly grandpa who delighted my daughter by chatting with her and inducting her as an honorary Scot, and a quiet gentleman who asked me where I was from and then chatted about being stationed in my hometown of Kochi, Kerala, for several years. He could understand a smattering of Malayalam and said he missed Kerala food!
Our next stop was the Glenfinnan Viaduct, made famous by the Harry Potter Hogwarts Express train scene. We just missed the train when we got there, but it is a pretty impressive spot, with a long curved bridge supported by massive arches. The viaduct was completed in 1901 and is part of the West Highland Line that connects Fort William and Mallaig. It is one of the first major structures in the world built entirely of concrete. It is a short, flat walking trail from the car park, and it was deserted when we arrived, so we could spread out and take good photographs. There were plenty of midges to keep us company, so we hurried back to the car!
We continued our scenic drive to Fort William to the Inns at Ardgour, situated right at the ferry docks of Loch Linnhe. This was a good hotel, but we were there for such a short time (just to sleep) that I don’t really have a standout memory of it. We were ready to crash when we reached.
Day 5: Drive to Edinburgh
Our goal for Day 5 was to get to Edinburgh. Doune Castle was the first stop. Our goal was to just see the castle quickly and move on, but thanks to a flat tire, we got some additional time to explore the castle as it was being fixed. And learning about how Outlander was shot here. The audio self-guided tour had two commentary tracks, the Outlander one and the original one, and I switched between the two. Compared to other castles, it was smaller, but the façade was very recognizable. The gift shop also had 18th-century dresses you could try on for photos, so we indulged in that until our car was fixed.
Our next stop was Stirling Castle. There is a huge statue of Robert the Bruce in front of the castle, but it also boasts beautifully maintained Queen Anne’s Gardens with several flowering shrubs. This was a significant royal castle and played a pivotal role in several important Scottish battles. We reached our hotel in Edinburgh (Holyrood Aparthotel), which, as its name suggests, was an apartment with rooms being let out for short stays.
After dumping our bags there, we thought we might visit the Dynamic Earth but instead visited the Camera Obscura. The Camera Obscura is a museum of optical illusions and has four floors devoted to light and mirror-related displays, including thermal cameras and trick mirrors that make you seem as if you have a floating head. One highlight was an expertly arranged room that made you seem like a giant on one side and a midget on the other. They also had a periscope view of the entire city of Edinburgh, reflected on a concave surface on the top floor, with a young guide explaining the wonderful sights of the city. This is a must-see. By this time, it was night, and the kids were in need of comfort food, and we were in need of any food, so we went to the local McDonald’s and had a burger or two before heading back home.
Day 6: Edinburgh City
Edinburgh city consists of a long road called the Royal Mile, which is the main thoroughfare of the city. There are side alleys branching off from the main street in both directions, and these very narrow side streets are called “closes.” These closes slope down, and in the olden days, they could be gated to control entry and exit to the main street. A very popular tourist attraction that we loved was the tour of Mary King’s Close, also known as St. Mary’s Close. As the city grew, buildings were built over each other, and a tour of Mary King’s Close reveals how the poor and the middle class lived hundreds of years ago. As opposed to the castle tours, it was illuminating to see how the poor lived—several to a tiny room.
The Mary King’s Close tour explained how the narrow closes were both dumping grounds for waste from houses, open-air market stalls, and thoroughfares. There was also an intact toilet seat (presumably one of the earliest toilet seats, because the owner displayed it proudly to show everyone that he had this newfangled creation). It was an engaging and interesting tour of the uneven and dimly lit underground streets and featured stories of common folk from the 17th century.
We stopped briefly at the Writer’s Museum, and I was taken aback by how many popular authors called Edinburgh home. From Robert Burns to R.L. Stevenson to J.K. Rowling, Edinburgh’s contribution to literature is immeasurable. The theme of the city is now undoubtedly J.K. Rowling. Witches and warlocks are available for photos at various points, the café where Rowling wrote Harry Potter’s first draft is a huge tourist attraction, and there are Muggle tours everywhere.
Our final stop of the day was the magnificent and humongous Edinburgh Castle. It wouldn’t be wrong to call it a walled city because it had everything enclosed within it. In terms of all the castles we saw, this one seemed to be the largest and most impressive, and definitely the most crowded.
After a spot of shopping, we made our way back to Edinburgh Railway Station to take the train back to London. And as always, for every trip, there was so much more we could see and do, but what we saw was very beautiful.