Exploring Scotland: How to Create a Unique Travel Itinerary
Exploring Scotland: How to Create a Unique Travel Itinerary
Travel Planning 101: Insight into Understanding the process of creating an itinerary, Keys questions to ask, What to book
Welcome Wanderers,
In this post, I'll walk you through the process of organizing a 14-day journey in Scotland so that you will be prepared to take a road trip across the country of kilts, bagpipes, and whisky galore. (Subsequent posts will highlight attractions and what to see.)
Whether you're a history buff, a nature lover, or simply seeking tranquility in embracing untamed landscapes, planning a trip to Scotland does not have to be difficult if you follow these steps.
But First, Why Scotland as the Example?
I am currently planning this trip for myself for September 2024, and I thought it would give you the opportunity to see the process as a live example rather than a hypothetical situation. My planner's viewpoint and experience as a travel consultant will provide the information you need to arrange a voyage you'll remember for years.
This trip to Scotland has been on the minds of my husband and I for quite a long time. Our family is of Scottish heritage (Clan Mitchell), and my husband’s father was born in Linlithgow, just outside of Edinburgh. Initially, we were going to go with another couple, but when we realized that we wanted a longer, more in-depth odyssey into our heritage, we knew that this trip needed to be just the two of us.
If you are thinking of visiting Scotland, these tips will help you plan an original itinerary that encompasses everything you want to see in a way that you will prioritize your travel goals and leave room for some fun and relaxation. You are on vacation, after all.
How to Plan 14 Days in Scotland
There are several key questions that are key to planning a trip, whether it is to Scotland or another destination. These are:
How Long Do You Intend To Stay?
What is your mode of Transportation?
How Long Will You Drive Each Day?
What Types of Accommodation do You Require?
What Do You Want to See or Do?
Many people will include “How Much Do You Want to Spend” in these initial questions but often budget can be modified once you better understand the details and logistics of the trip.
1. How Long Do You Intend To Stay?
One of the first questions you must ask yourself about planning a Scotland itinerary is how long you intend to stay. If you look at a map of Scotland, you will notice several things right away.
There are only two large cities; Edinburgh and Glasgow. Smaller cities and towns such as Aberdeen, Inverness, Fort William, Perth, St. Andrews, and Stirling, can and should be visited on longer itineraries.
There are plenty of inland water, or Lochs, as they are called. These waterways were once important for navigating the interior of the country. The abundance of the lochs is important when planning an itinerary. I will get back to that later.
Central Scotland contains the Highlands which comprises some of the most rugged and remote areas in the country. These areas are known for spectacular landscapes, scenery, hiking, and climbing.
There are plenty of offshore islands. The Hebrides, Isle of Skye, the Orkneys, the Shetlands, and countless others all provide a completely different experience from the highlands of central Scotland.
Considering these four points, you will need to think about what you want to do. If the goal is to have a quick weekend getaway, then by all means, Edinburgh or Glasgow will provide you with some great entertainment options, fantastic sights for medieval architecture, fabulous food and drink, and an authentic cultural escape. I wrote this article about what to do in Edinburgh for 3 days.
But, if you want to leave the city behind and explore the country’s natural landscape and historical and cultural heritage, you will need a bit longer than a weekend. It is hard to determine a specific length until you have looked at things to do. If you only have seven days in Scotland, you may need to select only one region and vow to return later for another.
Initially, we planned to go to the Orkneys but decided that the added ferry crossing times made the trip overly long. On a subsequent trip, we will venture to the Orkneys and the Shetlands to explore country’s northernmost regions. On another trip, we will visit the western coast and include the Hebrides and other island communities. This year, we will stick to central Scotland and do it in 14 days.
2. What is Your Mode of Transportation?
Determining your mode of transportation during your visit to Scotland will help define your itinerary. If you plan on using public transportation, buses, or trains, you will be limited to what you can see within walking distance from the train or bus stations.
However, you can travel to just about every corner of the country if you have a car. Keep in mind that driving is on the left side of the road, and if this is new, be prepared for some clean windows for the first few days.
3. How Long Will You Drive Each Day?
Another question to ask your self is, how long do you want to drive each day? If you drive long distances between places daily, what are you seeing along the way? Are you a “box ticker,” or do you want to experience the sights, learn the history, and taste the foods?
On my itinerary’s first draft, I planned to drive from Stirling through Glencoe, Fort William, Loch Ness (Drumnadrochit), and on to Inverness in one day. Google told me it was about four hours of driving time, but with landscape and road conditions, probably closer to six or seven.
Although we are accustomed to driving long distances in Canada, how could we see anything if we spend the whole day driving? We have since revised our itinerary to include two overnight stops along the way in Callander and Fort William.
If you are unsure about actual driving times or road conditions, you could always post a question about Scottish travel in any Facebook group. Twitter (X) is also a good place to post a question. Many travel bloggers have been to Scotland or live there.
For our trip, we chose to do a circle route, clockwise around Scotland, starting and finishing in Edinburgh. This is the route we chose:
4. What Types of Accommodation do You Require?
Accommodation in Scotland varies widely from hostels and camping places to pub stays and luxury castles. Depending on your travel dates, some of the less expensive options may not be available or may not be to your liking. Either way, there are options.
For our trip, we mainly chose mid-priced stays with a few lower-priced ones thrown into the mix and a castle stay for a taste of luxury. Stays in Edinburgh and Glasgow will be more expensive than in some outlying towns.
5. What Do You Want to See or Do?
This is the part of planning a trip that can be both interesting and fun as well as overwhelming and time-consuming. Many books and guides have been written on things to do in Scotland and you could spend days going down the rabbit hole on the internet. But it does not have to be that difficult if you learn a few tricks.
Make a Rough List -
Start by Googling “Things to Do in Scotland.” Make a rough list of anything that catches your eye and where it is located. To do this, I usually set up a Word document to act as an “info dump.” I can add links to an attraction, the history of a place, or a particular tour I might want to take. Take note that some activities may not operate every day or possibly not at all in the winter.
If you find your list is getting long, segregate it by city or region. Blog posts or tour companies with suggested itineraries are great places to start. Pinterest is also great for resources and inspiration.
For some excellent articles written about different Scottish areas, I highly recommend the Love Scotland Publication.
Map It Out -
Once you have listed all the places you are interested in, place them on a map and see the distance between them. Personally, I like to do this old school, so I bought a road map of Scotland. You can also download and print a map or use one of the many travel planning Apps like Wanderlog or Tripit.
Use Google to determine the distance between the cities and towns. (And whatever Google says is the time it takes to drive there, almost double it.) As mentioned previously, Scotland has many lochs and rivers. There are also significant hills and mountains, particularly in the Highlands. It will take you longer than expected to drive the distance.
You also need to take into consideration, the road conditions. They are not all motorways but rather country lanes in some places. There may even be livestock on the road you must wait for. And, regardless of the season you visit, the weather in Scotland can be changeable with heavy rain, snow, or fog. This will add to your travel time as well.
Define the List -
Once you have looked at how your list sits on a map, you can start defining your list. Do your choices make sense? Are the attractions spread out or in clusters? Can you create a home base and do day trips from one location? Are there similarities between attractions that could eliminate one or the other? How many castles or distilleries do you need to see? Is hiking your priority?
Answers to questions like these will help define whether 7, 10 or 14 days is justified. Once you understand what you want to see and where the attractions are located, you can start the booking process.
The Trip Booking Process
The process of booking your trip to Scotland will vary for many people. Some will want to book everything, including flights, accommodation, and local transportation, all prior to visiting, while others will only book flights and the first and/or last night’s stay. Since I am a planner, I prefer to book all the big ticket items, prior to visiting which are flights, accommodation, and car rental.
September is still considered a heavy tourist season in Scotland, so for my trip, I noticed limited availability. For this reason, I chose to book everything as soon as I picked my travel dates.
These are the items that can be booked:
1. Flights -
If you are visiting from outside Scotland, flights will be the most significant expense of the trip. Finding the best flight deal can be challenging but with search engines like Google Flights, SkyScanner, and Kayak, you should be able to find dates and times that suit your needs. If you use these websites for research, I suggest booking the flights directly through the airlines or a travel agency to ensure proper communication should any changes be required.
For our trip, once we plugged in our preferred dates, we discovered that by shifting dates and extending our flights by four days, we could save hundreds of dollars (each). (Our trip is now 18 days)
2. Accommodation -
As mentioned previously, the type of accommodation in Scotland varies widely, but the quantity of establishments may be limited in some of the smaller communities. For our trip, we wanted to experience comfortable lodgings that were akin to the culture of the country as well as being easy on the wallet. We selected a mix of hotels, guest houses and a castle. If we were younger, hostel stays would have been incorporated.
These are our choices -
Edinburgh - Edinburgh Motel One
Stirling - The Stirling Highland Hotel
Callander - The Waverly Hotel
Fort William - The Caledonian
Inverness - Torridon Guest House
Dingwall - Tulloch Castle
Nairn - Invernairne Guest House
Perth - Mercure Perth Hotel
3. Rental Cars -
Unless you live elsewhere in the UK or drove through the Chunnel, you must rent a car once you arrive in Scotland. There are many companies to choose from offering a variety of vehicles, but we decided to go with Rentalscars.com. A word of caution: Some roads can be narrow, and parking can be challenging, so the smallest vehicle that will fit your group, would be better.
Having a car with a GPS is a great option, but keep in mind, that mountains and remote areas may affect the service. Keep a backup map handy for navigation.
4. Public Transportation
If your trip to Scotland has you using either bus or train travel, it is best to book this as soon as you can confirm your dates. You want to avoid having a wonderful itinerary planned but discover that the trains are booked and you cannot get there.
5. Things to Do
Pre-booking attractions is not always required, but if you are visiting during peak season or wish to see something on a particular day, booking ahead may be beneficial in the long run.
Some of the best activity planning and booking Apps are Viatour and Get Your Guide. If you uncomfortable with booking through this third party, many attractions have their own booking options or accept walk-ins. Be aware that very popular attractions like Edinburgh Castle may have long lines, and “cut the line” options may be available. I have previously written this article on things to do in Edinburgh. It will get you started in this vibrant capital city.
Enjoying Your Trip To Scotland
Now that you have completed the planning, booked the big ticket items, and have reviewed the things to see and do, you can now reap the rewards of your hard work and enjoy your trip.
I hope this guide gave you insight on how to research and plan a trip to Scotland and how to craft a unique itinerary. I know some travelers like to wing it, while others like to have every hour scheduled. For me, I like to prioritize my time and visualize my itinerary to ensure I do not miss sought after attractions and experiences.
This is how I like to plan trips but it is not the only way or the right way. Each person will develop their own set of goals and priorities when they embark on their own adventure. Your vision of a trip to Scotland may include festivals and events, or perhaps a distillery or castle tour.
However you choose to explore this land of history, landscape, and culture, I hope these tips will guide you through the itinerary planning process for a trip you will remember for years to come.
Enjoy your trip!
Awesome article. I've only been to Glasgow but I would love to go do some hiking in the Highlands eventually. Thanks for sharing!
You’ll be travelling very close to where I live (between Inverness and Dingwall).
I’m a bit confused by you saying that the Highlands are in Central Scotland. They’re in the north and northwest. Central Scotland is the Glasgow/Edinburgh belt mainly.