Highlands, Scotland
The Scottish Highlands are only as beautiful as you’ve imagined. An incredible route trip destination that features rocky peaks as well as sweeping glens shrouded inwards mist.
The Scottish Highlands conduct maintain been on my bucket listing for years. After late returning from a wonderful 4-day journeying through the part of Lochaber as well as the West Highlands, I wanted to part my favorite highlights as well as tips to assist you lot excogitation your ain adventure.
Why should you lot see the Highlands of Scotland?
Well, if you’re a fan of hiking violet mount ranges, floating mist-covered lochs, or exploring ancient forests, as well as so you’ll honey the Highlands.
They render intrepid travelers alongside fantastic go photography opportunities as well as a hearty dose of Scottish charm.
The Scottish Highlands are a playground for hikers, bikers, kayakers, as well as anyone who loves outdoor adventures. The expanse of Lochaber or so Fort William is considered the outdoor adventure upper-case alphabetic quality of the United Kingdom!
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Exploring The Scottish Highlands
My Scottish Highlands route trip began inwards Glasgow afterward taking the develop from Edinburgh. From there, nosotros rented a auto as well as began driving upward to Fort William from Glasgow along route A82 on my agency to the Isle of Skye inwards early on July.
The landscape was exceptionally dark-green afterward weeks of rain.
Weather inwards Scotland is ofttimes cold, windy, as well as rainy — all the same don’t permit that dissuade you, these conditions also arrive at some rattling dramatic scenery.
There’s tumultuous history hither too… night tales of epic clan battles as well as murderous plots. Mythical legends of lake monsters, fairies, as well as goblins.
In the Highlands, you lot never know what hidden treasures you’ll uncover spell venturing off into the Scottish countryside. I sure enough works life plenty! The landscape tin live harsh as well as unforgiving, but totally worth a trip.
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Loch Lomond
My get-go halt on the drive from Glasgow into the Highlands was the town of Balloch on the banks of Loch Lomond. The expanse is go of Loch Lomond as well as The Trossachs National Park.
It was raining pretty heavily, so nosotros didn’t stick or so also long, but I did walk aboard the Maid Of The Loch, a fantastic 60-year-old paddle steamship currently undergoing renovation.
Further upward the road, brand sure to pop into the 300-year-old (and some tell haunted) Drovers Inn for traditional Scottish nutrient or a dram of whisky (unless you’re driving of course).
This quirky historic stone society sits straight inwards front end of a steep mount waterfall. Stepping within the edifice feels similar stepping dorsum inwards time…
Driving Glen Etive
A winding unmarried rails lane passing into the narrow valley of Glen Etive volition conduct maintain whatsoever driving enthusiast grinning from ear to ear. It’s a wonderful picayune side trip off the beaten rails when driving through the Scottish Highlands.
You’ve likely already seen Glen Etive before, but didn’t know it. The landscape was a filming location for the pop James Bond film “Skyfall”, where James takes his iconic Aston Martin DB5 out for a drive.
The icy mutual frigidity Etive River passes beside the road, as well as for the to a greater extent than adventurous, it’s a nifty identify to become cliff jumping. Hiking or kayaking (with your ain gear) or so Loch Etive at the destination of the route is some other option.
Wild camping ground is pop inwards the glen, but PLEASE holler upward to leave no trace. It would live a shame to ruin such a beautiful landscape alongside trash from disrespectful campers…
Hiking The Highlands
If you’re a hiker, the Scottish Highlands conduct maintain trails for all levels. Lochaber is abode to Ben Nevis, the United Kingdom’s highest mount at 4,416 feet (1,346 meters). Munro bagging is a pop activeness — summiting mountains over 3,000 feet.
For those who savour long-distance treks, the West Highland Way stretches some 96 miles through the best of the Highlands as well as takes most hikers 5-7 days. You tin bear everything alongside you, or hire a fellowship to carry the mass of your gear to guesthouses ahead of your arrival.
Countless shorter twenty-four hr menses hikes tin live works life inwards the expanse too.
One of my favorites was Steall Falls as well as Nevis Gorge, where the trail follows a mount river funneling into a narrow rocky gorge. It ends inwards a huge meadow, alongside Scotland’s sec highest waterfall dropping over 300 feet from the high mountains beyond.
Glen Coe
Widely considered 1 of the most beautiful areas of the United Kingdom, the spectacular valley of Glen Coe has a haunted past times as the site of a 17th-century massacre which saw 38 members of the MacDonald Clan hunted to expiry inwards the snow.
Another forty women & children died of exposure when their homes were burned to the ground.
Yet the landscape is as as haunting as its past. Driving or so the towering peaks of the “Three Sisters” nether foreboding clouds & drizzling rain, you lot tin experience the weight of sadness on this place.
Pull off on the side of the route for photos, or pass an afternoon hiking a few of the trails. Further on is the hamlet of Glencoe, where you lot tin observe lodges, cafes, or restaurants to assist pause upward the drive.
Jacobite Steam Train
Remember the Hogwarts Express from Harry Potter? Well, that develop actually exists! The Jacobite Steam Train has been called the most scenic develop journeying inwards the world, as well as for goodness reason.
Starting inwards Fort William, this 84 mile journeying takes passengers deep into the Highlands, ending at the modest angling hamlet of Mallaig. Along the agency it travels across quondam stone bridges, through misty mount passes, as well as past times deep freshwater lochs.
Tickets sell out fast, but if you’re driving nearby, you lot should halt at the ticker over Glenfinnan Viaduct, where the develop passes or so 11am as well as 3pm for wonderful photograph opportunities!
Monster Spotting At Loch Ness
Loch Ness is a deep, cold, as well as rattling murky lake inwards the pump of the Scottish Highlands close the town of Inverness. For years locals as well as tourists conduct maintain reported witnessing a large unidentified creature alongside a long cervix swimming through the water.
A pop activeness is sailing across Loch Ness to the ancient ruins of Urquart Castle, searching for the Loch Ness Monster (aka Nessie) along the way. I striking upward Loch Ness spell driving dorsum from Skye to grab a develop to Glasgow at the destination of my journey.
Some people believe Nessie is a plesiosaur, a dinosaur who’s survived to modern times past times living isolated from the ocean within the loch.
What arrive at you lot think? Is the Loch Ness Monster real?
Mountain Biking Nevis Range
Under the shadow of Ben Nevis, the UK’s highest mountain, lies the Nevis Range mount wheel trails. They conduct maintain trails for all levels, from relaxing forrest routes to white-knuckle World Cup downhill tracks.
You tin rent all sorts of dissimilar bikes as well as protective gear from £25 – £60 per day, as well as either cycle uphill through the cross province trails on your own, or ride the gondola elevator upward to the world-class downhill trails.
I spent the morn riding the “Witches Trails”, a fun mix of unmarried rails as well as wider trails that current of air through the trees, alongside the occasional wooden boardwalk or ramp. H5N1 depression mist had the forrest looking peculiarly eerie.
Scotland is abode to quite a few professional person mount bikers, including Danny Macaskill, the star of an epic curt YouTube cinema called “The Ridge” shot on the Isle of Skye. It volition brand your pump race!
Ancient Castles & Cathedrals
It goes without proverb that Scotland is inundation alongside its part of magnificent castles. There are literally hundreds of them, both ruined as well as active residences.
Scotland’s castles were built as armed forces fortifications, as well as in that location are enough of epic battle stories or sensational legends to larn nigh 1 time you lot see them.
I had the run a jeopardy to see a few, similar the incredibly picturesque Eilean Donan, the MacLeod theater unit of measurement stronghold of Dunvegan inwards Skye, as well as the ruins of Urquhart Castle along Loch Ness.
If you’re a fan of quondam stone churches too, brand sure to halt past times Glenfinnan Church, St. Andrews, as well as St. Johns of Ballachulish as you lot drive through the Highlands.
Best Places To Stay
The unofficial upper-case alphabetic quality of the Highlands is the town of Fort William. During the summertime high season, hotels as well as B&B’s tin sell out fast so it’s rattling of import to volume your accommodation inwards advance!
If you’re wondering where to rest inwards the Scottish highlands, hither are my recommendations:
Best Accommodation In The Scottish Highlands
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Camping Options
Wild camping ground is allowed all over the Scottish Highlands, as long as you lot follow Scotland’s Outdoor Access Code. Remember to leave of absence no trace! There are a few “bothys” also — wilderness cabins costless for hikers to use.
Scottish Highlands Tips & Advice
Once you lot see the Scottish Highlands, the expanse volition remain etched inwards your retentiveness long afterward you’ve returned home. Here are a few tips to consider earlier you lot arrive, to ensure you lot conduct maintain a nifty trip.
Everyone thinks of Scotland as well as the UK as expensive places to visit. While that may conduct maintain been the example a few years ago, correct straightaway the telephone substitution charge per unit of measurement is fantabulous if you’re American (thanks Brexit!).
Scotland is ofttimes wet. Apr – June are unremarkably the driest as well as most sunny months of the year. But brand sure to pack waterproof gear because the weather condition can, as well as does, alter rattling chop-chop year-round.
While the drive from Glasgow to Fort William exclusively takes nigh 2.5 hours, you’ll desire to laid aside to a greater extent than fourth dimension to explore the many hidden glens as well as fun hikes nearby! I’d recommend at to the lowest degree 3 days inwards the Highlands, if non more.
Don’t live afraid of the food! Yes it’s greasy, heavy, as well as ofttimes made of creature guts, but consider what they had to piece of job with. I recommend trying some Haggis, Blood Sausage, as well as of course of study a Full Scottish Breakfast. ★
Watch Video: Scottish Highland Adventures
(Click to ticker Highland Adventures – Scotland on YouTube)
Packing Guide
Check out my travel gear guide to assist you lot start packing for your trip. Pick upward a go backpack, photographic television set camera gear, as well as other useful go accessories.
Book Your Flight
Find inexpensive flights on Skyscanner. This is my favorite search engine to observe deals on airlines. Also brand sure to read how I observe the cheapest flights.
Rent H5N1 Car
Discover Car Hire is a nifty site for comparison auto prices to observe the best deal. They search both local & international rental companies.
Book Accommodation
Booking.com is my favorite hotel search engine. Or rent apartments from locals on Airbnb. Read to a greater extent than nigh how I volume inexpensive hotels online.
Protect Your Trip
Don’t forget go insurance! I’m a large fan of World Nomads for short-term trips. Protect yourself from possible injury & theft abroad. Read to a greater extent than nigh why you lot should ever bear go insurance.
Recommended Guidebook: Lonely Planet Highlands & Islands
Suggested Reading: Scottish Fairy & Folk Tales
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READ MORE FROM SCOTLAND
My Isle Of Skye Road Trip
Top Things To Do In Edinburgh
Meeting The Loch Ness Monster!
Have whatsoever questions nigh traveling inwards the Scottish Highlands? What nigh other suggestions? Drop me a message inwards the comments below!
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