A driving tour may seem a little daunting to first timer visitors, especially if you drive on the wrong (I mean righthand) side of the road!😉 Trust me though, it is easy, and the best way to make the most of your visit to stunning Scotland. I recommend driving in a sedan as opposed to an RV type vehicle. The roads can be quite narrow in certain places with single lanes and parking….don’t get me started on parking! Why not sleep in gorgeous AirBnb’s or Scottish hotels instead, and get a taste of the famous Scottish hospitality?
My top recommendation for you to include in any driving tour of Scotland is Glencoe. This area is breathtakingly beautiful, and it is my hands down favourite place to see in Scotland. I love it so much, I did a whole separate post on it. You can read more on Glencoe here.
We have driven through a fair bit of central Scotland over the course of three different trips. Starting from when we left the Isle of Skye – another destination I highly recommend adding to your driving tour of Scotland, this post will continue our highlights of Scotland, working our way down to Edinburgh.
Things to see driving through Perthshire
Perthshire is Scotland’s fourth largest county, situated in the centre of the country. It contains some of Scotland’s most scenic landscapes.
Pitlochry
Pitlochry is located pretty much in the centre of Scotland. This is such a lovely quaint town, with gorgeous stone buildings. Be careful of parking though, the carparks have fees to park and are not very clearly signed. Don’t get caught out like we did! We stopped to grab some refreshments and for a look around, we were surprised to finally find Wally! I loved this area of Scotland so much, that I added it to my itinerary for a future trip.
Dunkeld
I stayed in Dunkeld for one reason, to see the Hermitage in Autumn. The little town was so charming, I fell in love with it! I was flying solo on this trip, having made the journey to visit my daughter who was doing a Uni exchange in Edinburgh. After our reunion, and saying our goodbyes, I made my way to this gorgeous corner of the Earth. I stayed in the quaint Merryburn Rooms, which is in the centre of a town called Birnum, right next to Dunkeld. From my accommodation, it was a relatively short walk, through scenic woodlands along the river Tay, to the magical Hermitage National Forest. The town of Dunkeld is quite historic and very pretty to walk around. The buildings have plaques on them to tell you about the history of the place. I couldn’t resist entering the cute little Clootie Dumpling Cafe and trying one – so delicious and filling! I also had a meal at the local pub, which was very quiet midweek, but the meal was lovely and good value.
The Hermitage
This place is stunning! A short walk from the carpark will take you through tall Douglas Fir trees, with sound of rushing water in the background, drawing you closer to Ossian’s wall and the thunderous Black Linn Falls. In Autumn the leaves change colour and it is spectacular! You may see salmon spawning at that time of year too, leaping up the FalIs. If you’re lucky, you may see a red squirrel, but the little critters are so quick! I made a visit to the Loch of Lowes wildlife Reserve to finally see them.
The Loch of Lowes Wildlife Reserve
I decided to walk to the Loch of Lowes Nature Reserve, because it looked pretty straight forward to find, according to my map. Things are not always as they seem! I must have taken a wrong turn because I ended up walking through some pretty wild forest, where the path disappeared. I contemplated trying to retrace my steps and return to my accommodation as by now I was pretty sure a tick or two had attached themselves to me. Note of warning, ticks are common in Scotland, so do a good skin check and pack some repellant. I am glad I persisted, because the scenery was actually stunning, it was so peaceful, I didn’t see anyone else around…..possibly another sign that I was lost. 😂 With relief, I found my destination eventually.
They say patience is a virtue, and it is true when it comes to red squirrel spotting! The staff were so lovely at the Reserve, encouraging me to stay just a little while longer when I was ready to give up on ever spying the elusive little mammal. I was so excited when I caught a flash of red scurrying through the tree-tops and finally standing still for a couple of seconds at the feeders set out for them.
I also saw my very first Woodpecker here and there are birdwatching rooms looking out over the lake to spot waterbirds and beavers!
Blair Castle
While in the area, we visited Blair Castle. I have a family connection to the castle and have wanted to visit for some time. It is well worth a visit if in the area. It sits on a massive estate, with beautiful gardens and forest walks and has a ruin of an old church that may or may not house the remains of one of my ancestors…. love a good family tree!
Driving though Cairngorms National Park
Driving from the Western coast of Scotland to the East coast there a number of routes you can take. One is through the very pretty Perthshire region that I discussed earlier, or you can drive through the Cairngorms national park. We have done both. I have to say, there is more to see going via Perthshire, but quicker through the Cairngorms. So, it just depends on your schedule. On the way through the Cairngorms, we stopped for lunch at a restaurant recommended by friends, in the middle of nowhere, with a string of awards under its hat. The Kildrummy Inn was a real find back then, and has undergone recent refurbishment, so I would love to return one day and check it out.
Urquhart Castle and Loch Ness
After our delicious lunch , we made our way to Urquhart Castle on the western shores of Loch Ness. It was a wild and windy day, but the rain cleared just as we parked the car enabling us to have a good look around. This castle is more a ruin, but you can wander through it and it offers the best view over Loch Ness.
No Nessy sightings, so onwards we drove to Inverness.
Things to see driving around Inverness
Inverness is a great place to base yourself to see some of the top sights in Northern Scotland. There is a famous drive called the North Coast 500 that starts and ends in Inverness. We are leaving that drive for a future trip, perhaps not in peak season to avoid traffic jams on the country roads.
We didn’t actually stay in Inverness, but in a lovely BnB just outside Inverness, called Arc Na Sidhe. Very friendly hosts and cosy rooms made this a perfect place to stay. We had a car pick us up to take us to dinner on the shores of Loch Ness. It was a very windy and wet evening, the Loch was whipped into a bit of a frenzy. I didn’t realize a loch could produce waves! After dinner we were returned to our accommodation. This was our base to explore around Inverness.
Culloden
Culloden is the site of an epic battle between the Scottish Jacobite army and the British, that took place in April 1946. The battle was the climax of the failed Jacobite rebellion. Culloden is an eerie place to walk around. You get a real sense of the heavy loss of life that occurred here. Flags are erected to show where the Scottish and British troops had gathered on either side of the moor. There have been some applications made to redevelop the area. Personally, I would hate to see anything change, there is so much history there. The staff at the historical centre were lovely, and as soon as they found out I was a bit of an Outlander fan…. ok, a LOT of an Outlander fan, they filled us in on some BTS filming details from when the production was filming there. Lucky ladies!
Fyvie Castle
We made a slight detour to see a few castles…. as you do in Scotland! Fyvie Castle was very grand, with beautiful gardens and is said to be the most haunted castle in Scotland. The library is supposedly haunted by a man that had been hung for murder and whose death mask graces wall above the bookshelf. The ghost known as the Green Lady, wanders the halls after being locked in the charter room and starved to death by her cruel husband. In the charter room there is a sealed door that has never been opened because to do so will bring about a curse – the death of the Laird and the blindness of his wife. Two Lairds have attempted to open the chamber, and both died shortly after, and their wives began to suffer eye problems. No one has attempted since. I love a good ghost story!
Castle Fraser, located near Fyvie Castle, just North of Aberdeen, was just as impressive with a massive fortress tower and turrets. Unfortunately, the castle was closed on our visit. Seems to be another reason for me to return to Scotland again!
Driving through Aberdeen
My first impression of Aberdeen was just grey…. I mean the whole city is grey! The buildings are predominately made out of granite, hence the nickname the Granite City. The main reason for coming to Aberdeen was to visit the Gordon Highland Museum as we have some family history connected to the clan. I enjoyed the museum and our guide was a natural born story-teller, as I am coming to believe most Scots are! They have re-created military trenches that you can walk around, which was fascinating.
Isle of May
The highlight of Northern Scotland for me, was finally getting to see and photograph Puffins on the Isle of May – a nature reserve just off the East coast of Scotland. We booked on Anstruther Pleasure cruises, making the boat with only a minute to spare! When we visited in 2022, you were able to disembark and wander the Isle at your leisure. There are also other bird species to observe, as well as seal colonies, rabbits galore and dolphins. I could watch those little Puffins for hours ….. actually, we did!
I love driving around the UK – the signage is in English, and they drive on the left side of the road, the same as in Australia. What makes a road trip fun, is the people you do it with! My long-time friend and all-round top chick rode shotgun with me through Scotland on my 50th trip. I don’t think we stopped laughing for 3 weeks! No Navman needed, we navigated old school – what could possibly go wrong??
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