Check out our full Itinerary here for a detailed look into what we did, where we stayed and more!
Scotland has a special place in our hearts, as it is not only the first international trip we took together but we also got engaged there! (engagement video link) However, that’s not the only reason it ranks at the top of our list (so far) of travel destinations. As you will see through this blog, I am a huge history buff and love castles, palaces, old buildings, cobble stone roads, etc. Luke is more of a scenery person- he loves hiking, mountain ranges and majestic backdrops. For us, Scotland couldn’t have been a more perfect destination for both!
We visited Scotland in September- although we heard that there could be more rain than normal, we soon found out that rain is always normal for Scotland. September turned out to be a fantastic month to visit- mild temperatures, less tourism and better availability for hotels.
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ranks in my top cities to visit for several reasons- first and foremost, it has an incredible amount of character. It has, of course, the castle which has buildings dating back to the 12th century (although the site’s history dates back 3,000 years), winding cobblestone roads, the highest number of pubs per capita in the world, hidden closes (alleyways), as well as gardens, monuments and even a mini hike (Arthur’s Seat). The people are as kind as you will ever meet and it’s fairly small- the majority of the sites are within walking distance.
We stayed in Old Town at a hotel called The Inn Place- and we highly recommend both the hotel and the area. On the last night we stayed in New Town and although it was fine, it didn’t have the character nor the nearby activities that Old Town did.
Driving to the Isle of Skye
We rented a car outside of Edinburgh for our first experience driving on the left side of the road. Full disclosure, this didn’t go well for me so Luke had to drive most of the time. If you are American, I suggest getting an automatic transmission- driving on the other side of the road is hard enough, don’t make it even harder.
The drive north was absolutely beautiful. When I tell people about it I always say that I looked out the window thinking it couldn’t be more beautiful than what I was seeing at that moment, and I was consistently proven wrong. The beauty about renting a car is that we could make multiple stops on the 5 our drive north. We stopped at several distilleries to pick up little bottles of Scotch and glasses, made a quick visit to Scone Palace (which was amazing- we wished we had more time to explore the castle and its extensive grounds!), then a final stop at Elin Donan Castle (we got there too late to actually go in, and it was raining pretty hard, but definitely warrants a stop).
Isle of Skye
Isle of Skye was one of the best trip decisions we made, and it almost didn’t happen! We were still trying to decide how we wanted to plan this trip (independently or through a third party), and through our research we saw recommendations over and over for Isle of Skye. All third party tours went through Inverness instead (home of Loch Ness), but had heard that destination was pretty touristy.
Our first day in Skye rained like crazy so we had to rearrange our plans, but that’s to be expected for Scotland. We ended up doing a rainy hike at the Fairy Pools, a distillery tour at Tallisker, and eating lobster and scallops caught right out of the bay. At the end of the day the skies finally parted for a beautiful sunset at Neist Point. Even with the torrential rain, this ended up being a great day!
The second day was absolutely beautiful- we started the day early at the Fairy Glen followed by the main sites in Isle of Skye- the Quiraing, Old Man of Storr, and Kilt Rock, as well as an amazing lunch at Skye Pie. This is an area we plan on going back to in the future, not only because of how amazing it was, but to take more pictures. This was Luke’s first outing on photography and although he took amazing pictures, he has since gotten a better camera and perfected his technique.
We stayed in an Air BNB and it was wonderful. Norma was our host and she had fantastic recommendations and couldn’t have been more kind.
Glen Coe
There are several areas to visit on the western edge of Scotland, and we chose Glen Coe for the amazing hikes. On the way there we took a ferry from the Isle of Skye and stopped at the Glenfinnan Viaduct- otherwise known as the Harry Potter train!
We spent two days in Glen Coe, the first hiking on the Three Sisters on a hike called Buachaille Etive Mor. It was a pretty long hike, so get some rest! One of my favorite stories from this trip we dub the ‘Crocodile Tears’. While on this hike we somehow got off the main path, and that combined with 8 prior days of nonstop activity caused me to get a little emotional. It happens! We passed some wonderful Scottish hikers who helped us back on the path and when we reached the top offered me some hot tea to make me feel better. It is the most English thing I have ever experienced, and you know what, it did make me feel better! The views from this mountain (the peaks are called ‘Monroes’) were amazing. Be sure to bring a camel pack and snacks because it took us around 8 hours. It could certainly take you less- everyone else on the hike passed us with no problem due to my short stride.
Here we stayed at a Bed and Breakfast called Ardno House. It was a little dated, but our hosts were wonderful and the location couldn’t be beat. The breakfast was delicious!
Stirling
On our way back to Edinburgh we stopped at Stirling to visit the Wallace Monument and Stirling Castle. The castle was interesting as it was renovated to look like it would have in its prime- although it didn’t feel as ‘authentic’, it did have a recreation of the Stirling Tapestries which was the highlight of the visit. You will recognize these tapestries in the Gryffindor Common Room in the Harry Potter movies- and we also saw references to this tapestry everywhere on our visit to York. Stick around when the castle tour guide walks you through the story it tells, it is fascinating and gives a wonderful look into Scottish history and folklore.
We did not end up going inside the Wallace monument- it was a little expensive and as we were entering the tail end of our trip did not find it worth it. Instead we found a little park outside of it and took some pictures from a distance.
Other Highlights and Tips
Driving on the one lane roads in the highlands was wild (for Luke- ha!). They have pull off areas to let the person going to opposite direction to pass- be sure to give a little wave as they go by.
Haggis- don’t look up what’s in it. Its not terrible- I describe it as a mushy, spicy sausage- but you have to try it. You’re in Scotland!
Meat Pies were our absolute favorite thing to eat in Scotland. Skye Pie had some great options, as well as the Clachaig Inn in Glen Coe.
For some reason they love Budweiser in Scotland. This came as a surprise to me when I asked for a light beer at a pub- first, we are from St. Louis and Budweiser is brewed about 5 miles from where we live, and second, it is certainly not considered a light beer for us. We both really liked Tennent’s Lager- this is Scotland’s bestselling pint, and for good reason.
You’ll notice throughout this site that guided tours really aren’t our thing – we are independent travelers through and through. However, we did the Mary Kings Close tour and highly recommend it. Its not your typical guided tour- its more of a guided play with some facts sprinkled in. Plus, you get to see the ‘old Edinburgh’ underground and how it looked before the city was raised.
If Harry Potter is your thing, Scotland is a must! We both planned and stumbled across so many great sites. From the Glenfinnan Viaduct, to The Elephant Room, to the Stirling Tapestry and even just the views from the majestic Lochs, Harry Potter is everywhere in Scotland. Be sure to look out the back window of The Elephant Room- its supposedly the inspiration for Diagon Alley, and you will see why!
