With only 7 days, we are barely scratching the surface of what the Western Highlands has to offer. As such, we had to be selective about the places we would stay and the sites to visit.
The tourist season in the Western Highlands is from April to October. If you travel outside of that window, you’ll find many places closed or operating at minimal capacity. And during the season, accommodations, restaurants, and activities will get booked up quickly. We are traveling in April, the start of the season, and it’s a mixed bag with getting the reservations we want, specifically for accommodations and restaurants.
This post will be updated as we make our way around the Western Highlands. Our road trip itinerary currently includes the following:
- Loch Lomand
- Fort Williams
- Isle of Skye
- Isle of Mull
- Oban
Loch Lomand
Loch Lomand is a loch (Scottish lake) on the boundary between the highlands and lowlands of Scotland. We stayed here for 1 night after traveling from Edinburgh to break up the drive.
On our way from Edinburgh, our stops were:
- Blackness Castle, known as the ship that never sailed
- Linlithgow Palace, where Mary Queen of Scots was born
- Doune Castle, which appears in Game of Thrones, Monty Python, and Highlander
Accommodations are at Cameron House on Loch Lamond with dining reservations at Tamburrini and Wishart, the restaurant on site.
Fort Williams
After leaving Loch Lomand, the next stop is Fort Williams, and stops along the way include:
- Loch Tulla Viewpoint is a nice place to stretch our legs about an hour into the drive
- Glencoe Waterfall, which we ended up just driving by because there was no parking in the car park
- Three Sisters Viewpoint, three mountain peaks formed by glaciers, volcanos, and the shifting of tectonic plates
- Ben Nevis Visitor Center to get more information about how to see Ben Nevis
- Neptune Stairs where you can actually see Ben Nevis, the tallest peak in all of the UK
Accommodations are at Victoria House and dinner at The Geographer which doesn’t take reservations during the season and often has a queue.
Isle of Skye
This is the highlight of our Highlands trip and we are spending 3 nights here, after some deliberation. However, we are staying in 2 different places because we are unable to add an additional night to our original reservation at Bracken Hide as the hotel had filled up.
On our way to the Isle of Skye, we are taking a detour to Loch Ness to do a Loch Cruise in search of the Loch Ness Monster and views of Urquhart Castle, a ruin, from the Loch. Our planned stops are at Eilean Donan Castle, restored in the 1920s, and Caisteal Maol, another ruin as we head into the Isle of Skye.
On the Isle of Skye, our itinerary includes scenic drives and sites:
- The Trotternish Loop which includes the Fairy Glen, Quiraing, Brother’s Point, Kilt Rock & Mealt Falls, and Old Man Storr
- Fairy Pools
- Neist Point Lighthouse
- Dunvegan Castle
- Armadale Castle & Gardens
Whisky Distilleries include:
- Torabhaig
- Talisker
Accommodations are at Bracken Hide Inn, a fairly new hotel, and at Broadford House Skye as we could not add a night to our existing reservation.
As for where to eat, there are several Michelin-starred and mentioned restaurants on the Isle of Skye and we managed to snag a reservation at Edinbane Inn.
Oban
Oban is known as the “Gateway to the Isles.” Along the drive from the Isle of Skye to Oban, there are stops at:
- Castle Stalker, but we are too early in the season for the boat tour to the island
- Dunstaffnage Castle
As for the actual town of Oban, we plan to see the McCaig Tower and Oban Distillery, but not much else. Our plan for Oban is to use it as an access point to the Isle of Mull
Our accommodations for 2 nights are at the Manor House Oban.
Isle of Mull
The only way to get on the Isle of Mull is by ferry from several locations including Oban. The ferry needs to be booked in advance and availability, especially if taking a car to drive around the island is limited.
On the Isle of Mull, our stops include:
- Duart Castle
- Carsaig Arches
- Loch Beg Bridge
- Eas Fors Waterfall
- Calgary Bay
- Glengorm Castle
- Tobermory
After our day of touring, we will return to Oban for our last night in the Highlands.
Leaving the Highlands
As we leave the Highlands to head back into Edinburgh, our stops will include:
- Kilchurn Castle
- Inveraray Castle
- Loch Fyne Oysters for lunch
- Glengoyne Distillery
We are cramming a lot into 7 days, but we want to see as much as we can in the short time that we have in this place with stunning landscape, immense history, delicious seafood, and excellent whisky.
