Three day road trip from Edinburgh

3 days in Scotland itinerary

Highlights:

This trip is packed full of roads and stop offs that will give you a real taste of Scotland.  You will see mountains, rivers, moors and typical Scottish towns with lots of places of interest to stop off at. Or simply enjoy the beautiful scenic route.

Stops:

Loch Lomond, Glencoe, Glenfinnan, Loch Ness, Inverness, Cairngorms, Aberfeldy

Total time/distance:

3 (busy) days travelling from Edinburgh

3 Day Road Trip From Edinburgh

3 days in Scotland itinerary

Edinburgh to Glenfinnan.

Day One

Leave Edinburgh taking the M9 to Stirling and from there take the A811 to Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park. 2 hours.

Once at Loch Lomond, ‘An Ceann Mor’ offers a stunning view across the Loch, the Arrochar Alps and Ben Lomond.

Drive north on the A82 and stop at the Loch Tulla viewpoint then head on towards Glencoe. Just before you come to the main Glencoe car park there is a wee car park on the right; if you park there you can climb up the hillside and enjoy the magnificence of Glencoe. There is nowhere else like it.

From Glencoe head north towards Fort William. You can stop in town to pick up messages and enjoy being under the shadow of Ben Nevis in 2 hours.

Just 4 miles from Fort William is the village of Banavie which is home to Neptune’s Staircase; an amazing feat of engineering by Thomas Telford that raises the canal by 19m over a quarter of a mile.

From Banavie carry on along the A830 towards the Glenfinnan Monument and Viaduct. The monument commemorates the place where Bonnie Prince Charlie raised his standard in 1745 to begin the final Jacobite Rising. The Viaduct carries the steam train to Hogwarts!

Useful to know

Places to camp

Linnhe Lochside Holidays

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Loch Lomond, Scotland
Glenfinnan Viaduct - Big Sky Campervan Rentals

3 days in Scotland itinerary

Glenfinnan to Carrbridge.

Day Two

Fort Augustus, Loch Ness, Inverness, Culloden Battlefield and/or Carrbridge

From Glenfinnan head back to the A82 and head north to Fort Augustus. This stretch takes about 1 hour.

Fort Augustus is located at the foot of Loch Ness and is where the Caledonian Canal meets the Loch. There are many walks and cycle routes here including the Great Glen Way.

Carry on north up the A82 for 30 mins and stop at Clansman Harbour where you can take a cruise around the Loch taking in a trip to Castle Urquart.

Head to the top of Loch Ness and Inverness, where you can stop or pass by on the A96 to the Culloden Battlefield. 15 mins from Inverness.

Culloden is the site of the final Jacobite Rising. In 1746 over 1,500 men were slain in less than 1 hour; over 1,000 were Jacobites. The Culloden Visitor Centre is well worth a visit.

From Culloden take the A9 south to Carrbridge (30 mins). Carrbridge is a picturesque village that is part of the Cairngorms National Park and famous for its 18th Century packhorse bridge. The River Dulnain winds through the beautiful village before meeting The Spey. There are plenty of walks here to suit all abilities.

Useful to know

Places to camp

Glenmore Campsite

Old Pack horse bridge in Carrbridge
Neptunes Staircase
Things to do in Scotland Culloden Battlefield

3 days in Scotland itinerary

Newtonmore to Edinburgh

Day Three

Newtonmore Highland Folk Museum, Aberfeldy, The Scottish Crannog Centre, Falls of Dochart, Callander, Edinburgh

Head south on the A9 for 30 mins to Newtonmore where you can visit the outdoor Highland Folk Museum and see how life was lived in rural Scotland from 1700’s to the 1960’s.

Carry on south down the A9 and turn off on the B846 to Aberfeldy. 1 hour 10 mins.

Aberfeldy is situated on the River Tay. The Birks of Aberfeldy is a popular walk that offers views of several waterfalls. You can also go white-water rafting, gorge walking or go on a Highland Safari. The Black Watch Memorial & Tay Bridge are worth wandering through the town to find. Have lunch or tea at the Watermill Gallery.

Take the A827 out of Aberfeldy to the Scottish Crannog Centre. 15 mins. Set on Loch Tay near Kenmore it features a reconstruction of an Iron Age house called a Crannog, a house built in the Loch on stilts.

From the Crannog Centre take the A827 along the side of Loch Tay to Killin where you can visit the Falls of Dochart. 30 mins.

From Killin take the A85 south and then the A84 to Callander. Depending on the time you could stop off at Balquidder and visit the church and the grave of the famous Rob Roy McGregor. You could also eat at Mhor 84; a great wee eatery.

Once in Callander you can enjoy a wander in this pretty town. From here you can head back to Edinburgh. 1 hour 20 mins.

falls of dochart
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Rob Roy MacGregors grave