Where: Edinburgh, St Andrews, Glencoe, Isle of Skye & Inverness
When: March 2022
How: Rental Car, Fishing Boat
Ryan and I were supposed to get married and honeymoon on Isle of Skye in March of 2020 but we were forced to cancel just days before flying out! You guessed it, Corona Virus. We didn’t want to wait to get married so we quickly switched gears and unplanned and replanned our intimate wedding in less than a week! We got married, here in the PNW, on Isle of Whidbey (aka Whidbey Island) and we’re so glad we did!! Still, we were determined to make it to Scotland! 2 years later, we got to take our dream wedding/honeymoon trip and celebrate our 2nd anniversary in Scotland! Some of our family even joined us!!
March was the perfect time to visit Scotland! It’s the shoulder season so the crowds and midges aren’t out in full force yet! We were okay with rain, we’re from Seattle but we got INSANELY lucky with the weather! We still can’t get over it! In almost 3 weeks, we only had 1 full day of rain and 2 others with a couple sprinkles. One local insisted, “This weather is a 10/10, it doesn’t get better than this. Enjoy it!” We did!!
We pretty much stuck to our 2020 itinerary (minus the getting married part) and holy cow (Or should I say, “coo”?), it was worth the wait!!! If you love friendly humans, castles, history and myths, dramatic landscapes, outdoor activities, cozy cottages, meat pies and/or Scotch, you won’t be able to get enough of Scotland’s Highlands & Islands!
This is our actual itinerary + a few sights we missed!
EXPLORE RELATED BLOG POSTS:
- Our 2nd Anniversary on Isle of Skye | Scotland Adventure Session
- Our Wedding During Corona Virus | Isle of Whidbey
Day 1–Edinburgh
- Arrival in Edinburgh: 3:35pm
Took a taxi to our hotel–You do NOT need a car in Edinburgh!
- Drinks @ Devil’s Advocate
Down Advocate’s Close (alley), you’ll find this cozy brick pub w/ hundreds of different whiskies! Ryan had his first dram (pour of Scotch) here–I tried it but mostly stuck to the gin! Isle of Harris Gin was the go-to!
- Dinner @ The Beehive Inn
The Beehive Inn is a 400 year old inn in the Grassmarket area of Edinburgh! Robert Burns, one of Scotland’s most famous poets, was known to drink here! I had been looking forward to a meat pie–Their steak and ale pie was awesome!
- Drinks & Live Music @ The Doric
A tiny little pub with live Scottish folk music!
Overnight Accommodations: Market Street Hotel
Day 2–Edinburgh
- Breakfast @ Market Street Hotel
Not only were the breakfasts from our hotel amazing, the views were incredible too! Market Street Hotel serves breakfast in their 7th floor champagne lounge–Yes, that means free champagne with breakfast! Breakfast also included coffee, a breakfast starter and a main! We love booking lodging that includes breakfast–It’s one less meal to think about and usually saves you a ton on eating out! The first day, I had a small meat and cheese plate to start and then porridge w/ maple syrup and clotted cream as my main. I swear I could live off porridge!!
- Scott Monument
- Dean Village
A colorful (former) village that spans the Water of Leith!
- Water of Leith Walkway
We walked along the river to Stockbridge Sunday Market and then on to Calton Hill.
- Stockbridge Sunday Market
Ryan had read about this little market and we just happened to stumble upon it! We took a quick lap and fulled up on some vegan dumplings! ***Scotland is SO good about options for people with dietary restrictions and allergies!
- Calton Hill
360 degree views of Edinburgh! It’s a much easier hike up than Arthur’s seat, another popular vantage point.
- Lunch @ The Alchemist
I’m still drooling over The Alchemist’s tempura broccoli bao buns and smoking (dry ice) cocktails!
- Victoria Street
For all you Harry Potter fans, Victoria Street is the street that inspired Diagon Alley!
- Armchair Bookstore
- The Vennel Viewpoint
Personally, my favorite view of Edinburgh Castle!
- Drinks @ Cold Town Beer
- Tattoos @ Bizarre Ink
Ryan and I got belated wedding/anniversary tattoos–He got a Scottish claymore and I got heather and thistles, which will also always remind me of my grandma! John was the best, we had so much fun chatting with him and hearing stories about his motorcycle trips throughout the country!
- Dinner @ Albanach
Your typical Scottish pub–The sausage and mash was great!
- Drinks & Live Music @ Whistle Binky
We only had one drink here–It was STINKY and they were playing America country music. Not that we have anything against country but it wasn’t the vibe we were going for!
- Drinks @ Frankenstein
Horror themed bar in a 150 year old gothic church–A little corny but it was fun to pop in for a drink!
Overnight Accommodations: See above
Day 3–Edinburgh
- Breakfast @ Market Street Hotel
- Holyrood Park & Palace
Holyrood Palace is a working palace where The Royal Family stays when they’re in Edinburgh. We regret not taking the tour but it was still nice to walk around the perimeter and park! This is also where the trail for Arthur’s Seat starts.
- St Giles Cathedral
- St Columba’s Free Church of Scotland
This is the church my great grandparents got married in! It was locked up but Ryan’s dad knocked on the office door and asked them if we could take a peak inside! So glad he did, I would have been too shy to ask!
- Edinburgh Castle Self-guided Tour
- Lunch @ Scott’s Kitchen
- Champagne @ Market Street Hotel’s Champagne Lounge
- Dinner @ Voodoo Rooms
MAKE RESERVATIONS FOR DINNER! The Voodoo Rooms was okay. It’s known for it’s cocktails and was the only place we could get in that night.
Overnight Accommodations: See above
Day 4–Head to St Andrews
- Breakfast @ Market Street Hotel
- Pickup Rental Car
- Blackness Castle
This was one of our favorite castles! A number of movies/shows have been filmed here, including the Fort William scenes in Outlander!
- Lunch @ Anstruther Fish Bar
BEST FISH & CHIPS I’VE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE!
- St Andrews Cathedral
- St Andrews Castle
- University of St Andrews
This is where Prince William and Kate Middleton went to school, if you’re into The Royal Family!
- Jahangir Tandoor Takeout + Bachelor Night
The UK is known for it’s Indian food!
Overnight Accommodations: Airbnb
Day 5–St Andrews
- Breakfast at Tom Morris Bar & Grill
We tried haggis here for the first time–It tasted like meatloaf!! Ryan got a vegan version but we all agreed, the real stuff was better!
- Golf @ The Old Course
Scotland is the birthplace of golf and The Old Course is the first golf course ever! Ryan’s dad is a retired golf professional so playing here was tippy top of the family’s bucket list!
- Dinner @ Dunvegan Bar
Dunvegan Bar is a famous golf bar that all the pros hit up after tournaments! Don’t try and order an Arnold Palmer or a John Daly–Just trust me!
Overnight Accommodations: See above
Day 6–St Andrews, Head to Glencoe
- Breakfast @ Mitchell
- St Andrews Beach
Beautiful views of the city and famous for the running scene in Chariots of Fire!
- Kilchurn Castle
The site of our first hairy coo encounter!! Kilchurn is a ruined castle so you can’t go inside but the exterior and the surroundings are stunning!
- Dinner @ Kingshouse Bar
Probably our favorite meal of the entire trip! I ordered the venison pie and Ryan had the vegan wellington!
Overnight Accommodations: Kingshouse Hotel
Kingshouse was originally built ~1750 as accommodations for troops, drovers and peddlers traveling along West Highland Way! It has been renovated several times since then and boasts some of the most incredible views in Glencoe!
Day 7–Glencoe
Breakfast @ Kingshouse Hotel
Continental breakfast, lots of options!
- Hike Bienn a’ Chrulaiste
Most people hike Buachaille Etive Mor (the big pointy mountain)–This hike is directly across from it so you get to look at Buachaille Etive More the entire time! It’s also a little shorter but NOT easy! Some route finding skills are definitely required–We recommend downloading the trail on the All Trails app!
- Hike to Coire Gabhail (Hidden Valley)
The Hidden Valley is where the MacDonalds fled during the Glencoe Massacre.
- Walk West Highland Way from Kingshouse Hotel
West Highland Way is an old military route that goes all the way from Glasgow to Fort William and winds right by Kingshouse Hotel!
Overnight Accommodations: See above
Day 8–Glencoe, Head to Isle of Skye
- Drive Glen Etive (Skyfall Road)
Considered one of Scotland’s most beautiful glens, Glen Etive is also a filming location for the James Bond Movie Skyfall! It was fun to drive the whole road (out and back) but we honestly thought the beginning of the drive was the most epic part!
- Glencoe Visitor Center
Learn about mountaineering in Glencoe and the Glencoe Massacre.
- Eliean Donan Castle
Eilean Donan Castle has to be one of the most photographed places in Scotland! We wish we had taken the tour inside but either way, definitely worth the stop!
- Drinks @ Stein Inn
Stein Inn was where we had planned to have our rehearsal dinner! It was, as the listing says, stumbling distance from our Airbnb and we were there every night it was open! It’s a cozy inn, right on the bay–Get the langoustine!!
Overnight Accommodations: Lochbay House
We had 7 nights at this beautiful house! It’s one of our favorite places we’ve stayed anywhere! Lochbay House is where we were going to host our little wedding “reception”! It perfectly accommodated our group of 7! Fun fact: Lochbay House was previously owned by Donovan (Scottish musician/song writer) and he hosted The Beatles there!
Day 9–Isle of Skye
- Fairy Glen
- Flora MacDonald’s Grave
Flora MacDonald is a Scottish heroine! She‘s known for dressing Bonnie Prince Charlie as a maid and helping him escape to Isle of Skye after the last Jacobite Rebellion.
- Duntulm Castle
Completely in ruins but stunning views out to Isle of Harris/Lewis!
- The Quiraing
The Quiraing is where we planned to have our wedding ceremony! We felt so fortunate to have our families there with us to show them what our original wedding vision was!
- Kilt Rock & Mealt Falls
- Old Man of Storr
- Anniversary Dinner @ Stein Inn
Overnight Accommodations: See above
Day 10–Isle of Skye
- Dunvegan Bakery
- Fairy Pools
Swimming allowed, if you’re willing to brave the cold!
- Lunch @ The Oyster Shed
The Oyster Shed is right above Talisker Distillery and has fresh AND cheap seafood! We were dumb dumbs and didn’t make reservations to tour Talisker Distillery so we had to come back later in the week.
Overnight Accommodations: See above
Day 11–Isle of Skye
- Sligachan Bridge
Gorgeous views of the Cuillin Mountains–If you have time, follow the river and wander farther into the glen!
- Explore Portree
- Lunch @ The Isles Inn
Another day, another meat pie!
Overnight Accommodations: See above
Day 12–Isle of Skye
Anniversary Photos @ The Quiraing
- Drinks @ Stein Inn
Overnight Accommodations: See above
Day 13–Isle of Skye
- Frozen Pizza + The Office Marathon
We closed the Stein Inn down with my mom and the locals the night before so we we’re hurting! Luckily, we had already planned for a low-key day!
Overnight Accommodations: See above
Day 14–Isle of Skye
- Boat Tour to Lake Coruisk
The only way to get to Lake Coruisk is by boat or 14 mile hike from Sligachan Bridge! The boat is super affordable and saves a ton of time! Plus, we saw dolphins!!
- Torabhaig Distillery Tour
- Lunch @ Slaway Fish & Chips
- Dinner @ Stein Inn
Overnight Accommodations: See above
Day 15–Isle of Skye, Head to Inverness
- Coral Beach
White beach, made up of shells and coral + crystal clear water!
- Neist Point Lighthouse
- Talisker Distillery Tour
- Lunch @ Slaway Fish & Chips
Try their pies–Loved the chicken and mushroom pie!
- Dinner @ Black Isle Bar & Rooms
Make sure you check out their secret garden rooftop!
Overnight Accommodations: Glen Mhor Hotel & Apartments
Day 16–Inverness
- Breakfast @ Glen Mhor Hotel & Apartments
- The Macallen Estate
One word, BOUJEE! Macallen is one of the most famous brands of Scotch and also, one of the most expensive. I’m not kidding, there is a dram on their menu that costs ~13,000 pounds!!! Ryan got the 15 pound one. HA! The architecture and estate grounds were beautiful!
- Culloden Battlefield
The site of the last battle of the Jacobite Rebellion! We recommend paying for the tour but if not, be sure to walk through the exhibits inside the visitor center!
- Dinner @ Cheese & Tomatin
The cutest little restaurant, serving up Neapolitan pizza! Again, make a reservation!
Overnight Accommodations: See above
Day 17–Inverness
- Breakfast @ Glen Mhor Hotel & Apartments
- Urquhart Castle
Another one of our favorite castles! Urquhart Castle overlooks Loch Ness, home of Nessie (The Loch Ness Monster)!
- Great Glen Distillery
Scotland’s smallest distillery!
- Leaky’s Bookstore
- Inverness Castle
- Dinner @ MacGregor’s
Had an amazing mushroom risotto! They have a fireplace and usually have live music.
- Drinks & Live Music Hootenanny’s
Hootenanny’s always has live music!
Overnight Accommodations: See above
Day 18–Inverness
- Breakfast @ Glen Mhor Hotel & Apartments
- Gravestone Hunting in Beauly
A number of my family members were buried right outside of Inverness but we only has an old photo of the headstone and the name of the town! We searched 4 graveyards and found the headstone at the last one. It had been added to since the last photo was taken so we were able to update the family records!
- Lunch @ Castle Tavern
- Dinner @ Raja
Best Indian food we’ve had in a while!!
- Drinks @ The Malt Room
Last dram/gin and tonic of the trip!
Overnight Accommodations: See above
Day 19–Head Home
- Rental Car Returned
- Depart from Inverness: 7:00am
Sights we missed:
These are must-see/do sights we missed because of time constraints, poor weather conditions, etc.
- Midhope Castle (aka Lallybroch)
- Stirling Castle
- Castle Stalker
- Glenfinnen Viaduct
- Cairngorms National Park
- Cairngorm Brewery
- The Highland Folk Museum
- Speyside Distillery
- Tomatin Distillery & Visitor Center
- Clan MacPherson Museum (One of my grandma’s clans!)
- Bealach-na-ba (One of the most scenic drives in the world!)
Tips:
- If you need to shorten this itinerary, we recommend cutting your time in Edinburgh and Inverness to 2 nights each and your on time on Isle of Skye to 2-4 nights. Isle of Skye is MASSIVE–You will definitely want more than 1 day! That being said, if that’s all you have, the Trotternish peninsula can be done in a day and is absolutely worth the trip
- The bus and train systems are great but if you want to be on your own schedule and make more of your time, we highly recommend renting a car
- Expect rain! However, the weather can change multiple times throughout the day, pack layers! A micro puffy + rain jacket = your best friend
- 3 weeks is a long time so we tried to pack lunch most days + make our own dinners, when we had a kitchen! We even made ramen in the room a couple nights, which was actually really nice after a chilly hike!
- Speaking of meals–Because of those pesky cleaning fees, Airbnbs have gotten much more expensive! When traveling as a couple, we’ve gone back to booking hotels/guest houses/BnBs! Many include a huge breakfast!
- Contactless payment is widely excepted
- Bills don’t automatically include tips–If you think someone went above and beyond, ask them to add 10% to your total before charging you
- In 3 weeks, we still couldn’t figure out which side of the sidewalk to walk on! We assumed it would be the same as driving (left), Google says right but it didn’t seem like anyone knew what was going on. LOL!
Finally taking this trip, feels like closing the wedding chapter of our marriage–Now we can move on! We will always have such a special connection with Scotland and we know we’ll be back! Next up: The Outer Hebrides + Northern Scotland/Orkney!
Need help planning your Scotland Honeymoon? Contact The Greatest Adventure Weddings & Elopements to set up a complimentary consultation!
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