If you’re looking for road trip ideas, there is no better option than Scotland.
The country is filled with a rich culture scattered over an iconic landscape that makes for beautiful and relaxing viewing while you drive. We couldn’t possibly fit every amazing experience to be found in Scotland into one list, so we have picked the best amongst the cities, the isles, the lochs, and the smaller town gems.
Take a look at our guide to the perfect road trip across the Land of the Brave.
For your itinerary, check out our 7 Day Scotland Road Trip Itinerary to help plan your trip!
Glasgow
Glasgow is a great starting point for any road trip because it’s smack dab in the middle of the Central Belt, the most populous area of Scotland. This means that just about any road trip option is “an hour’s drive, two hour’s drive from Glasgow.” And it’s true. Scotland’s a small country, which means you only need to drive out of the city center for 20 minutes before things start to feel rural.
Of course, Glasgow has its charm too.
It gets overshadowed by its neighbor, Edinburgh, but it’s the place to be for events, shopping, and for nightlife. Not to mention its art, which is all over buildings around the city. Writers go to Edinburgh; artists go to Glasgow. If you want a free gallery exhibition, look up the Glasgow Mural Trail. And if you’re willing to shell out for a ticket that’s less than £10, check out the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.
Park the campervan and start walking and you’ll never get bored. Find a campervan to rent here at www.ariescape.co.uk.
Isle of Skye
If you really want to venture far from the madding crowd, you can drive all the way up to the Isle of Skye. Being so close to the mainland, a short bridge makes the difference between the mainland and Skye, so you’re saving the very affordable cost of a ferry ticket if you want.
Skye is home to the famous Fairy Pools, which are considered a “phenomenon” of waterfalls and rock pools that look like a bathing spots for fantasy novel characters. But if you want to take a dip, be sure to bring your wetsuit because it’s not as warm as the aqua water makes it look.
But the landscape of Skye is so breathtaking that Hollywood has paid attention, with aspects of the island turning up in big-budget movies like The BFG, Michael Fassbender’s take on Macbeth, Stardust, Prometheus, and King Arthur: Legend of the Sword.
Loch Ness
It might seem like the only reason to visit Loch Ness is, of course, to see Nessie for yourself, but there is so much more to the area than that.
The Loch Ness Holiday Park has a collection of “Hobbit homes” overlooking the loch for a unique glamping experience and a chance to live out a Lord of the Rings fantasy. Traveling up the loch will get you a glimpse of the magnificent Urquhart Castle, which stands tall over the loch despite centuries of raids.
Cross the loch from there, and you can visit the alpaca farm and get a cuddle off the furry friends. All of this can be accessed from a kayak rented on the loch, and you can hunt for Nessie yourself.
Glencoe
Glencoe is Scotland’s ski resort.
Visiting the Glencoe Mountain Resort will give you opportunities to ski, sled, mountain bike, camp, see a drive-in movie, and plenty of other fun activities that are usually supplemented with hot and cold beverages, depending on the time of year.
Skiing from the slopes to Glencoe Village will give you a range of great eating options that are known across the country. James Bond’s hometown, another of its selling points, houses gorgeous restaurants and bars to enjoy a drink by the fire to warm up after skiing.
And if you drive a little further, you’ll reach Fort William, the closest town to Ben Nevis, and give yourself a hiking challenge to reach the top.
Let your heart lead the way
The true beauty of Scotland is that there is something to find no matter where you go.
Drive in any direction going out of the Central Belt, and you’ll find something to explore. That might be a park, a loch, a small rural town, an isle, or even an event. And thanks to the Right to Roam law, just about anywhere can be a stop on the road.
If you get in your campervan and drive for 30 minutes, you’re sure to find some reason to stop.
