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Introducing Scotland

The romantic landscapes and dramatic features of this small territory make travelers feel like the region is much larger than it actually is. Pair that with a friendly culture, plenty of outdoor adventure, and incredible seafood, and Scotland is the trip that stays with visitors long after they leave.

When is the best time to visit?
As a year-round destination with distinct seasons, travelers should pick the time they visit on what they plan to do. Spring, summer, and fall are better for outdoor recreation, while winter is a popular time to explore the holiday festivals and seasonal cheer.

Where to go in Scotland?
Delight your senses at the bright green rolling hills of the Isle of Skye, enjoy the fun-oriented culture of Glasgow, camp out or trek the mountains surround Loch Lomond, learn about the history and architecture of Edinburgh, and tour the distilleries of Islay.

Thinking about traveling around the United Kingdom? Learn more about planning a trip to England or Wales. Many travelers also combine their trip to the UK with a visit to Ireland.

How many days do I need?
You can briefly get to know Edinburgh in about 3 days, but to experience the breadth of opportunities Scotland has to offer, upwards of 1 or 2 weeks is much preferable.

Explore trips by duration: 5 days · 6 days · 7 days · 8 days · 9 days · 10 days · 11 days · 12 days · 13 days · 14 days · 15 days · 16 days

Scotland Tours & Itineraries

Get inspired by trips other travelers have loved
Etive Mor waterfall, Glencoe
Map of Scottish Highlands Self-Drive Tour: Edinburgh, Inverness & Loch Ness - 8 Days
Scottish Highlands Self-Drive Tour: Edinburgh, Inverness & Loch Ness - 8 Days

Discover the enchanting history and dramatic landscapes of the Scottish Highlands with this 8-day self-drive itinerary. Starting in Edinburgh,  drive north to the rugged highlands, where you’ll explore ancient castles, visit important battle sites, sail Loch Ness, and ride the world’s most scenic railway.

Scotland's Edinburgh Castle has stood for over 1,000 years
Map of Scotland & Ireland - 14 Days
Scotland & Ireland - 14 Days

Fourteen days is ample time to experience the best of Scotland and Ireland, be it touring Edinburgh, hiking the Highlands, or reveling in the historic streets of Dublin. The adventures are almost too many to list: wildlife safaris in national parks, boating across Loch Ness, cycling around Glasgow, and exploring the untamed beauty of the Isle of Skye. If that's not enough, you'll hit the road on a drive to some of the most beautiful locales in southern Ireland, like the Wicklow Mountains and County Cork.

Neist Point at Isle of Skye
Map of Best of Scotland: Edinburgh & the Highlands - 7 Days
Best of Scotland: Edinburgh & the Highlands - 7 Days

This seven-day adventure combines Scotland's most memorable tourist destinations with a tour of the countryside in the magnificent Scottish highlands. You will start your trip by exploring Edinburgh's galleries, castles, and pubs before heading to the spectacular castles in Inverness. You'll spend two nights in Portree, where you'll visit castles and famous geological sites and tour the hiking routes before traveling to Glencoe, which is home to spectacular scenery.

The ruins of Castle Urquhart at Loch Ness
Map of Scenic Scotland: Edinburgh, Inverness & Skye - 7 Days
Scenic Scotland: Edinburgh, Inverness & Skye - 7 Days

This week-long itinerary perfectly introduces Scotland's most scenic locales—blending a self-drive adventure with unforgettable guided excursions and experiences. Beginning and ending in the charming capital of Edinburgh, you'll set off into the rugged Highlands for a road trip to remember. Step back in time at the Culloden Battlefield, cruise the legendary waters of Loch Ness, and tour whisky distilleries on the Isle of Skye.

Driving toward Ben Stack on the NC500
Map of The North Coast 500: Road Trip through the Scottish Highlands  - 5 Days
The North Coast 500: Road Trip through the Scottish Highlands - 5 Days

Experience one of the world's most scenic driving routes on this 5-day journey along Scotland's North Coast 500. Beginning and ending in the Highland capital of Inverness, you'll follow the loop counterclockwise as you wind your way past mist-shrouded mountains, hidden lochs, and rugged coastlines. A relaxed pace allows you to take your time and explore plenty of sandy beaches, charming fishing villages, and unspoiled nature.

The Old Man of Storr overlooking Skye's coast.
Map of Hike Scotland's Highlands & Islands: Glen Coe, Ben Nevis & the Isle of Skye - 9 Days
Hike Scotland's Highlands & Islands: Glen Coe, Ben Nevis & the Isle of Skye - 9 Days

This active 9-day hiking itinerary travels through some of Scotland’s most spectacular landscapes. Starting in the heart of the Highlands, you’ll walk along the West Highland Way, experiencing the wild beauty of Rannoch Moor and Glen Coe. The first leg of your walking journey ends at the adventure capital of Fort William, where you’ll get the chance to scale Ben Nevis, the UK’s highest peak. After a memorable ride on the historic Jacobite Express Steam Train, board a ferry for the Isle of Skye, where you’ll have three days to explore the rugged mountains, secluded coves, and idyllic villages of the Inner Hebrides.

Make the Most of Your Time in Scotland

Have a fixed number of days? Maximize the things to see and do during your visit
A Scot plays the bagpipes in Edinburgh
How Many Days to Spend in Scotland

From ancient castles to whisky distilleries and Highland Games (not to mention a mythical monster in Loch Ness), there's a reason bonnie Scotland is awash with "Outlander" fans....

Scotland Travel Advice

Read our detailed insights to make sure you have the best trip
Sunrise, Loch Lomond
Planning Your Perfect Honeymoon in Scotland

Conjuring up romance effortlessly and with subtlety, Scotland is a stunning destination in which to celebrate your love for each other. For the backdrop to your honeymoon here,...

Our Latest Scotland Content

Start your trip with a walk along Edinburgh's Royal Mile, home of the Scotch Whiskey Experience
Map of Scottish Whisky Adventure in  Edinburgh, Inverness & Glasgow - 8 Days
Scottish Whisky Adventure in Edinburgh, Inverness & Glasgow - 8 Days

Spend eight fun-filled days indulging in the finest whisky Scotland offers, starting in Edinburgh with a visit to the Johnnie Walker distillery and a private whisky and artisan food tour. From there, pick up your rental car and drive to Inverness for a tour of two Speyside distilleries. This is where you can admire the natural beauty of the Isle of Skye while you taste smoky whiskies characteristic of the island's terroir. Finish the adventure in Glasgow by creating your own bottle of Clydeside whisky to take home.

Look for iconic Highland cows as you explore the rugged Isle of Skye
Map of Soul-Stirring Scotland: Edinburgh, Stirling, Fort William, Skye & Pitlochry - 11 Days
Soul-Stirring Scotland: Edinburgh, Stirling, Fort William, Skye & Pitlochry - 11 Days

This action-packed 11-day itinerary squeezes the best of Scotland into a fast-paced trip. Starting in Edinburgh, you'll strut down the Royal Mile before renting a car and beginning an epic road trip. Wander the halls of Stirling Castle, hike up Conic Hill for views of Loch Lomond, and admire dramatic Highland scenes in Glen Coe. Cross to the Isle of Skye to discover nature's beauty and meet a local artist. Then join a whisky tasting and wildlife safari around Pitlochry before returning to the capital.

Cover a lot of ground as you explore Scotland's Westy Highland Way and overnight in Bridge of Orchy
Map of 16 Days in Scotland - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas
16 Days in Scotland - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas

With over two weeks in Scotland, you can visit up to 11 towns and cities on a fast-paced itinerary. First-timers will want to hit the highlights like castles in Edinburgh, Stirling, and Aberdeen, while whiskey lovers should experience Scottish culture by distillery-hopping. For a hiking focus, walk some of the scenic West Highland Way or have adventure experiences like canyoning at Bruar Falls. Add a trip to Ireland to drive its scenic southern coast that includes the famous the Ring of Kerry.

Scotland Travel Maps

Get the lay of land, and understand distances between the places you want to visit
Map 5 Days in Scotland - 3 Unique Itinerary Ideas
5 Days in Scotland - 3 Unique Itinerary Ideas
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Map 1 Week in Scotland - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas
1 Week in Scotland - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas
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Map 10 Days in Scotland - 4 Unique Itinerary Ideas
10 Days in Scotland - 4 Unique Itinerary Ideas
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Meet our Local Travel Specialists

Experienced travel agents with a passion for Scotland
Travel specialist Jane Davey
active 1 hour ago

Jane Davey

Born and raised in the UK, I’ve always had a love affair with the great outdoors. It’s no wonder I ended up in travel! Growing up, family holidays meant exploring the UK with my parents and...

read more...
Travel specialist Aleksandra Shebaltseva
active 5 mins ago

Aleksandra Shebaltseva

As a passionate traveler, my approach is anchored in the belief that every journey is an opportunity for exploration and growth. With a penchant for immersing myself in diverse cultures and seeking...

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Travel specialist Stephen Molloy
active 25 mins ago

Stephen Molloy

Urbanist by training, he spent most of his twenties traveling and living overseas. Bitten by the bug, he lived in Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, California, Australia, DRC, Kenya, Pakistan...and...

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Travel specialist Kateryna Garkavenko
active 4 hours ago

Kateryna Garkavenko

Travel is truly one of the most rewarding experiences we can have. It's amazing how much we can learn and grow from every trip, and I believe that most people will benefit from exploring new...

read more...

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Trip Reviews for Scotland

The latest reviews by travelers who booked their trip on kimkim

Personalized Scotland Adventure
Scotland | Jul 10 - Jul 16, 2025

Rae
Rae E.
Los Angeles, CA | Reviewed on Jul 18, 2025
Thanks to Pauline and team for helping us create an amazing trip. It was a great combination of their expert recommendations and our personal requests with enough freedom to discover new places along the way.
Highlights include Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood Palace, and too many places to mention in the Highlands! We loved Inverness and the surrounding area. History, beauty, nature, and everyone is friendly and helpful. Shout outs to our hosts I. Edinburgh and Inverness, to Izzie at Tomatin...
Read more

Thanks to Pauline and team for helping us create an amazing trip. It was a great combination of their expert recommendations and our personal requests with enough freedom to discover new places along the way.
Highlights include Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood Palace, and too many places to mention in the Highlands! We loved Inverness and the surrounding area. History, beauty, nature, and everyone is friendly and helpful. Shout outs to our hosts I. Edinburgh and Inverness, to Izzie at Tomatin (what a genuinely kind and knowledgeable person)!

Activity Reviews
Glenlivet - The Original Tasting
Glenlivet - The Original Tasting
Scotland

Rick was a wonderful guide. We had a great time.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Tomatin Distillery Tour
Tomatin Distillery Tour
Inverness

Terrific experience learning about Scotch whiskey production. Izzie is a great guide!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Culloden Battlefield Visitor Centre tickets
Culloden Battlefield Visitor Centre tickets
Inverness

Our guide was knowledgeable and complete!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Edinburgh Castle Tickets
Edinburgh Castle Tickets
Edinburgh

We loved that we could skipthe line because we had tickets and the guidebook is a great souvenir!

Quality of Experience
Local specialist: Pauline Mathieu

Amazing Family Trip to Scotland! ...
Scotland | Jun 18 - Jun 25, 2025

Melinda
Melinda L.
Ashburn, VA | Reviewed on Jul 14, 2025
Amazing Family Trip to Scotland! This is my second trip that was planned by the Kim Kim team and I was very happy with the itinerary and accommodations. The hotels were all centrally located and met our budget. The Three Mile Island tour was fantastic and we also loved the Isle of Skye tour. Read more

Amazing Family Trip to Scotland! This is my second trip that was planned by the Kim Kim team and I was very happy with the itinerary and accommodations. The hotels were all centrally located and met our budget. The Three Mile Island tour was fantastic and we also loved the Isle of Skye tour.

Hotel Reviews
Rusacks St Andrews

Amazing hotel! Beautiful rooms and perfect location. The breakfast was fantastic.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Glen Mhor Hotel
Inverness

Loved this hotel, but had to walk up several flights of stairs, which was a bit difficult for my Mom, who is 88. Otherwise, beautiful location, clean, updated, great breakfast.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Perfect location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
beautiful rooms, updated bathrooms
The Great Western Hotel
Oban

The location was amazing. The hotel was old and in need of some updates, but it was clean and worked out well for us. The breakfast was mediocre, but we loved the sitting room in the front of the hotel which overlooked the water.

Authenticity & Character
hotel dated and needs an update
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Uilebheist Distillery Discovery Tour
Uilebheist Distillery Discovery Tour
Inverness

Nice tour...a little too long and the Scotch as not as good as others we tried.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Canal and Loch - Loch Ness Tour with Urquhart Castle included & Bus from Inverness
Canal and Loch - Loch Ness Tour with Urquhart Castle included & Bus from Inverness
Inverness

This was a bit commercial. The castle was very nice.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
The Isle of Skye & Eilean Donan Castle
The Isle of Skye & Eilean Donan Castle
Inverness

Amazing tour. Beautiful scenery.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Three Isles Tour – Mull, Iona & Staffa
Three Isles Tour – Mull, Iona & Staffa
Oban

Wonderful tour! The highlight of our trip. Well organized, beautiful views.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Jane Davey
Jane
Jane Davey
Local specialist in United Kingdom | Replied on Jul 15, 2025

HI Melinda

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts of your recent travel experience, as we really value your opinion, which assists us to improve our travel services.

It was an absolute pleasure working with you to craft a memorable itinerary and we love that you had the most amazing time. Sounds like Rucksacks, Isle of Skye and the Three Isles Tour were top of the list.

We would be delighted to work again with you on future trips and we thank you for traveling with us.

Wishing you safe and happy future travels.

Best, Jane & The Team

Another fantastic Kimkim journey
Scotland | Jul 7 - Jul 11, 2025

Drew
Drew M.
Spartanburg, SC | Reviewed on Jul 13, 2025
We are about to board the plane to leave beautiful Scotland, where we had our third Kimkim-planned adventure and as before, it was another fantastic journey! It met and even exceeded our high expectations! Aleksandra did our trip plan and thanks to her hard work planning, and her attention to detail and ongoing coordination, everything went off without a single hitch or problem (and there were lots of moving parts!). Our local Scottish guides, especially John and Alistair, were just great... Read more

We are about to board the plane to leave beautiful Scotland, where we had our third Kimkim-planned adventure and as before, it was another fantastic journey! It met and even exceeded our high expectations! Aleksandra did our trip plan and thanks to her hard work planning, and her attention to detail and ongoing coordination, everything went off without a single hitch or problem (and there were lots of moving parts!). Our local Scottish guides, especially John and Alistair, were just great and we loved getting to know them and learning about the history and culture of this beautiful country. My wife, my son and I will forever have wonderful memories of our Scotland journey so thanks again Kimkim!

Local specialist: Aleksandra Shebaltseva
Aleksandra
Aleksandra Shebaltseva
Local specialist in England | Replied on Jul 13, 2025

Dear John, Barbara, and Vince,

It was my absolute pleasure working with you to make your trip unforgettable! Thank you so much for the lovely review—it truly means a lot to me.

I’ll be sure to pass along your kind words to John and Alistair as well — they will be delighted to know they made your experience even more special.

Wishing you a smooth transition back to your routine, with lots of beautiful memories from Scotland to carry with you. Thank you again for letting me be a part of your journey!

Sincerely,
Aleksandra

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