Remote Scotland

Scotland in 10 days

Ten days lets you see east and west, take your time on Skye, and fly home from Glasgow. Days are shorter than in the faster itineraries, with room for walks.

Eilean Donan Castle on its island in Loch Duich, with mountains behind
Eilean Donan Castle, Loch Duich. Photo: Eusebius, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Last checked 11 November 2026. Timetables, prices and opening dates change: check the operator before you travel.

At a glance: Edinburgh (2) → Pitlochry (1) → Inverness (2) → Portree, Skye (3) → Fort William (1) → Glasgow. Ferry: Armadale–Mallaig. Book Skye accommodation and the ferry early for summer.
  1. Days 1–2: Edinburgh. One day for the castle and Old Town; one for the New Town, Dean Village and Leith, or a day trip on the Borders Railway.
  2. Day 3: Edinburgh to Pitlochry via St Andrews. Over the Forth to St Andrews (1 hr 20 min) for the cathedral, castle and the Old Course. Optional detour to an East Neuk village. Then Perth and Dunkeld to Pitlochry (about 1 hr 30 min).
    Driving about 3 hours; day about 8 hours.
  3. Day 4: Pitlochry to Inverness via the Cairngorms and Speyside. Queen's View or Killiecrankie in the morning, then north on the A9 to Aviemore (1 hour). Loch an Eilein or Loch Morlich, then to Speyside (about 1 hour) for a distillery visit (booked ahead, and with a non-drinking driver). On to Inverness (about 1 hr 15 min).
    Driving about 3 hr 30 min; day about 9 hours.
  4. Day 5: Inverness and Loch Ness. Culloden and Clava Cairns in the morning; Loch Ness, Urquhart Castle and a cruise in the afternoon. Or the Black Isle for dolphins at Chanonry Point.
  5. Day 6: Inverness to Skye. Via Loch Ness or the A835 and Strathcarron, to Eilean Donan and over the Skye Bridge to Portree.
    Driving about 2 hr 30 min to 3 hours; day about 7 hours.
  6. Days 7–8: Skye. One day for Trotternish (the Storr and the Quiraing), one for the west (Dunvegan, Neist Point) or the Cuillin (the Fairy Pools, Talisker, a boat from Elgol).
  7. Day 9: Skye to Fort William by the Road to the Isles. Portree to Armadale (1 hour), ferry to Mallaig, the beaches of Morar and Arisaig, Glenfinnan, then Fort William.
    Driving about 2 hr 15 min plus ferry; day about 7 to 8 hours.
  8. Day 10: Fort William to Glasgow via Glencoe. A morning in Glencoe, then Rannoch Moor, Loch Lomond and Glasgow (about 2 hr 45 min to 3 hours in total).
    Day about 7 to 8 hours. Glasgow Airport is about 20 minutes from the city centre.

Variations