Edinburgh to Aberdeen road trip: Scottish adventure

Ready for another epic Scottish adventure? Welcome to our guide on one of our favourite trips in Scotland – an Edinburgh to Aberdeen road trip!

The total distance from Edinburgh to Aberdeen is only 127 miles – around three and a half hours’ driving time – but you’ll need a long weekend/four days at least to take in the highlights and scenery of this stunning part of Scotland. Following the country’s east coast and the Fife Coastal route, our Scottish road trip takes in beautiful cities like Perth and Dundee, world-famous destinations like St Andrews, and spectacular coastal spots including Arbroath and Stonehaven. Couples, families, groups… this is the perfect trip for all.

About the road trip

Our road trip itinerary allows for four days and plenty of time to visit the highlights of the Scottish and Fife coast. We cover things to do and places to see, alternative routes for different trips, and our top campervan sites between Edinburgh and Aberdeen for overnights along the way. Ready? Let’s go!

Starting point – Edinburgh

First up – hire your van! We have heaps of campervans and motorhomes for hire in Edinburgh and you can search by several filters to find the right van for your trip.

We recommend hiring your van the night before your trip starts (so Thursday night if you’re doing a long weekend), to get a full day in Edinburgh on Day 1 (Friday). This will give plenty of time to visit Edinburgh’s most famous attractions like Edinburgh Castle, Princes Street and Edinburgh Zoo (find more Edinburgh travel inspiration!).

Where to camp in Edinburgh

Edinburgh Caravan Club Site, 35-37 Marine Drive, Edinburgh EH4 5EN Well-kept park just under four miles from the city in a waterside location on the Firth of Forth. The park has hardstanding touring pitches with electric hook-up and optional awning space, plus an additional number of serviced pitches.

Day 2 – Fife and St Andrews

Fife or the Kingdom of Fife is the Scottish region between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, a land of ancient legend that was once a major Pictish kingdom. Its main towns are Dunfermline, Kirkcaldy and Glenrothes: our suggested routes to St Andrews can pass through one, two or all three:

Edinburgh to St Andrews via Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy Take the A92 west from Edinburgh to Dunfermline (18 miles) to visit Dunfermline Palace and Abbey or the Andrew Carnegie Birthplace Museum. Have lunch in Kirkcaldy (15 miles), then drive to St Andrews (25 miles) for an afternoon and evening around West Sands Beach, St Andrews Botanic Garden, St Andrews Museum or along Lade Braes Walk, the 1.5-mile route from the centre of town.

Edinburgh to St Andrews via Dunfermline and Glenrothes Alternatively, spend the first few hours of Day 2 in Dunfermline then drive to Glenrothes (18 miles). The first town in Scotland to appoint a town artist, the legacy of this is apparent in the many outdoor sculptures and artworks as well as Glenrothes’ multiple horticultural awards. Riverside Park is the best place for a picnic, or you could drive to the stone circles at Balbirnie and Balfarg in the town’s northeast.

Edinburgh to St Andrews via Kirkcaldy and Glenrothes Drive straight to Kirkcaldy from Edinburgh (30 miles), spend an hour or two there, then arrive at Glenrothes for lunch. St Andrews is then 20 miles away.

Where to camp in St Andrews

St Andrews Holiday Park, Kinkell Braes, St Andrews KY16 8PX Award-winning park within walking distance of East Sands Beach, with a mix of hard gravel and grass pitches all with electric hook-up.

Day 3 – St Andrews to Dundee

Day 3 starts with a short (13 miles) drive to Dundee, driving west out of town past St Andrews Links then heading northwest to the River Tay and the Tay Road Bridge. This historic and cultural city is packed with things to see: Dundee top attractions include St Andrews Cathedral, Sensation Science Centre, Mills Observatory, and the several public museums and galleries run by the University of Dundee – definitely enough to keep you busy for the day!

St Andrews to Dundee via Perth

If you’d prefer to see as much of the region as possible, swing west after crossing the River Tay’s bridge to reach Perth (34 miles), to take in sights such as Perth Museum and Art Gallery in town and Scone Abbey just outside. After that, it’s 22 miles from Perth to Dundee.

Where to camp near Dundee

Tayview Caravan Park, South Union Street, Marine Drive, Monifieth DD5 4GH Privately owned beachfront grass park just outside the small town of Monifieth. All 20 campervan and motorhome pitches have water points close by and most have direct views over the Tay estuary.

Day 4 – Stonehaven and Aberdeen

Our final Scottish road trip day allows for a morning and early afternoon on the Fife coast followed by a late afternoon and evening in Aberdeen. Leave as early as possible on the morning of Day 4 as possible to take a leisurely meandering drive along the coast.

The direct drive from Tayview Caravan Park to Stonehaven is around 45 miles (52 if starting from Dundee), but is largely inland so misses out on some spectacular coastline. Instead, drive from Tayview or Dundee to Arbroath (11-17 miles), stop there to buy some famous Arbroath Smokie (smoked fish), then drive along the coast to Montrose. From there, it’s 23 miles to Stonehaven, just past Dunnottar Castle.

Spending an hour or two at Stonehaven should land you in Aberdeen (16 miles) mid-afternoon. The “Granite City” has 45 parks and gardens if you want something low-key, and plenty of historic buildings, museums and galleries if you’d rather sightsee in town. Aberdeen nightlife and live music are well represented too, especially around the bars of Belmont Street.

You might opt to have most of your final day in Aberdeen; if so, drive there from Dundee (66 miles) along the A90 rather than the A92.

Where to camp near Aberdeen

Deeside Holiday Park, South Deeside Road, Maryculter, Aberdeen AB12 5FX The closest caravan park to Aberdeen, five-star Deeside was named as Scotland's Best Holiday Park in 2019. Touring pitches are on hardstanding, with a choice of standard or serviced pitch; both types have electric hook-up.

Plan your Edinburgh to Aberdeen road trip

Whatever your budget, whatever your type of holiday, an Edinburgh to Aberdeen road trip is a great way to see this scenic part of Scotland. We love that this can be done in a long weekend – but of course feel free to add extra days for a truly epic Scottish road trip adventure!

Need some inspiration? See our Road trips around Scotland blog for loads more ideas.

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