Scotland road trip: complete 7-day itinerary guide

****Smaller by far than England and even smaller than Ireland, Scotland is the perfect destination for a week-long road trip. ****

While you can see heaps in three days, a week in Scotland covers a great sweep of the country, so you can enjoy a huge range of diverse landscapes and stunning countryside. Here’s our epic 7-day Scotland road trip for your ultimate campervan or motorhome trip any time of year.

Our trip goes on a 550-mile loop from Edinburgh, passing spectacular sights and world-famous destinations like Loch Ness, Loch Lomond and Glen Coe, kicking off with a full day in Edinburgh to wander its many sights. And two of the seven days are drive-free, so this is a nice and relaxed adventure too!

Here’s an overview of the terrain you’ll cover:

• Day 1 – Edinburgh

• Day 2 – Edinburgh to Pitlochry

• Day 3 – Pitlochry to Inverness

• Day 4 – Inverness to Isle of Skye

• Day 5 – Isle of Skye

• Day 6 – Skye to Oban

• Day 7 – Oban to Glasgow; Glasgow to Edinburgh

And here are the full details, covering the best stops and attractions, plus how long you’ll be on the road!

Our 7-day Scotland road trip itineraryDay 1 – Edinburgh

Start your trip in Scotland’s capital Edinburgh to have a full day there before setting off on the full trip on Day 2. You couldpick up a campervan rental in Edinburgh then drive to a nearby campsite on your first night, or stay in town then pick up your campervan on the morning of Day 2. We highly recommend the first option: Edinburgh campsites are so convenient, and this way you get to spend the first night of your trip in your van!

There’s enough to see and do in Edinburgh to keep you busy for weeks, but some of the top attractions are:

• Edinburgh Castle

• Edinburgh Old Town

• National Museum of Scotland

• Scottish National Gallery

• Arthur’s Seat

• Royal Mile

• Edinburgh Zoo

And don’t forget the beach – seaside town Portobello is only three miles from Edinburgh’s centre.

Day 2 –Edinburgh to Pitlochry (70 miles)

Time to head north! Drive out of Edinburgh on the M90 then A9 towards Pitlochry, the pretty Perthshire town that lies on the River Tummel. A drive direct from Edinburgh gives plenty of time to explore the town and its surrounds; here are our suggestions:

• Hike part of the 79-mile Rob Roy Way, the long-distance footpath running from Drymen to Pitlochry

• Arrange to arrive on a summer Monday to enjoy an evening of music, dancing and song arranged by the Vale of Atholl Pipe Band

• Take in a show at Pitlochry Festival Theatre

• Visit Atholl Palace Museum or the Pitlochry & Moulin Heritage Centre

• Pick up Scottish whisky souvenirs at Edradour Distillery, the smallest in Scotland

There's heaps to explore along the way too: take a leisurely route to Pitlochry to stop off at some or all of these:

• Dunfermline

• Perth

• Scone Palace

• Kirkcaldy

• Dundee – a bit of a detour (drive east from Scone) but well worth a visit if you have the time

Day 3 –

This 85-mile route on Day 3 skirts the western edge of the spectacular Cairngorms National Park, the biggest in Britain, and arrives in Inverness to access two of the most famous sites in Scotland – Culloden and Loch Ness.

Aim to arrive in Inverness in the late morning to take in as many as possible of these options:

• Boating on Loch Ness (nine miles from Inverness)

• Visiting Culloden Battlefield/Culloden Moor

• Picnicking on the banks of the River Ness or in Inverness Botanic Gardens

• Hiking part of the Great Glen Way, the John o' Groats Trail or the South Loch Ness Trail

Alternatively, cut through the Cairngorms on a leisurely117-mile trip from Pitlochry to Inverness and make time for a stop at beautiful Braemar Castle.

Day 4 –

Our 7-day Scotland road trip itinerary has time for a full day on the stunning Isle of Skye, which means you can take your time getting there from Inverness! Just as well, as along the way you could stop off at:

• The Victorian spa town of Strathpeffer

• Lochcarron (village) and Loch Carron (sea loch)

• The Bealach na Bà road pass (not for large motorhomes!) and Applecross Peninsula (detour from Lochcarron)

Once on Skye, arrange an Isle of Skye campsite for that night, ready to get up early for a packed day of sightseeing and activities on Day 5.

Day 5 – Isle of Skye (no/minimal driving time)

Whatever your holiday tastes, you’re likely to love stunning Skye, the largest island of the Inner Hebrides. Here’s just a taster of what to do on Skye:

Towns and villages

• Portree, island capital and pretty port town with harbour and pier

• Kilmuir, the only place in Scotland where Gaelic is spoken by half the population

• Dunvegan, seat of the chief of Clan MacLeod; home to Dunvegan Castle

• Armadale, home to The Clan Donald Visitor Centre and Museum of the Isles

Island hopping

• Mallaig: sail from Armadale

• Glenelg: sail from Kylerhea

• Harris: sail from Uig

• North Uist: sail from Lochmaddy

• Raasay: sail from Sconser

Wildlife watching

Take a boat trip or hike around the coast to see species including whales, dolphins, otters, deer and sea eagles.

Hiking and climbing

• The Cuillin Range, made up of 12 munros (peaks over 3,000ft) – how many can you bag?

• The Old Man of Storr: hike up to the “Old Man” pillar in Skye’s northeast

• The Quiraing, a loop walk around the biggest landslip in Scotland

• Neist Point Lighthouse: walk down to the lighthouse from Skye’s most westerly point of Skye

Wild swimming

A Skye must-do is a swim in the Fairy Pools in Glen Brittle, the deep blue pools filled with crystal clear water from the Cuillin.

Day 6 –

Our longest driving day on the trip takes you from Skye to Oban, the lovely little coastal town in the Firth of Lorn. Our route passes Kyle of Lochalsh and Fort William, the “outdoor capital of the UK” and the access point for the famous Jacobite steam train, aka the Hogwarts Express.

You could also drive on a 149-mile route via Mallaig and Morar, bypassing Fort William. Both routes pass spectacular Glen Coe, an absolute must-see.

If you arrive at Oban in time – you may opt for adventure sports/train rides at Fort William or a leisurely walk around Glen Coe instead – take your pick of these:

• Island hopping: sail to Lismore, Colonsay, Islay, Coll, Tiree, Mull, Barra and South Uist

• Visit the Oban War and Peace Museum

• Tour Oban Distillery

• Hike to McCaig's Tower on Battery Hill for views over Oban and over to Lismore, Mull and Kerrera

Day 7 –

An early start for the final day of your week in Scotland, beginning with a 97-mile drive from Oban to Glasgow through Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park. This gives several hours free to sightsee in Glasgow before driving the 47 miles back to Edinburgh, or you could take that time for Loch Lomond instead. There’s loads to pick from on this last leg!

• Oban to Edinburgh options include:

• Kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding, water skiing or taking a paddle steamer cruise on Loch Lomond

• Loch Lomond fishing

• Biking the West Loch Lomond Cycle Path from Balloch

• Dumbarton and Dumbarton Castle

• Paisley: Scotland’s largest town, once known for its textile industry and now with a thriving arts scene

Glasgow

• Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA)

• Merchant City

• Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum

• The People's Palace and Winter Gardens

• Glasgow festivals – throughout the year

More 7-Day Scotland Road Trip Ideas

We’ve designed our 7-day Scottish road trip itinerary so you can see lots of the country in just one week. But this is only one example of all the awesome days in Scotland possible while campervanning! So here are a couple of alternative trips:

Historic Scotland: to/from Edinburgh

Day 1 – Edinburgh

Day 2 – Edinburgh to St Andrews (52 miles); St Andrews to Pitlochry (64 miles)

Day 3 – Pitlochry to Inverness via Culloden (85 miles)

Day 4 – Inverness to Skye (106 miles)

Day 5 – Isle of Skye

Day 6 – Skye to Glenfinnan Viaduct (65 miles); Glenfinnan to Oban (60 miles)

Day 7 – Oban to Glasgow; Glasgow to Edinburgh (144 miles)

Hidden Scotland: the Highlands

Day 1 – arrive in Inverness (campervan hire in Inverness)

Day 2 – explore Inverness and Urquhart Castle

Day 3 – Inverness to Skye (106 miles)

Day 4 – Skye to Fort William (99 miles)

Day 5 – Fort William to Glenfinnan Viaduct (17 miles)

Day 6 – Glenfinnan Viaduct to Glencoe (33 miles)

Day 7 – Glencoe to Inverness (82 miles)

For more Highlands itinerary, check out our NC500 Road trip route for motorhomes and campervans.

Start planning your Scottish road trip

Now that you’ve got plenty of travel inspiration, it's time to start organising your holiday. Remember that you can start a Scottish road trip anywhere you like with Camplify – get started by browsing all ourvan hires in Scotland, to suit all budgets.

While we recommend spending as much time in Scotland as you can, it’s perfectly possible to see lots of the country on a shorter break too! Check out some travel inspiration for3-day road trips around Scotland.

Lastly, discover the best family campsites in Scotland if you're still looking for somewhere to stay!

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