8 Days - Edinburgh/Highlands - Probably too much

Um, yes, I'll say you have too many destinations and activities to fit into so few days. This is a very common problem in Scotland planning and I have friends who've come back from holidays in Scotland regretting that they rushed from one place to the next instead of focusing on fewer places. It takes longer to drive distances in Scotland than we are used to in the US.

Only you can decide what your top priorities are, but I'd urge you to examine a good guidebook and trim down your itinerary. With 8 days, you should aim to stay overnight in no more than 4 places, preferably 3.

I'm impressed with your detailed itinerary! Times even!
You already know this is a lot.........remember you have to eat! Stop to take photos! Sleep etc.

You could spend the whole day in the Museum of Scotland and not see everything.
On the days you are driving, you will spend much of your time getting to your destination and will not have a lot of time for attractions. I agree with epltd.

However, maybe you like whirlwind and are young!

It’s hard to not want to get everything in! Haha. It’s a kid free trip for my husband and I, and keep thinking who knows when we’d ever get back with so many other places in the world left to go :)

I’m not concerned too much with the actual plans for days in the same area. We’re very go with the flow, so if we can’t fit something in on the plan for the day I’m good with that. To me that’s a benefit of a driving tour by ourselves. Choose to do as little or as much as we want by way of activities each day.

If you had to skip one area to simplify what would it be?
(An insight into us, we both have history degrees, but we’re much more into the feel of historical sights/atmosphere vs. museums. And I’m dying to see the highland scenery.)
- day 3 activities?
-Glencoe? (I’m very attached to the idea of a day of hiking with so much other car sightseeing days)
-Loch Ness/Inverness (Id really like to go here, but in theory it could be done on a different trip that includes other sights on the east coast someday.)

I’m leaning toward cutting Loch Ness/Inverness though it feels wrong for some reason haha.

Thanks again! It helps bring you back down to reality to get other opinions from people who have been there.

If you're leaning toward cutting Loch Ness and Inverness, that sounds like a good decision. Many commenters say Loch Ness is overrated. I personally enjoyed Urquhart Castle, but not to where I'd call it a "must." You seem to be more keen on the highland scenery around Glencoe and the Isle of Skye, and it is indeed awe-inspiring.

Since Inverness is a fairly easy air travel destination (witness your homebound flight), you could always go there another time and visit Culloden and Clava Cairns -- and Cawdor Castle, which you didn't list -- along with some of Scotland's more eastern and northern regions.