Advice on 11-day Scotland Itinerary

I'm really confused. Your title says 11 days, and your post seems to be a jumble of different itineraries, with some days double-booked, 18 days total.

You might wish to revise your post. Otherwise it's pretty near impossible to offer feedback.

Sorry, it posted before I completed it. Hope it now makes sense.

Well, I agree with Lane in that it's a little confusing. Let me rehash this itinerary, though. It does make it easier if you count the nights instead of the days.

Day 1: Arrive and sleep in Edinburgh
Day 2: Sleep in Edinburgh
Day 3: Sleep in Edinburgh
Day 4: Sleep in Ullapool (Continue with Rabbies)
Day 5: Sleep in Ullapool (Continue with Rabbies)
Day 6: Sleep in Portree (Continue with Rabbies)
Day 7: Sleep in Portree (Continue with Rabbies)
Day 8: UNK
Day 9: UNK
Day 10: Sleep in Glasgow
Day 11: Sleep in Glasgow
Day 12: Leave for home

So you are thinking of leaving the Rabbies tour on the last day in order to see Culloden and Clava Cairns? That would be difficult because you'd have to get to Inverness and then get a tour to see Culloden and CC. Have you checked with Rabbies to see if they have a tour from Inverness to those sites? Or someplace else?

I'll be honest. I enjoyed seeing Culloden and Clava Cairns, but if I had to go through all that just to get there, I'd back out. It's not worth it. They are nice but compared to some of the incredible places in Scotland, they're not that nice. :-)

I would focus on spending more time in Edinburgh and/or Glasgow. There are so many wonderful places to see around there, like Stirling Castle, the town of Stirling, Leith in Edinburgh, and so on.

Lane and Mardee, thanks for commenting. Sorry for the confusion. Quoting from the tour’s itinerary probably made it more confusing.

Although I really would like to go to Culloden and Clara Cairns, I suppose that’ll have to happen on another trip, given the logistics. Rabbies does have a one-day tour of Glen Affric, Culloden, and Clara Cairns, but it’s from Inverness.

I’ll revised the itinerary to spend the night of Day 8 either in Edinburgh or Glasgow. I’ll plan to be in Glasgow for Days 9 and 10 and make plans from there.

On Day 5, you could either leave the tour, get the Citylink bus back into Fort William at 1543 changing to another Citylink for Inverness, arriving at 1840.

Or, if willing to sacrifice Glencoe (a bit of a shame but if needs must), jump ship at Fort William and take Citylink to Inverness at 1235, 1335, 1435, 1635 or 1735.

Or go back to Edinburgh that night. of Day 7. Then the 0838 train on Day 8, arriving Inverness at 1206 (or Citylink at 0710 arriving at 1111), Put you case at a Stasher (or similar) then the local hourly bus to Culloden, walk round to Clava, bus back from Culloden into the city. Pick up your case and check in to your hotel.
Citylink run hourly from Inverness to Glasgow- for the 3 hour 40 minute journey- much the same time as the train. And Flixbus also run 2 or 3 times a day.
So you could have most of Day 9 in Inverness, before taking an early evening train or bus to Glasgow- last train is about 8pm. last Citylink bus also 8 pm.

Thanks for the bus and train information. I was thinking of leaving the tour at Fort William and making my way to Inverness, but I don’t think all the hassle to get there and make my way back to Glasgow a day later is worth it. I needed some input on the logistics to make up my mind. It’ll be on the list for another trip. I’m sure I’ll have a long list before the trip and a much longer one after.

The tour ends on Day 8. I’ll either sleep in Edinburgh or make my way to Glasgow. I’ll then have about three days to explore more of Edinburgh or Glasgow and other places nearer.

Again, thanks.

A few things to remember:

1. Clava Cairns and Culloden are both fascinating from a historical perspective, but neither has any scenic value. I think the Rabbie's tour you're taking will also visit Dunnottar Castle near Stonehaven, which is both historically significant and stunningly beautiful. If not, I'd recommend finding a tour that does
2. Eilan Donan as it is today was not a stronghold of any kind. It's a 20th century construction that has always been pretty much what it is in 2024: a tourist attraction. Certainly there used to be an actual castle or similar battlement located on the tiny island, and the McRae/Macrae family constructed the current building in the 1920s and '30s. It probably bears little resemblance to the working structure that preceded it, which was blown apart at the close of the Jacobite Rebellion in 1719.

Visiting Eilan Donan as one travels to Skye is a splendid idea, so long as one remembers that it's an EPCOT sort of thing. The entire area is quite beautiful.

Eilan Donan as it is today was not a stronghold of any kind. It's a 20th century construction that has always been pretty much what it is in 2024: a tourist attraction.

For more information, it was rebuilt as a family home, and as a war memorial to the 468 members of the MacRae Clan who fell in WW1.

It was only opened to the public about 30 years after rebuilding after the death of the widow of John MacRae-Gilstrap who had rebuilt it.

It is still owned by a Charitable Trust linked to the MacRae family, whose castle it had been for centuries before the original castle was destroyed in the Jacobite uprisings. John's gggfather was actually killed at the Battle of Sheriffmuir (one of 58 members of the clan killed at that Battle, having mustered at Eilean Donan).
The present Castle has an almost identical footprint to the castle which was destroyed.

There are now 9 war memorials there, including two of very few surviving trophy German field guns from WW1- most were melted down for scrap metal in WW2.

I've always felt that Eilean Donan castle is one of those castles that is best seen from the outside. The inside doesn't live up to that.... It is also a major tourist attraction and the car park is always busy. Nearly every tour bus stops there for the statutory photo stop. Take your picture and then move on.

Dunvegan does regularly get mentioned by visitors planning to visit Skye. Admittedly it is a long time since I visited but I did find the castle 'boring', maybe because rooms lack the 'wow' factor expected in a stately home but also the guide was intent on explaining every portrait - who they were and their ancestry - at great length...

I'm following this thread as we would like to do a similar Highlands trip in July 2025 for about 7 or 8 nights. For our hiking, it needs to be moderate. We're open to doing this independently or going with a small group, so I will look into the Rabbies tour as well. Are there other recommended companies /itineraries? We've been to Edinburgh and the Borders once before in 2019, but didn't visit the Highlands at all on that trip. I've also been to Aberdeen once for work, but that was many years ago and didn't visit the region outside that city.

I've cleared out part of what I can call a side discussion to clear space for the intended discussion about the itinerary. I hope the OP can continue to get good advice.

For our hiking, it needs to be moderate.

vsinayuk - the best source of information about walking is the Walk Highlands Website. Choose the area you are interested in and it will come up with details of lots of different walks from short easy walks to the real head banger stuff. It grades the walks with distance and estimate of time needed. There are also maps and a brief description of the walk. Any of the 1 boot walks will be fine. 2 boot walks may involve following an indistict path and it does make a comment "navigation skills required." 3 boot walks say "map reading skills essential." If they are on a wellmarked path used by lots of other walkers that may not be an issue but it would be advisable to have a map and know how to use it. Also check out the 'bog factor' as this will give an indication of underfoot conditions and what sort of footwear you may need.

It does come down to how important Culloden is to you plus the standing stones.It’s easy enough to bale out at Fort William and get the bus up to Inverness.It does seem a shame to miss Glencoe and also the rest of the superb lay scenic journey south across Rannoch Moor and through the lovely Trossachs area to Edinburgh.
If you drop Inverness, you could then make your way to Glasgow and perhaps do a couple of other days tours…down to Culzean Castle perhaps and Loch Lomond.
Rabbies, Discover Scotland, Timberbush, Haggis Adventures…there are others! Plenty of small group operators that run day and multi day tours.

Re hiking (on the new ‘add on’ enquiry) Walkhighlands is indeed excellent but come back on the Forum when you’ve decided on your itinerary re more personal advice on really great walks.You want to get a lot of bang for your buck re hikes!

scotlandmac, thank you for your suggestions. I am no longer considering abandoning the Rabbies tour and going to Inverness. I've decided to complete the tour and then transfer from Edinburgh to Glasgow upon return from the tour. From Glasgow, I am planning a day trip to Stirling (by train), and possibly one to the Isle of Arran (by train and ferry). I'm presently working with the following itinerary:

Day 1: Arrive and sleep in Edinburgh
Day 2: Explore Edinburgh (Sleep in Edinburgh)
Day 3: Explore Edinburgh (Sleep in Edinburgh)
Day 4: Start Rabbies 5-day tour (Sleep in Ullapool)
Day 5: Continue Rabbies tour (Sleep in Ullapool)
Day 6: Continue Rabbies tour (Sleep in Portree)
Day 7: Continue Rabbies tour (Sleep in Portree)
Day 8: End Rabbies tour (Sleep in Glasgow)
Day 9: Explore Glasgow (Sleep in Glasgow)
Day 10: Daytrip to Stirling (Sleep in Glasgow)
Day 11: Possible day trip to Isle of Arran (Sleep in Glasgow)
Day 12: Leave for France

Thanks for all the comments and advice.

Depending on the route they are taking back from Glencoe to Edinburgh it may be worth asking Rabbies if they can set you down in Glasgow.
If they are taking what I would call the top road it would only be a very minor divert down to Buchanan Bus Station.
If they are doing Erskine Bridge and the M8 then it's a non starter.
That would save you an hour onto Edinburgh then an hour back to Glasgow on the train.
Worth the question anyway.

isn31c, thanks for the suggestion. I will definitely ask.

Arran is a lovely day trip and very easy to make from Glasgow.The train drops you right at the ferry at Ardrossan.
There is also a small minibus day tour to Culzean Castle which is outstanding and in a fantastic location too.But overall, Arran is the one to do on your own.Brodick Castle is well worth seeing , inside and out and with beautiful grounds and gorgeous views over the sea and Brodick Bay. Look out for the delightful Bavarian summerhouse.A pine cone clad stunner in the woodlands.

https://www.nts.org.uk/stories/175-years-of-the-bavarian-summerhouse-at-brodick-castle

Very easy to either walk round the bay to the castle’s pedestrian entrance or simply take the bus.Good bus service on the island.

The Auchrannie Hotel does lovely food and , on a nice day, a lovely garden terrace with views to Goat Fell.

Sailing into Brodick Bay with the mountains surrounding it, is such a beautiful trip in itself too.

By the time you are there the ferries to the Isle of Arran will almost certainly be sailing from the port of Troon, not Ardrossan, due to the new ships and port redevelopment at Ardrossan.

Troon has a rail station, and it is expected that all sailings will have a bus transfer from Troon station to the port

One of my hopes is that if Arran gets that bit more difficult to get to, then this forum may discover the Isles of Bute and Cumbrae.

Bute also has a rail link from Glasgow at Wemyss Bay (one of the best stations in Scotland, purpose designed to handle the one time huge tourist crowds to Bute), an hourly ferry service (and I really like the ABC ships, as they are known, on the route) and a far better bus service than Arran..

When weather stops the ferries one of the shortest ferry routes in Scotland (so rarely weather affected) links Bute to the Cowal peninsula for a range of routes back to Glasgow. That ferry is also a link up to Inveraray (by car or bus) for the Highlands- thus Bute is a nice add on to a Highlands itinerary.

The island has many things to see and do- see this website- https://www.visitbute.com/

One of those is the only castle in Scotland with a moat in water. There is also a 30 mile walk round the island which the bus allows you to break up into multiple parts.

Cumbrae has an hourly train to Largs for the ferry but also an express bus from Glasgow every 15 minutes. While the ferry may have capacity problems for cars, it does not have such issues for foot passengers. So drivers should park up in Largs and cross as foot pax. A bus meets all ferries on the island side for the 2 or 3 miles into the only town of Millport. It is a very nice 4 miles or so walk round the other side of the island from Millport back to the ferry. Although mainly on road it is normally quiet because almost all the cars turn left (not right) off the ferry. It is a very good island for cycling.

The buses from Glasgow to Largs also serve Wemyss Bay, so it is easy to combine Bute and Cumbrae, with no need at all for a car.