Best way from Edinburgh to Inverness in a week?

I did that in reverse order. First I drove from Inverness to Balmoral and toured the park. I then continued (same day) on to St. Andrews. That was a somewhat long--but very enjoyable--day. Then I stayed on in St. Andrews for a couple of days, exploring the town and its peninsula. En route from there to Edinburgh, I took a detour to Stirling to see the castle.

I also did it in reverse. Started in Nairn, which is about 1/2 hour east of Inverness and near Culloden Battlefield and Cawdor Castle. Stopped in Aviemore, then turned off the main highway to go through Blairgowrie and visit Glamis Castle. From there drove on to St. Andrews. That was Day 1. On Day 2 we did the St. Andrews Old Course walking tour, played the Himalayas (miniature golf), and visited the British Golf Museum before driving to Edinburgh at day's end. All good.

In Nairn I can recommend Tali Ayer B&B. In St. Andrews the Old Station Guest House -- it is outside of town on the route to the eastern coast.

I've done similar routes to what they have suggested. You would head into Fife and over to St. Andrew's. You might want to plot a route that takes you past the East Neuk Villages. Or Falkland Palace is really interesting. Heading north into Angus you could consider visiting Glamis Castle which is marvelous. I would spend the night in that area. Then head north through the pass to Braemar and then on to Ballater the next day--explore the castles and on to Inverness the next morning. Route to Ballater. And here's one on to Inverness. It takes you past an interesting castle--Corgarff.

You could also go west and then north. This route takes you past Doune and Doune Castle--where Outlander and Monty Python's Search for the Holy Grail were filmed and on to Callander on edge of the Trossachs. There's a visitor center with info on Rob Roy--you stop off and see where he is buried in Balquhiddar. (If you want a nice short side trip is to head up the glen for a bit. At the end or walking trails that I have not explored.) You could combo this with a visit to Stirling. You can stay in Callander or follow the route on to Killin which is at the head Loch Tay. There are some nice rapids as you head into town. They head back easy along the Loch to Aberfeldy. An alternate route would be to take the wee roads north to the Bridge of Balgie and then head up Glen Lyon to Aberfeldy. Both are beautiful. Next post.

I would recommend visiting the Crannog Centre, and if you're up for a walk the Birks of Aberfeldy is up the hill past waterfalls and quite nice. Then head over Schiehallion to Kinloch Rannoch. Look west down Loch Rannoch and you looking down the road to the isles. You would head down the loch over the moor and through Glencoe to Loch Linnhe where you would take your galley and head for Mull or Skye or where you wanted to go in the West. Head back east, stopping off at the Queen's View. I'm taking you down to spend the night in Pitlochry. If something good is playing in the Festival Theatre try to get tickets.

The rest of the trip is pretty much the A9, but hey while it's a busy road it's beautiful. And it's not exactly Manhattan! You can make a stop at Blair Castle, or at the Highland Folk Museum or just go to Aviemore and take the steam train or the funicular. I don't think it's a particular scenic town, but it is a gateway to the Cairngorms and so a good place to explore before heading into Inverness.

All great ideas! Thanks!