College Student in Scotland

March is pretty early in the year as you head north. Given that storms may blow through it is probably wise to schedule a couple of down days and use them as needed, and if the weather is beautiful you can do more.

Skye is more or less impossible by public transport as the bus schedule is very limited and runs around the school day. Your best bet might be to get a small organised tour with a reputable company such as Rabbies. Inverness is not a place I'd suggest visiting as it's just a bustling working town, used by locals living across the Highlands to stock up on essential supplies. It can be a base for Culloden battlefield and Loch Ness (not one of Scotland's best lochs by the way).

Rabbies get very good reviews, their drivers are particularly well regarded, and they also offer to arrange accommodation for you (in several different price brackets). By the time you've organised your own train and bus travel, this could be a more cost effective way of getting you to the best spots in Scotland for a first time visitor.

You could look into towns like Dunkeld, Pitlochry, Aviemore, Plockton as all are on a rail line. You could train hop up to Inverness staying in Dunkeld one night and enjoying the Music Bar and if the weather is fine some walks along the Tay. If there isn't snow and it's not too muddy you could take some other short walks. Then you could go further up and stay in Pitlochry. Check to find out if there will be something playing in the Festival Theatre. They do more than plays. You could visit the distillery. Go another stop you are at Aviemore. There is skiing there in the winter. It might or might not be worth the trip. Then you are in Inverness. You can visit Culloden Field by public bus. You could see if there are other day tours. I would email visit Scotland to find out what is really available in the winter. I just checked and neither Blair Castle or Cawdor Castle are open before April. I think you will have your best luck with Historic Environment Scotland. Urquhart Castle is open for example. You could do one more train ride and that's to Kyle of Lochalsh or Plockton and back to Inverness. It's a beautiful train ride through the Highlands.

Pam

Thank you, everyone, for your help and suggestions! :)

Em

Hi! I studied abroad in Scotland for 2 years and it was amazing! I agree with Pamela. Pitlochry especially is such a nice little village to visit and is extremely easy to get to by train (and cheap). If you wish to go to an island, I recommend Isle of Mull (train to Oban and then ferry across to the island, check out the adorable, colorful town of Tobermory!) or take a train to Mallaig and then ferry to Isle of Skye. Isle of Mull is closer, and I did it as a (long) day trip to and from Glasgow. Both islands have bus transport on the island, however, depending in the season the times could be pretty infrequent.

If you want longer trips, going up north to Inverness is also very accessible via train and has a lots of nature to view along the way.

You can take tours from Edinburgh or Glasgow, however, you can often get to the nature-y places and have more time to hike or look around if you go on your own (and for cheaper). I also recommend trying a whisky distillery tour (or two, or three...). They are in almost every town.