We will be visiting Scotland in July 2025 for one week, starting with two days in Edinburgh. On July 22 we will travel by car
to Inverary Castle in Inverary, UK for the HIghland Games. It is a 2 1/2 hour drive and later that afternoon we will
drive to Oban for the night. Do you have any advice about traffic, parking and general knowledge of the Highland
Games? Oban looks lovely and it will be on our way - eventually driving to Ballater for several days. We have reservations for Balmoral Castle and a whiskey tour, but also want to enjoy the area at our leisure. Our final leg will be a return to Edinburgh for our flight back to the US.
Posted by
Chicago
414 posts
The gates open at 9 with the games continuing until 5 or so. Multiple events occur at the same time, so you'll want to wander between the dancing and the piping and the games. Be sure to see the caber toss.
The castle itself is normally closed on Tuesdays, so I don't know if you will be able to go inside. But, you may come across the Duke of Argyll all kilted out. His family lives at the castle.
There is lots of parking on the castle grounds. The signage is well posted.
Is there any chance you could add an extra day to your trip and spend the night before the Games closer to Inverary?
Otherwise you'll want to get an early start on your drive to Inverary. You'll be driving through the Trossachs and along Loch Lomond with beautiful vistas along the way. 2½ hours might be optimistic.
Posted by
Lake District, England
9528 posts
It may be 2 1/2 hours on paper but at that time of the morning you have to negotiate crossing Glasgow towards the morning peak. Then there will be heavy traffic heading along Loch Lomond and Loch Long to the games, so expect to add quite a bit of time.
It is also peak summer traffic to everywhere else beyond the games.
Posted by
OP
49 posts
I appreciate your advice about traffic in Glasgow.
We will check into staying near Glasgow and leaving for Inverary from that location.
Thank you!
Posted by
Glasgow
72 posts
You could avoid Glasgow by heading for Stirling then picking up the A811 taking you through Drymen and onto to Loch Lomond.A longer route but much more pleasant than the M8 which as said, is to be avoided like the plague during rush hour.
However, I would look to get myself perhaps to Loch Lomond itself the night before, staying in pretty `Luss right on the loch, a lovely conservation village.It is day tripper central during the day but quiet at night.That leaves you a beautiful, relatively easy drive next day though beware if it has been raining heavily as the Rest and Be Thankful road can close due to the on going issues with land slippage there.However, they will open the old road but it can get slow as traffic is led by a convoy vehicle for that short section (happened yesterday when we finally got rain after weeks of sunshine.)
Posted by
220 posts
Scotland Mac I know you need rain but I just arrived :)