First time in Scotland - itinerary suggestion for 6 or 7 nights

It will depend on what you do on the way to St. Andrews, but I stayed the night as I had made a couple stops on the way there, one of them being Glamis Castle, where the Queen mom grew up. It’s a very pretty place. Then I would opt for Sterling instead of Loch Lomond, a pretty lake, but Sterling Castle is much more interesting. It shouldn’t cost you more to return the car to Glasgow instead of Edinburgh as they aren’t far apart, that’s what I did and I don’t recall any extra fee. I would check the flights to see which would make the most sense as I imagine you can get similar flights from both cities.

The place name of Stirling is one of the most mis-spelled names on this forum- frequently rendered as Sterling.

At this point in time we don't know if the Jacobite steam train will be running this year, at all. The company is currently selling tickets for trains which they don't have the train carriages/cars for. It will be several months before operation of the steam train is confirmed or not.

However the viaduct is worth seeing as a viaduct, a piece of engineering. You can also time your visit for when one of the normal diesel trains is crossing.

If you do reach Pitlochry you really should go and see the Pitlochry Dam (Hydro Electric scheme) while you are there (just behind the town).

St Andrews is a delightful small town and there's a lot more to it than golf... It has a ruined castle and cathedral as well as a wonderful beach. If you spend the night there, you could see more of the area - potter down the coast looking at the the Fife fishing villages. Alternatively head to Falkland (used as Inverness in the Outlander series) with its royal palace of the Scottish Kings. It was a favourite with Mary Queen of Scots. Alternatively head over the Tay Bridge for Dundee with RSS Discovery used by Captain Scott (of Antarctica fame). V&A Dundee is also there. Glamis Castle to the north of Dundee is about 75 minutes drive from St Andrews.

St Andrews and Pitlochry are both lovely towns to stay in. St Andrews is known for its rich history and offers a few grand sites to visit, such as St Andrews Cathedral and St Andrews Castle. On the other hand, Pitlochry is a great destination for hikers and nature lovers, as it is situated in the heart of Cairngorms National Park. Additionally, there are a couple of distilleries nearby, making it convenient to take a leisurely walk after enjoying a dram or two.

During a week in Scotland, it may not be feasible to add the Isle of Skye to your itinerary. It is better to focus on one area instead of spending most of your time in the car. Keep in mind that if you google distances, it's advisable to double them as they may not be entirely accurate.

After visiting Glencoe, I recommend checking out Loch Lomond, Trossachs National Park, and Stirling Castle. If your flight is in the afternoon, you can stay overnight in the Loch Lomond area since it's conveniently close to Glasgow Airport. If your flight is in the morning, I recommend staying overnight close to the airport. Morning traffic can be a nightmare in both cities, especially Glasgow. If you drop off the car at different airports, there will be a one-way fee starting from £50 (Arnold Clark) or £75 (Europcar). As far as I know, there is always a one-way fee, but sometimes it is included in the car rental cost, while other times it is payable on the spot.

Also, I'm assuming it's more expensive to return the rental car in a different city? Not sure if that's the case there and if you have rental car companies you recommend using.

It's a bit more expensive but not by much. I think it was an additional £25-30 for me. I rented my car through Celtic Legend (which partners with Arnold Clark) and had such a great experience with them, that I am using them again for my trip this coming spring to England. I was able to pick up the car outside of Glasgow at an Arnold Clark location (not at the airport, which is more expensive but at their South Street place) and then returned it at their location outside of Edinburgh (the Sighthill location).

Both locations are outside of the city and were easy to drive into and out of. Celtic Legend was great to deal with. You request a quote from CL, they respond by email with the quote. You accept (or change as needed), and then they confirm it. You do not pay anything (although you can) until you pick up the car. You don't even give them a credit card number. Great staff and great service. I could not recommend them more highly. And getting and returning the car from and to Arnold Clark was so easy. I highly recommend them.

But make sure you book early, especially if you want an automatic.

ETA: Also, they include a GPS unit for free, which is a considerable savings as most other companies charge a daily fee for sat nav.

Thank you everyone for all your wonderful recommendations! I love how useful this forum is and have used it every time I plan a trip to Europe. The rental car information is fantastic and I will definitely be asking them for a quote. Appreciate the good tips to get the car outside of the airport due to easier access and the reasonable fee to return the car to a different city. I appreciate all your suggestions and I have a better idea of what places to visit. Looks like I will be spending a night in St. Andrews since I've always wanted to visit that town.

As of now, my tentative itinerary:

• Sept. 14 - fly from California to Edinburgh, flight arrives morning of the 15th

• Sept. 15/16 - stay in Edinburgh for 2 nights. I know this is short and I'm contemplating flying out a day earlier but the flight times are not as ideal right now and it's also Friday the 13th. :) Has anyone stayed at Tigerlily in Edinburgh? It looks swanky but does have a nightclub there and some people complained it was too noisy to sleep. But the place is centrally located and looks fun. If anyone has other suggestions for where to stay in Edinburgh, that would be great.

• Sept. 17- leave for St. Andrews, perhaps stopping at Falkland along the way, spend night in St. Andrews

• Sept. 18 - visit Glamis Castle and stop at Pitlotchry on the way to Glencoe

• Sept. 18/19 - stay two nights in Glencoe, do some short hikes, visit Glenfinnan Viaduct (will check times for diesel trains in case the Jacobite Steam Train is not running, thanks for the tip!)

• Sept. 20 - visit Stirling and the Kelpies (those horse statues are just cool) and head to Glasgow for one night

• Sept. 21 - fly out of Glasgow for Santorini (thinking of staying at the Apex in Glasgow, if you have other suggestions, will take them)

Thanks again everyone! Really appreciate your insight!

Sounds great!

Everything looks great, but I would not recommend Tigerlilly which is in fact above the nightclub. Instead Kimpton Charlotte Square would be my recommendation or the Bonham Hotel. Both are just around the corner from Tigerlilly. Have a good trip!

If anyone has other suggestions for where to stay in Edinburgh, that would be great.

I stayed at the Premier Inn York Place and really enjoyed it. I would never call it "charming", but the rooms were clean and roomy. The beds are very comfortable and they always have extra pillows. And it was in New Town, which I really liked as it had a more residential feel to it, and was farther away from the noise and congestion of the Royal Mile.

Several members here have also stayed at the Ibis Styles on St. Andrews Square and spoke highly of it. In fact, if I went back to Edinburgh, I would probably try it out. I met someone there for lunch and loved the lobby! It had a very artistic flair. I especially loved the location of the Ibis. It's right on St. Andrews Square, which is very close to the tram stop and bus station (for day trips) and Waverley Station is right up the street. The square itself is beautiful with lots of trees and flowers, and a very residential feel (I would say that about all of New Town), but plenty of restaurants right there. Dishoom (my favorite restaurant!) is right on the square. I would eat there every day if I could.

If you can, time your visit to the Kelpies so you can join a tour. I don't recall the precise cost but it was reasonable. The tour takes you inside one of the sculptures. It is very interesting!

Thank you for the hotel recs in Edinburgh. I just booked the Ibis Styles for two nights. Looks modern and stylish and the location is perfect! Thanks also for the recommendation on Dishoom. I almost went to one in London a while back but haven't had the chance to try it. Looks good!

Thank you also for the recommendation about booking a tour at the Kelpies. That looks really interesting. Is it too much to do a tour at Stirling Castle and the Kelpies before heading to Glasgow to return our rental car? May have time for one tour and maybe stop at the other for photos.

As for St. Andrews, many of the B&Bs I contacted say they're already booked for September and one of them (Annandale House) just responded saying they only do two-night minimums. So I'm looking at staying two nights in St. Andrews instead and maybe playing golf at one of the courses at St. Andrews (not the Old Course) but perhaps the Jubilee? Has anyone else golfed at the other courses there? Was hoping for one that wasn't crazy challenging but they probably are due to the huge bunkers and weather conditions. I'm a decent golfer but only golf 2-3 times a year. Will definitely be practicing before this trip.

Thank you!

Thanks also for the recommendation on Dishoom. I almost went to one in London a while back but haven't had the chance to try it. Looks good!

It's wonderful and open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. You can make reservations for breakfast and lunch (although you may not need to) but they do not take them for dinner. I'm looking forward to trying out the breakfast menu when I'm in London in the spring. it looks incredible!

Also there is a good Italian restaurant right off the square called Amarone that I enjoyed. And definitely visit Berties Proper Fish & Chips on Victoria St. Really good fish and chips - and beer, too!

Thank you Mardee for the wonderful culinary recommendations! Will check them out especially fish and chips!

I've booked all my accommodations for Scotland except Glasgow which shouldn't be too difficult for one night. I was able to book the Annandale Guest House in St. Andrews for two nights and the owner sounds wonderful and so helpful already! I also booked a B&B in Glencoe for two nights. Now, just need to keep an eye on the airfare prices and practice my golf swing.

Thanks again everyone for your excellent suggestions!