Itinerary Help in Scotland

Day 3 Edinburgh to Inverness via Balmoral- Balmoral is a substantial diversion off any obvious route to Inverness- including time at Balmoral that is an all day journey;
Day 4- Inverness to Skye via NC500. That presumably means the via Achnasheen route as opposed to via Loch Ness. But you are barely touching the NC500. You can't possibly do that as a day via the NC500 proper. Even if you divert via say Gairloch to do a bit more of the NC500 that again is going to be a full day jaunt. And you may struggle to find a one night stay on Skye.
It leaves no time to do anything else on Skye-
Day 5- Skye to Trossachs via Glenfinnan. So you are taking the Armadale ferry route. You don't say where in the Trossachs you are headed, but adding time somewhere on Loch Lomond this is another all day journey. Again you may struggle to find a one night stay.

This feels like seeing Scotland through a windscreen, with little or no time to see what you have come to enjoy, especially for the driver.

I would not bother with Balmoral. The setting is very pretty for sure but then, so are a lot of other castles in Scotland.

Unless drastic changes are made between now and your visit, access to the castle proper will be very limited and the only room you see is the ballroom. It is possible more rooms than that will be open this year but don't rely upon this. Rumours are just rumours right now.

If you are set on going then in addition to the entry fee you will have to pay to park at Crathie car park and walk across the bridge to the castle gates. I believe there is a handset guide to take round with you and the inevitable gift shop but as I say whilst you see a lot of gardens and grounds, nothing indoors other than the ballroom. You don't get to see much of the castle from a distance either. The best you can hope for is a glimpse of the tower from the A93. Trees obscure everything else.

I'm told work is being undertaken to improve the size of the cafeteria but who knows when this will be complete? Perhaps not in time for this season.

It might be better to have a re-think.

This is a very rushed trip! We loved Skye; the scenery is stunning. However, 1 night is not enough to do Skye justice. It's a long drive to get there and driving around Skye is slow. Skye needs a minimum of 3 nights, and 4 nights is even better.

With such a short trip, I might do Edinburgh and the Fife Coast. OR Edinburgh and Glen Coe which also has stunning scenery.

You don’t want/need a car in Edinburgh. Public transport is very good and parking a nightmare. Pick up the car when you leave.

When is this planned for?

That is an aggressive itinerary with long days spent driving. Distances may not look far but will take a lot longer to cover than you might expect. Driving in Scotland is slow. Plan on an average of 30-35 mph and don’t forget to factor in time for stops.
Day 3 - you are looking at 5+ hours just to do the drive.

One night on Skye - I do seriously have to ask if one night is worth the effort of driving to Skye. Most people recommend at least two nights and preferably three!

Day 5 is another full day drive. Depending on where you stay on Skye, you are looking at 7+ hours drive without any stops...

That itinerary would be too ambitious for me... You have just over three days from leaving Edinburgh to returning there and are trying to cram at least a full week into that time. Are you happy to see everything through the car windscreen?

What made you decide on this itinerary and what attracts you to Balmoral, Eileen Donan and the fairy pools?

Personally I would forget Inverness, Loch Ness (not one of the more scenic lochs) and Skye. Think about heading to Oban after Edinburgh and use that as your base. Do this as a circular drive via Callander, Crianllarich and Loch Awe. to Oban. Return via Lochgilphead, Inverary and Loch Lomond (or the reverse...)

Spend a day visiting Mull from Oban (equally as good as Skye) Another day drive up the coast to Glencoe and Glenfinnan viaduct.

Another alternative would be to head to Isle of Aran - easily reached by ferry from Ardrossan and spend the time there. This tends not to be on the tourist radar but is described as Scotland in miniature.

Pay very close attention to what Wasleys has said. For the driving route you are proposing you would want at least twice the number of days you have.

Thanks for all the helpful replies folks. We were thinking this is likely too ambitious, so I appreciate the thinking on this one.

Are there any must sees people would recommend we have to do as part of the itinerary mentioned in the post or in Wasleys alternative itinerary?

Overall, I think Wasleys itinerary might be preferable, or possibly going from Edinburgh to Glencoe (on a similar itinerary now) as was suggested as well. It sounds like Inverness to the Isle of Sky is probably not a great idea for this trip - we definitely want to at least spend a decent amount of time in Edinburgh.

Thanks again folks!

I would also recommend focusing on the West Coast /West Highlands. Your proposed itinerary can be quite intense, especially for first-time visitors.

I would recommend the following itinerary: Edinburgh - Oban - Loch Lomond / Stirling. For the two nights in Edinburgh, I would suggest adding Stockbridge and Dean Village with the Botanic Garden on day 2. It's a full day activity. Alternatively, you can go for an Arthur's Seat hike with a visit to Duddingston Village and Dr. Neil's secret garden.

Then following 2-nights in Oban. On the way you can visit various attractions such as Linlithgow Palace, the Kelpies, and optionally make a detour to Killin and Loch Awe to see Kilchurn Castle. On the second night, you have the choice to take a day trip to the Isle of Mull or opt for the 3 Isles Tour, which includes Iona, Staffa, and Mull. Alternatively, you can take a short trip to the Isle of Kerrera. Another option would be to go on a day trip to Glencoe.

After Oban 2-nights in Loch Lomond and Trossachs, here's a suggested itinerary:Day 1: Explore the historic village of Luss, go cycling along the shores of Loch Lomond, and enjoy kayaking on Loch Lomond in Luss. Don't forget to take a scenic cruise on Loch Lomond. Day 2: On the way back, drive via Inveraray and Kilmartin Glen to soak in the beautiful scenery. For your last night, I would recommend staying close to either Glasgow or Edinburgh airports for convenience.

Swami6, for my part, I would second wasleys' recommendation for Arran or Mull, but especially Arran, given your time limitations. The island is very easy to get to--you just drive to the Ardrossan ferry (about an hour west of Glasgow), and ferry over to Arran. The scenery is beautiful and it is not called "Scotland in miniature" for nothing. There is wonderful hiking, mountains, beaches, castles, ruins, gardens, ancient sites, quaint fishing towns, and several whisky distilleries.

It's a small island so you could see a lot in 2 days, especially if you're renting a car. I was here in May of 2023 and loved my stay here. https://www.visitarran.com/