My head hurts ;)

Hi, nicolatwig,

It looks like a good itinerary, but let me suggest tweaking it slightly:

On day 2, instead of returning to Oban, stay overnight on Mull for days 2 and 3, which will give you extra time to explore Mull, as well as Ulva and Iona, and if the weather cooperates, take a boat trip from Fionnphort to Staffa.

Day 4: Take the ferry from Tobermory to Kilchoan, then the B8007 /A861 to Lochailort, which will put you within a short drive of Mallaig for your ferry to Skye. If you arrive in Mallaig while the Jacobite is at the station, you'll have the opportunity to get lots of photos of the train while steam's up, thereby saving you a lot of money and time.

As you're interested in hiking, you could do the Loch Affric circuit on your way from Skye to Inverness. You could also consult the WalkHighlands website for hikes along your planned route.

You didn't say when you'll be travelling, but if it's this summer, you should make accommodation reservations as soon as possible.

Best wishes for your travels!

Mike (Auchterless)

Hi Mike,

I was hoping that you would reply as he seems so knowledgeable on this form. The dates will be leaving edinburgh June 19 and arriving back on June 29.

We are active but in the 60s so will not be sprinting up Ben Nevis or anything like that :)
Obviously, interested in the town’s, one whiskey, distillery is enough for me, anyway ;)

So you are saying skip Fort William and do ferries instead, is that correct? The fairies because they save time and gives you better views, is that correct? And then would you suggest going to Inverness before Carrbridge and then back to Edinburgh?

The only thing I cannot find a highland games when we are there. Thanks, Mike.

We have enjoyed several driving trips to Scotland. Here are a few suggestions. Use Google maps to see the suggested routes.

Day 3 - drive Oban to Kilchurn Castle - use B8074 to cut across to Glencoe - drive through Glencoe to Fort William. 80 miles. We think Glencoe is one of the most beautiful parts of Scotland, especially if the day is a bit misty. Picnic or lunch at Kingshouse Hotel?

Day 4 - Leave Fort William (there are several pleasant B and Bs on the road just west of town) use the short Corran ferry, head to Salen, then take the Mallaig - Armadale ferry to Skye if you would enjoy driving through some very remote parts of Scotland. If not, just head from Fort William to Mallaig which gives you more time on Skye. 80 miles or 50 miles

Day 7 - Using Google maps, plot this route: Duirinish (highland coos grazing freely in the village) to Plockton to Shieldaig to Torridon. This is a very scenic route. Continue on to Urquhart Castle to Inverness. 125 miles. IMHO Torridon is just as beautiful as Skye.

Thanks Cynthia for answering.

We will be leaving Edinburgh and going via Sterling and Lake Lomond before heading to Oban. Mike suggested taking the ferry and staying in Mull for 2 nights. Are you suggesting 2 nights in Oban and having 1 day in Mull and then drive via Glencore and stay in Fort William for 1 night before taking the ferry from Mallaig. Then take the ferry from there to Skye and three nights on Skye? We would take the bridge back. I am still getting acquainted with the places and the routes. Don't want to spend too much time driving so that is why ferries seem to cut out driving if I understand correctly? :)

I like the sound of day 7 :) Where would you stay on that route, maybe Torridon? Do you think Inverness is worth staying as it seems kinda big city? Then Carrbridge and back to Edinburgh.

I appreciate everybody's time.

Hi again, nicolatwig,

Yes, I'm recommending taking the ferries from Oban to Craignure, Tobermory to Kilchoan, and Mallaig to Armadale. You need to reserve the Oban to Craignure and the Mallaig to Armadale ferries. The Tobermory ferry is a show up and go.

Unless there is anything specific that you want to see in Fort William, you don't really need to go through it. I like Fort William, but it is really crowded during the summer months. Like Inverness and Oban, it is good to use as a place to come back to at night after exploring everything around it.

Taking the back road from Kilchoan to Lochailort would open up some spectacular scenery, especially on the B8007 between Kilchoan and Salen. If you are not in a rush, you could head west on the B8007 to Ardnamurchan Point, which is the westernmost point on the British mainland. Lovely Sanna Beach is also nearby.

Once you reach the A830 at Lochailort, you'll be heading west to Mallaig. Again, if you're not in a hurry to get the ferry in Mallaig, a parallel side trip through Arisaig on the B8008 will take you to some of the nicest beaches on the west coast of Scotland. You can find some good low level walking/hiking there.

I am a bit (well, quite a bit!) older than you, and hiking/walking in Scotland is one of the pure joys of being there. There are walks and hikes of all levels throughout the country.

A quick look shows that there are no Highland Gatherings around where you'll be on your holiday. June is actually a slow month for the Gatherings. Perhaps your friends in Carrbridge will know of a concert or ceilidh going on nearby.

Once again, the time to start looking for accommodation on Skye and Mull is right now!

Best wishes once again!

Mike (Auchterless)

p.s.: As you are going to be in the Cairngorms National Park/Carrbridge area, there is a very nice low level hike around Loch an Eilean. Your friends will probably know about it.

Hi Mike,
I so appreciate your detailed help it makes this so much easier with your expertise :) Based on your advice, this is an update :)

1. Leave Edinburgh to Oban via Sterling and Lake Lomond-I night Oban
2. Ferry to Oban and two nights on Mull (just booked)

3. Ferry to Kilochoan and drive the route you suggested to Mallaig and take Ferry to Skye (3 nights just booked) or is that too much in 1 day? I know the days will be long which will be great!

4. Take bridge from Skye and head to Torridon and spend a night or two there before driving to Carrbridge for 2 days. I am not sure if I want/need to see Inverness on this trip. The main focus is highlands and walking.

Does that make sense? Again another else would be appreciated :)
Nicky

Hi again, nicolatwig,

First, a couple of small corrections - it's "Stirling," not "Sterling," and it's "Loch" Lomond, not "Lake" Lomond. The only "Lake" in Scotland is the Lake of Menteith.

Okay, now on to the good stuff! You have plenty of time to get from Tobermory to Mallaig. Including ferry time from Tobermory to Kilchoan, it's about 2 1/2 to 3 hours, but you'll be stopping along the way to take in the scenery, so count on it being more. I've made the trip each way a few times, so I know that you will definitely be stopping! Be sure to make that reservation on the Mallaig to Armadale ferry.

I really like Cynthia's idea of visiting Duirinish and Plockton after you've crossed the Skye Bridge. Plockton, in particular, is one of the prettiest villages in Scotland, if not all of Britain. If you have time, take a boat trip with Calum's Seal Tours. Definitely worth the money! Before you turn off toward Duirinish and Plockton, take a short detour to see the outside of Eilean Donan Castle. It's in a spectacular setting, but only the view of the outside is worth it. There are videos of Plockton on YouTube.

There is not a whole lot of accommodation in Glen Torridon. The main population centres, such as they are, would be Kinlochewe and Shieldaig. If you can't find anything there, you could travel on to Gairloch, which is not that much farther west.

You will be driving on a lot of single track roads with passing places on your journey in the Highlands and Islands. Be sure that you are familiar with the "rules of the road" before you set off. There are helpful videos on YouTube.

Your itinerary looks wonderful! You are going to get a true appreciation for Scotland.

Very best wishes once again.

Mike (Auchterless)

On the Torridon route - years ago we stayed at Polmaily House which is near Urquhart Castle. ( If you like that location, check current reviews since our stay there was a long time ago. ) Urquhart Castle gets a lot of tourists but the location is very picturesque and it is an interesting ruin.

We also liked Tigh an Eilean in Shieldaig which has an excellent restaurant, but that location might not work for you.

I would not stop in Inverness, but there are interesting sites not too far away - Culloden and Clava Cairns. A little farther east there is Elgin Cathedral and many nearby ruined castles.

Note that there is no petrol/diesel (gas) currently at Mallaig due to a problem with the underground pipes at the filling station . You will need to refuel on Mull, or wait until you are on Skye.

Hi, Stuart,

Do you know whether the problems at the filling station in Mallaig are also affecting the filling station in Morar?

There is a filling station in Kilchoan, if the OP is travelling that route.

I would imagine that the petrol would be quite dear in Kilchoan, due to the cost of getting the petrol to that location.

As they used to say in the old Esso adverts, "Happy Motoring!"

Mike (Auchterless)

The weird thing is that CalMac are saying Morar (which is open 0830 to 1730 Monday to Friday only) but local news reports are talking about Morar having Diesel only (and locals having to go to Fort William)- it may be that they are struggling to keep up with demand for petrol.

Armadale filling station is open 0830-1730 Monday - Friday and 0830-1500 Saturday, and Broadford is open 7 days a week 24hrs.

I would imagine that Kilchoan has sky high prices as well.