to do day trip to highlands or not

Hard to say. If you've never been to Edinburgh before, then I'd say there's enough there to see in 3 days. But if you really want to see the Highlands....whatever makes your heart beat faster.

I think it depends on whether you like buses or not. ;: It's a lot of bus time for not a lot of viewing from my perspective. But I've been many times. Do you think that you will never return again? Then maybe you do the trip. But what do you want to experience in Scotland? Do you want to see a loch? A castle? Heather on the hill? The likelihood of seeing the latter depends on the time of year. If you want to just walk in some hills, then you can take the train to Perthshire or do one of the tours of the Trossachs. Less bus time more seeing. If you really want to see a cool castle, then take the train to Stirling. It's one of the best. And the location is beautiful, up on a volcanic ridge again, but looking out over the gateway to the highlands. It's wear Wallace fought his battle with the British. As Maggie said, there's plenty to see and do in Edinburgh. Pam