8-9 Day Itinerary Opinions
Hello!
Yet another American here asking for advice on our very rough itinerary. Right now our plan has us at 8 or 9 full days depending on plane/train schedules and daylight driving hours.
We’re open to adding an additional full day if there is something along the way worth the extra time, or if we are packing too much in.
Our general vibe for vacations is 2-3 main activities, then just exploring, relaxing, and soaking in the energy of wherever we’re at.
Driving long distances/hours on the same day as an activity should be no issue. I have experience driving long hours and frequently in 3-4 hour intervals.
*Itinerary aside - are small gifts appreciated or would that be odd? I’d love to bring small trinkets or something from the USA (Texas) to give people we meet while abroad.
Travel Plan Below:
Connecting flight from London Heathrow Airport to Glasgow Airport
A: Glasgow
-Arrive in Glasgow mid-afternoon
-Check into hotel and explore on foot, retire early with dinner and rest at the hotel
-Wake up early to explore more of the city before picking up our rental car and driving up to Glencoe
B: Glencoe
-Drive up to Glencoe on A82
-Photo ops, sightseeing, maybe some leisurely hikes like Glen Lochan
Stay the night in/near Glencoe, or head up toward Fort William for the night
C: Ben Nevis
-Climb Ben Nevis on the tourist route with a guide
Post-climb pack up and make our way toward Skye; TBD if we are to take the ferry and head North from there, or if we will go around to Skye Bridge
D: Portree/Isle of Skye
-Two full days in Skye to slowly explore and take in the scenery
-Dunvegan Castle, Torabhaig Distillery, The Storr, Fairy Pools, and so on.
Leave Skye early in the morning and head to Loch Ness.
E: Loch Ness
-TBD if we are going to find some sort of boat tour, fishing charter, or just explore the loch on foot/by car
Head up to Inverness the same day as our Loch Ness excursion to return the car and rest for the night. We'll research some notable must-see things on the way to and in Inverness.
F: Inverness
-Now that we have dropped the car off and are done driving, I want to actually drink
-Find a pub, put a few pints down, relax, listen to music, have a good time
Train to Edinburgh. If we have time to explore Inverness a bit more, we will add more to the agenda.
G: Edinburgh
-Two full days in Edinburgh
-Walking, drinking, history, sightseeing, eating, relaxing
Head to the airport for our flight home.
Thanks all!
EDIT:
Consensus seems to be
-Skye overrated
-Don’t underestimate drive times/Google Maps lies
-Ben Nevis is easy enough without a guide but weather can be bad and don’t drive tired after
-Gifts are weird (intention was just to thank anyone helpful or whatever)
I genuinely appreciate any and all feedback. This would be my second and my partner’s first time traveling abroad. All we have to go to reference are other American’s itineraries here and YouTube vlogs.
I really want to do Scotland justice with what vacation time I have away from my job, so the information I’m gathering here will help a ton (or a tonne?)
Thanks again!