Traveling through the Scottish Highlands | Adventures of driving on the left
It’s been a whirlwind few months of travel for my little fam, but hey, I’m not complaining!
Last month, we had some of our closest friends come to London for a visit, and decided to tack on a long weekend somewhere new. We chose Scotland as it isn’t too far from London, and who doesn’t love traveling via train?
This trip was all about the sights, as we knew we wanted to end our journey up North, in the lush, green Highlands. After a little over four hours on the train from London, we arrived on our first day in Edinburgh to see what the capital city is all about. But unfortunately the weather had other plans for us.
Interesting fact about Edinburgh: The laws are extremely strict regarding kids under the age of five inside bars/restaurants where alcohol is served. As in, we could not even come inside with Emerson, even if we weren’t ordering drinks. One place said we could come in, but we all had to order a meal. This was a big challenge for us as we simply just wanted to escape the rain. So, just a warning if you plan on traveling to Edinburgh with kids, you may just end up at a mall food court, like we did! Or the bar at the Radisson hotel. Hilarious, nonetheless.
While in Edinburgh, we did manage to climb Calton Hill and take in the views below from cities highest vantage point. From there, we ventured into town - walked down the Royal Mile, and attempted the Edinburgh Castle, which was, of course closed on the day we were visiting. By this point, the rain was really starting to pick up, so we sought refuge at the Radisson Hotel lounge… from there, we managed to find a decent restaurant, and thus ended our time in Edinburgh. We woke up early the next morning, and began the rest of our Scottish journey.
The trip to Inverness (our final destination in the Highlands) was five hours in total, so we decided to build in some stops along long the way. The four of us (plus Emerson) piled into a Hyundai Sante Fe, with all our luggage, and set off.
Here’s the route we took:
Stirling
Known as the “gateway to the Highlands”, Stirling was the perfect stopping point for us as it is a really quaint, little town. After lunch, we trekked uphill to see the Stirling Castle, but with sundown quickly approaching, we opted not to go inside as we wanted to get back on the road before dark.
I’ll go ahead and note, that Mr. Dave did an amazing job of driving on the “wrong” side of the road. This was his first time doing it, so why not make your first time a five-hour trip with friends and your child in tow? HA! But as you’ll see below, the drive was the best part, and I’m so happy we chose it over taking the train.
Glencoe Valley, Highlands
Just around dusk, we arrived in the beautiful Glencoe Valley, which would be my favorite place of the entire trip. But before I share about Glencoe, I’ll note that the drive from Stirling had some of the most incredible scenery. The closer we got to the Highlands, the more lush the landscape became, and the more hilly. It was a drizzly, overcast, drive for the majority of the trip, which is why my photos didn’t necessarily turn out, but it in no way distracted from the beauty. As the fog began to rise above the mountain tops, we saw waterfalls and rivers flowing in between the peaks, which made for some pretty epic rainbows. Even though we were in the car, I’ve never felt such a sense of peace as I did, winding in between these mountains. There were absolutely no people, and maybe one or two tiny cottages along the entire drive. It was as a lot of people would describe as “Gods country” and I’ll never forget it.
In Glencoe we stayed at the Isles of Glencoe Hotel. Right in the middle of the Highlands, and on a lake, you’d be hard pressed to find a more cozy, little inn. The best part about the Isles of Glencoe is that it has everything you would need, which is basically just a bar and restaurant, and considering you’re in the middle of nowhere, this was amazing. We enjoyed this peaceful retreat on the water, with pre-and-post-dinner libations curled up by the fire.
The next morning, rested and revived, we set off for Inverness, following along our scenic route. It was here that we stopped at the famous Loch Ness, and Urquhart Castle. Although, sad to report, we did not see any sightings of “Nessie”.
We arrived at our final destination of Inverness that afternoon just in time for lunch, aka, more pub food. I can’t say that Scotland was much of a “foodie” trip, but I did try haggis for the first time, and loved it! So, I can check that local fare off the list.
With just 24 hours in Inverness, we spent most of it walking around, and site seeing. We were lucky to travel with friends with similar interests, so when one of them suggested visiting one of Scotlands oldest bookshops, we all jumped at the chance to dig through some old literature to see what we could find. Leakeys Bookshop is Scotlands second largest secondhand bookstore, located within an old Gaelic church built in 1793. It was really neat to see not only the books, but antique prints and maps found within the shop.
After digging through some old archives, we checked into our hotel and ended the day with, you guessed it: drinks and food.
For our trip back to Edinburgh, we decided to complete the journey in one shot, by doing all five hours straight back to Edinburgh. Unlike our trip North, we did this all on highways, so slightly less scenic, but definitely much faster.
Our journey through Scotland was fast, but effective. If I could do it all over again, I think I would have spent one or two more days checking out a few whiskey distilleries, and maybe squeezing in a hike or two within the Highlands.
Alas, there is never enough time to see the world, but as always, I’m very lucky and overjoyed that I get to see a piece of it.
I asked Mr. Dave his top tips for driving on the left, and this is what he had to say:
Tips for driving on the left:
Highways are actually easier than back roads - there’s nothing like seeing a tractor trailer coming at you from around a winding corner to get your heart pumping!
Be aware of the outside curb; your natural inclination will be to cheat the curb to get away from the center line, so pay attention
Having a good co-pilot to call out directions is helpful
Being hyper-focused for such a long time can really drain your energy when it’s all said and done
It just takes time and practice - by the end you’ll be a pro!