There’s nothing like a good old fashioned road trip!

While we have been to Scotland on a number of occasions, this trip will focus on the highlands, coastlines and to the north taking in a number of locations we haven’t ventured before. It all starts with a train trip from Kings Cross station in London to Waverly station in Edinburg, then a commute via bus out to the airport to pick up our hire car. This gives us the chance to look at the scenery for a few hours while we scoot up to Scotland and arrive feeling fairly fresh. There is also a noticeable change in the weather with the temperature dropping back by about 15 degrees and making a cool change from the heat of the last trip to France and Italy.

The map below shows the primary route for this trip. Firstly, a stop for a couple of nights in Falkirk which will be our base for a trip across to the east coast to explore the area below Edinburgh. Then it’s on to Aberdeen via the coast road so we can include places like St Andrews along the way. With Aberdeen as a base for three nights, we’ll branch out from there to see the highlands and lochs in the centre of Scotland before heading via the coastline to Dingwall, just outside of Inverness and using it as a base to drive the loop of the Isle of Skye and also take the trip north to John O’ Groats. The final stop is in Alexandria where we will explore some of the lower west countryside before heading back to Edinburgh and home on the train. There is a lot of driving in this one, but with the scenery, castles, lochs and quaint towns, there is a lot to see and take in.

We chose Falkirk again as homebase for the first two nights as it is central to lower Scotland giving us the option to go east or west. Our first trip is to the seaside town of Berwick-upon-Tweed on the east coast below Edinburgh. It’s a pretty place with three interesting bridges crossing the River Tweed. From there we meandered in and out of the towns dotted along the coastline heading back to Edinburgh taking in Tantallon Castle and finishing with a revisit of the Kelpies in Falkirk.

From Falkirk we travel to Aberdeen for our next few nights, following the northern bank of the River Forth to the east coast then following the coastline up through St Andrews. St Andrews surprises us as not only is it seen as the Home of Golf as the game was invented and played here from the 15th century, but it’s also a thriving city with a renowned university and picturesque ruins of St Andrews Cathedral and castle. Unfortunately, rain showers force us to take cover a few times during our visit though its beauty still shines through.

From St Andrews we continue up the coastline to Aberdeen where we base ourselves for two more days of side tripping. First is a run up the coast from Aberdeen to Peterhead, Fraserburgh and Banff. With this drive we get to take a look into Slains Castle which is purported to have been used as inspiration for the Irish Novelist Bram Stoker when he wrote Dracula. It’s a showery day but we park and walk towards the shoreline where the castle is situated. The castle has fallen into ruins but still retains enough detail that you can place certain scenes from the book including the hexagon master’s bed chamber.

It seems Scotland is littered with churches, castles, stately houses, stone bridges and lighthouses to the point where you could spend months visiting each and every one in this area alone. Scotland’s heritage groups try to keep these maintained, but many are crumbling as they are broken down by the weather and time.

With a day left in Aberdeen, we decide to head into the highland region to change up the scenery a little. It’s time to look for Coos (Scottish Highland Cows), some whiskey, and a loch or two. While we didn’t get a close up of a Coo, we did see a number of them in the fields. Maybe in the next loop of the highlands later in trip we might get lucky.

Our loop takes us towards Loch Ness via Corgarff and along the way we happen upon The Watchers which is a set of stones and sheltered seats that you can sit in and watch the ever-changing weather. It’s blowing a gale at this stage, and I can vouch that they serve their purpose quite well.

Further along the road we find the Lecht ski field. It looks abandoned for the summer, though their cafe was open and served up a great morning tea and coffee.

We make it to Loch Ness where the sun is trying hard, but unsuccessfully, to push through the cloud. It’s grey and choppy with the wind but it still holds a mystical charm due to the stories of the monster that lurks in its cold waters.

We loop around the Loch and head back toward Aberdeen but there is no direct way to get back, so we loop north again and find ourselves in a place called Dufftown. While it sounds familiar, I can only think of the Simpsons and Duff Beer. Its only when we turn the corner onto Castle Road do we realise that this is the home of Glenfiddich Whiskey.

We stop to stretch our legs, as one must on a long journey, and take a walk around one of the neatest distilleries we have seen. It’s a credit to their brand.

It’s time to move on to the next stop on our trip, Dingwall, which is just outside of Inverness. This time we take the coast road and stop in at a stunning little seaside village called Lossiemouth. As we wander around the village, the skies clear and we are presented with beautiful colours, reflections and gorgeous beaches.

Dingwall will be our base for the next few nights with the intention to drive a loop of the Isle of Skye and also loop up to John O’ Groats on the northern tip of mainland Scotland.