The dappled light makes photography irresistible. Photo: Dan Achber
I had heard that Scotland had some of the best driving anywhere. I generally take statements like these with a pinch of salt but I’ve always been partial to a good road trip. So when my wife and I were in Scotland for a family celebration, we took the opportunity to tack on a wee (I’m not sorry) drive around the Highlands.
We figured the Highlands would be a pleasant place to spend a bit of time. We were entirely wrong. They are an incredible place to spend some time and the driving was every bit as good as billed.
Leaving aside the friendly people, outstanding food (yes, you read that correctly) and magical hotels, the landscapes alone are worth the trip. We’d often drive around a corner and have to stop the car to get out and gawk, incapable of anything more than a “wow” or a muttered expletive. It really is a jaw droppingly pretty place.
An expert on Scotland I am not, but the treasures we found left us in love with Scotland and itching to get back. They’re just too good not to share:
Sat at the edge of Torridon Loch, The Torridon Hotel is a properly old school country hotel complete with miles of wainscotting, a plush living room in which to take tea and scones, and a bar with enough whiskey to make a grown man weep with gratitude. The hotel is small and intimate with amazing service and equally impressive food and nicest possible base from which to explore the stark and beautiful landscape that surrounds it.
Killiehuntly is what I want my house to be like. Impeccably designed, it’s Highland farmhouse meets Scandinavian minimalism. You’d be forgiven for thinking that sounds like a mess but it most assuredly is not. Killiehuntly is a perfect country retreat. Your days are spent exploring the miles of spectacular rolling countryside surrounding the farm, followed by sumptuous farm to table meals, finished off with drinks curled up next to a roaring fire.
Situated magnificently by an obligatory loch, Monachyle Mohr has quirk and charm to spare. It also has one of best restaurants in Scotland. No word of a lie, I had one of the best meals of my life here.
We ended up in North Berwick which is about an hour’s drive east and just a bit south of Edinburgh, and worth a look in its own right. It’s a cute seaside town and my suggestion would be a morning hike up The Law (the big hill behind the town) followed by some killer coffee at Steampunk Coffee Roasters and some fresh pastries from Bostock Bakery - rated by certain authorities as the best bakery in Scotland. Their sourdough bread is to die for.
When a chap with as much travel under his belt as Dan starts running out of hyperbole, it's time to pay attention.
A Highland Coo. Photo: Dan Achber
A standard bucolic Scottish scene. Photo: Dan Achber
Atmospheric as all get out. Photo: Dan Achber
Cozy by the fire, Killiehuntly. Photo: Dan Achber
Eilean Doonan Castle. Photo: Dan Achber
Glencoe. Photo: Dan Achber
Heather and the Three Sisters. Photo: Dan Achber
Monachyle Mohr. Photo: Dan Achber
Rush hour in the Highlands. Photo: Dan Achber
Sunset over North Berwick. Photo: Dan Achber
The fields around Killiehuntly. Photo: Dan Achber
The happiest sheep in Scotland. Photo: Dan Achber
The Killiehuntly Farmhouse. Photo: Dan Achber
The Torridon. Photo: Dan Achber
Torridon Loch. Photo: Dan Achber
Scotland
Scotland is very Europe facing, it peers over England to connect to the Continent and aligns itself there politically, it has over 790 islands to explore, (and many of these archipelagos could easily take a week of your time alone), and in its interior there’s the rightly world-famous Highlands, which includes the beautifully bonny (sorry) Cairngorms National Park. Aside from Loch Ness there’s a wealth of Lochs and landscapes to discover, we particularly love Glencoe and the wonders of the rugged northern coast (where you’ll find “John o’Groats”). The Callanish Stone Circle prefigures Stonehenge by 2,000 years and the land is steeped in a rich, dark and checkered history. With the world’s largest arts Festival taking place every year in August in Edinburgh, and the dynamic, vibrant city of Glasgow the cities are the perfect jumping-off point to explore this country with so much more to offer than tartan, bagpipes and scotch (though it has plenty of that too)… and I haven’t even started on it’s globally-known golfing…
In A Nutshell
There are many great urban centres in Scotland, Inverness in the north and Dundee to the east, but the country is dominated by its two cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow, the former a beautiful and captivating capital and university town and the latter an architectural gem on the River Clyde and a cultural and economic hub. Both have their history writ large, not only in the museums and architecture but also in its people and many folk will come to us seeking out a particular clan, or origins of a surname and we have some excellent historical guides that help uncover your hidden history.
Scotch (or whisky-with-no-e) tours are also popular and we can grant you access to the finest distilleries. All other activities are well catered for in this bounteous wee land too, world-class golfing is often the focus of many trips, but there is also amazing hiking, biking, kayaking, sailing, and of course, trying to spot Nessy. Music is well-represented with many pubs having live local bands playing nightly, and we can always find you a ceilidh (pronounced "kay-lee") for any occasion.
Sometimes connecting the dots between the Shetlands, the Orkneys and the Inner and Outer Hebrides can be tricky, but we can help you to locate and reach these far flung islands and find a lovely pub-with-rooms to lay your head for the night. Most places are accessible by some method of transport, be it ferry, helicopter, yacht or plane; plus, it is a lovely land to do self-drive, remembering that Brits drive on the correct side of the road.
The Highlands is by far the largest region in Scotland, the Highlands covers nearly 10,000 sq miles in northern Scotland. Sporting some of the world’s most stunning scenery, the region is spoilt with wonderful walks, and has one of the oldest and most fascinating histories on earth. The Cairngorms National Park lies at the heart of this region, offering everything from stunning hiking routes to ice climbing, skiing, snowboarding and so much more. To the west you will find the magical Isle of Skye, which is teeming with incredible outdoor spots to explore, including the famous ‘fairy pools’, the Cuillin mountain range and the ‘Old Man of Storr’.
When To Go
Hotels
Ingredients
- meander down the medieval old town of Edinburgh along the Royal Mile from the Castle to the Palace
- drink whisky at a lodge in the Highlands after a days hiking
- try haggis at least once
- you might need binoculars or a wet-suit to spot Nessy
- stay in a castle
- play golf
- toss the caber
- experience the wild beauty of the West Coast
- go to Skye out of season
- take a train over the Glenfinnan Viaduct (the "Harry Potter" train)
- deep-fry a Mars bar
Need To Ken
• Edinburgh and Glasgow are usually the entry and exit points, be it by plane or train. Both cities have international connections across the pond from the major hubs in Canada and the USA, it is also very plugged-in to the rest of Europe.
• From London is the most common way to access Scotland, and it is just an hour long flight north or a 4-5 hour train journey or an 8 hour drive.
• The country is easy to traverse by road or rail once and the islands are well served by ferries and flights.
• Scotland has three main languages, English (the most widely spoken), Scottish Gaelic, and Scots.
• No visas are necessary for entry
• Whisky is the local religion
• Not all the food is deep-fried.
Scotland On The Sounder
Price Guideline
Accommodation options vary widely in Scotland, from city hotels to remote highland lodges, and pricing can range from a few hundred dollars/person/day, to thousands especially for extreme remote areas, giving a workable range of $600 -2000 USD per person, per day. This typically includes all hotels, regional flights, ground transfers, guided excursions, some meals, and Trufflepig Trip Planning services and support.