Find the perfect trip itinerary.
However long you’ve got to visit Scotland, we’ve got the itinerary for you – from Harry Potter locations to west coast islands, an east coast trip or a journey across the south. Plus, take a look at our other options – we bet you’ll soon be planning a longer trip 💼 once you see what that break could really look like. So, fancy staying a bit longer 🤔?
Scroll through our guide from 1 day to 14 days, and we’ll give you the perfect itinerary for your trip.
Just a day to spend in Scotland? Poor you! 😉 But if that’s all you can fit in, choose one of our seven cities and you won’t be disappointed. These 24-hour guides were created by those who know and love our cities, from a best-selling author to a festival director and a fashion and lifestyle blogger, you’ll get the best recommendations and hidden gems 💎.
For a quick weekend break that’s easy on the purse, spend 48 hours in Glasgow. Our biggest city has the best shopping in the UK outside of London, and plenty of free museums and galleries. It’s also an excellent night spot with live music and theatre, trendy cocktail bars 🍸, clubs and restaurants 🍝.
A long weekend is just enough to give you a taste of Scotland’s capital, Edinburgh – the best city in the world to live! Discover the history and architecture in the Old and New Towns, explore the Botanic Gardens 🌳, drink whisky, and of course – spend time looking out from in and around Edinburgh Castle 🏰.
Explore the enchanting islands on a 4-day short break in Orkney. Taste the smoky influences in Orkney whisky, see rare birds 🦉 soaring in the skies overhead, walk amongst historic sites that have lasted thousands of years, and soak up the stunning island scenery 🌊. Beautiful!
Let us bring the magic to life as you go behind-the-scenes of Harry Potter over five days. Spend a day exploring our capital Edinburgh, find the city spots that inspired JK Rowling 📚, before heading to Fort William via Glasgow, and boarding the Jacobite Steam Train 🚂 to explore more of the Highland movie 🎥 spots.
There’s no better place to find an amazing Scottish castle than Aberdeenshire, known as ‘Scotland’s Castle Country’ and home to the only dedicated Castle Trail 🏰. With connections to kings, queens 👑 and even literature, explore 19 famous and dramatic castles over six days in the north east of Scotland.
Coastlines and castles, beaches and breweries, cathedrals and cashmere, whisky 🥃 and walks🚶– boy, do you have a lot of gems 💎 ahead of you this week! Taking in a range of cities, towns and wonderful countryside, 7 days along the east coast takes you from Edinburgh, through Angus and Aberdeenshire, up to Moray Speyside and back again via Perthshire.
A wonderful combo of the sights and wonders of Harry Potter film and book locations, including Edinburgh inspirations, the famous Glenfinnan Viaduct 🚂 and beautiful Highland scenery plus four days in Perthshire, relaxing and wandering amongst the glorious forests, community towns and historic sites. Ramp it up with some watersports 🚤 for a last burst of adventure!
Iconic, and unmissable – nine days in the west of Scotland will get you three days enjoying free culture and live music 🎵 in Glasgow, before working your way over six days heading north through the don’t-miss stops of Loch Lomond, Oban, Mull, Glencoe and the Isle of Skye. It’s literally a list of our greatest hits!
Spend three days in Glasgow – we’ve got free attractions, nightlife and much more which you can stretch to fill three days – before heading island hopping along the west coast for a week. Go to the small island of Arran, bonnie Islay with its whisky, Jura to see the deer 🦌, Mull for its colourful houses, Iona for the abbey, and lastly Skye for its scenery ⛰.
The trip to make your friends jealous – Edinburgh AND Glasgow AND a relaxing seven days exploring the south of Scotland countryside! Explore top museums, galleries 🖼 and historic sites in our two individual but biggest cities, then head into the forests 🌲 and out to the coast, and as far south and west as it’s possible to go!
Not only can you go behind the scenes to where Outlander stars, Sam and Caitriona (or Jamie and Claire) roamed 👫, but you can also really get to know the country that inspired Outlander. Discover our historic homes, castles 🏰 and palaces, battlefields, whisky distilleries, lochs and monuments. Head from Edinburgh, east and north up to Inverness, then back down through the Highlands to Glasgow, Ayrshire and Dumfries & Galloway.
Spend 24 hours in Glasgow exploring the free attractions before catching a flight direct to Orkney and then the ferry onto Shetland. Our northern isles are packed with astonishing ancient sites, wildlife 🦔 and geological wonders – the scenery has to be seen to be believed 🌲. So let your island adventure begin 😄!
This is it – the big one 🤩. Two weeks of iconic Scotland from Edinburgh Castle to the Borders Abbeys, the Kelpies to Bannockburn, Loch Lomond, Ben Nevis ⛰, Glenfinnan, Loch Ness, Aviemore, the Cairngorms, Royal Deeside and Dundee. There is no competition – this route will show you everything we have to offer, and if that doesn’t tempt you – nothing will!
You can find all these itineraries 📜 and more across VisitScotland’s website, plus accommodation ideas 💡, community tips on what else to see, and more on the destinations you’ll be visiting.
So let’s make this trip a real reality and get you booked!