It’s a place with scenery that will blow you away, locals that are quite possibly the friendliest of anywhere I’ve been, and great pubs. Here’s my guide on how to plan a weekend in the Scottish Highlands. I recently rented a cabin in the Highlands for a romantic weekend away for my birthday slash wedding anniversary and it was just wonderful, so wonderful, that I’m sharing as many tips as possible here today. I hope it can help you plan your own visit.
How To Plan A Weekend In The Scottish Highlands
Disclaimer
There are affiliate links included in this post. This means at no extra cost to you, I earn a commission if you book through the link.
The basics
Travel details: I flew with RyanAir from Venice Treviso to Edinburgh
Car rental: Avis
Currency: Pound Sterling
Accommodation: Hill Cottage Cabins
Must pack: Waterproof jacket, layers
The amazing scenery you will see while driving
Where to stay
I stayed at Hill Cottage Cabins and can highly recommend it.
The cabin was the perfect cozy getaway that felt like a world away from everything, though it was close to town.
Just a short walk away you’ll find a range of pubs, souvenir stores, and a grocery store, though when you’re in the cabin it feels peaceful and secluded.
The coziest cabin
Your cabin has a bedroom, bathroom, kitchenette, and WiFi so you’ll be set up with everything you need.
If you have any questions, the hosts are super lovely and a wealth of knowledge for things to do in the area.
They also left out some cakes and cookies which was a real treat!
It was a great home base for exploring and I’d absolutely stay there again.
Welcomed with cakes at the cabin
Things to do
There is so much to do and, of course, you need a lot longer than a weekend to see it all.
However, here are a few of my favorite things that I did during my stay. My travel style for this weekend away was a fairly slow-paced trip, lots of drives in the scenic countryside, exploring the towns, and hot chocolate breaks in cute cafes.
Oban
This was by far my favorite stop of the trip, mostly because of the awesome seafood which you can read more about below.
Oban is a coastal town about 2 hours from the cabin.
Aside from seafood, it was a great outing to walk around the town, browse the stores, stop at cafes, and take photos of the views.
Coastal views in Oban
Loch Ness
If you stay at the cabin, you’re in a great position to explore Loch Ness. There are tours you can take on the water or you can simply drive around and stop to soak it in from land. You could easily spend a day driving around and exploring the towns that surround it.
At the shops in town, you can also find Nessie souvenirs for just about everything – even Nessie beer!
Side of the road views while driving in the Highlands
Isle of Skye
Another day trip idea is to the Isle of Skye.
I went to the Fairy Pools which was a little over 2 hours drive from the cabin and took about 2 hours to hike in total. You could allow longer if you want to stop for a picnic or take more breaks for photos though. Parking is £5 and the money goes towards maintaining the area.
The Fairy Pools is a popular spot for hiking, picnics, and nature lovers, and there were people of all ages hiking the easy to follow trail.
When it comes to how to plan a weekend in the Scottish Highlands, you can’t miss the Isle of Skye
Eilean Donan Castle
On the way to the Fairy Pools, you can stop at the Eilean Donan Castle which has been used in many movies including Highlander.
I haven’t seen Highlander, so I’ll be honest, I didn’t know anything about it.
But it was cool to see people taking a photo with the castle and saying the (apparently) famous line from the movie ‘there can only be one’ while doing so.
You can see if from the outside for free or pay £10 to enter.
The apparently famous castle – I need to watch more movies!
The Helix: Home of the Kelpies sculpture
These are probably the coolest sculptures I’ve seen! Standing beneath them left me in awe, not only of their size but also how powerful and regal they look.
It’s a great place for a walk on one of their 26 km’s of pathways, you could take a tour to learn more about the Kelpies, or simply soak in the views of the world’s largest equine sculpture.
These are a little over 3 hours from the cabin, so I recommend stopping here either on the way to or from Edinburgh airport since it is on the way.
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What to eat
Full Scottish breakfast
Scotland’s version of the ‘big breakfast’ will fill you up with eggs, bacon, sausage, baked beans, toast, black pudding, mushrooms, tomatoes. It’s certainly a hearty meal to start the day with.
I recommend stopping at Camerons Tea Room for a breakfast or brunch during your weekend in the Scottish Highlands. It is a short drive from the Hill Cottage Cabins.
Highland cows at Camerons Tea Room
I loved Camerons Tea Room because the food was fantastic, it was a cozy setting, and the staff were so friendly. The real treat, however, was that there are Highland cows in a paddock by the tea house, so you can have breakfast while watching the cows. You can also see a couple of pet deer in a different paddock and they were so cute!
Aside from the Scottish Breakfast, I also recommend trying scones with jam and cream because it’s another must-have in the United Kingdom.
You have to have some scones with jam and cream during your visit
Haggis
Here’s how I approached Haggis. I knew it was something kind of gross, but I couldn’t remember exactly what. Since I wanted to try it because, you know, when in Rome, I deliberately didn’t look up what was in it until after I had eaten it.
10/10 recommend doing this because it was easier to eat while I didn’t fully know what it was. Also, 10/10 recommend trying it because it actually tastes pretty good!
Haggis at the pub
Pub meal
No matter where you go in the United Kingdom, you just have to go out for a pub meal.
From the Hill Cottage Cabins, you can walk just a few minutes down the road to the town where there are a couple of pubs. It’s pretty convenient if you want to have a pint or three while you’re there because you won’t need to worry about who is driving.
I loved The Lock Inn and it was a great place for a classic pub meal in a friendly atmosphere. The Haggis is great here, as well as the fish and chips, and steak pie.
If you get the chance, try one of these – sweet and delicious
Bacon bun
The bacon bun is, quite simply, bacon in a bun roll. It seems simple and it is, but it’s simple deliciousness and worth trying while you are out and about.
You might want to try it for breakfast or mid-morning snack because some places only serve it in the morning. I found it at most cafes so it should be pretty easy to find.
Bacon bun
Seafood feast
If you love seafood, I need you to know that this one has to be on your list.
Take a drive to Oban and visit the Oban Seafood Hut, also known as The Green Shack.
You can get an incredibly fresh seafood platter for two people, complete with a whole lobster for around $40 USD. There are a lot of other options there as well from sandwiches to other plates of seafood like mussels and oysters.
It’s that messy style, eat with your hands feasting that will not disappoint!
I will dream about this for a long time – a must visit!
How to get around
If you plan to spend a weekend in the Scottish Highlands, I recommend renting a car. This will make getting around much easier and allow you to maximize your time.
Driving in Scotland was fairly easy. It was easy in that the drivers were considerate and the roads were well signed and easy to follow. It was tricky in the sense that the roads were a little narrow at times. I recommend renting a small car to make driving on the narrow roads easier.
I rented a car from Avis and picked it up from Edinburgh airport.
Driving views
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Thanks for the tips, they may come in useful when I travel in March! The photo of the highland cows is so lovely, I can’t wait to go up and see them 😭
Thank you so much for reading it! I hope you have a great time and get to see lots of Highland cows! If you have any questions or anything just let me know.