The Scottish Highlands offer a fantastic range of castles and mountains, forests and lochs, with a close-up vantage point of nature in all its splendour. This itinerary is 149 miles and you can allow four to five days. It’s best to set off in July or August if you do not like the Scottish inclement weather (though for some this has its own appeal). Among many natural wonders, the Scottish Highlands are famous for both being the holiday home of the Royal Family as well as the site of nesting ground for wild osprey.
Depending on your preference, we recommend flying in to either Inverness or Dundee airports. We offer car hire with a debit card at both Inverness and Dundee airports, as well as car hire at Inverness train station if you’re trekking up by rail.
Braemar
Braemar Castle is closed until July 2023 but holds a wealth of Scottish history.
The Braemar Gathering is always held on the first Saturday in September in The Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park in Braemar. The Gathering goes back some nine hundred years to the days of King Malcolm Canmore. The Monarch is acclaimed as Chieftain of the Braemar Gathering and the Royal Family regularly attend.
Balmoral Castle
Built in 1855 for Queen Victoria and famed for being the usual Christmas holiday retreat for the Queen, admission to this beautiful site includes an audioguide which includes a tour of the garden and grounds. There are also walks in the area such as a hike up to Prince Albert’s Cairn.
Ballater
Tragically, the town’s main attraction the Old Railway Station suffered a fire in 2015. The rebuilt station building however houses a VisitScotland information centre, a restaurant and tearoom run by The Prince’s Foundation and a public library, as well as the Royal waiting room and carriage.
As well as its proximity to Balmoral Castle, Ballater is close by to Pannanich Springs with its curative waters which are now commercially bottled.
Or you can take the steep hike through woodland to Craigendarroch which will take about an hour.
Loch Garten
On the shores of Loch Garten is the RSPB Loch Garten Osprey centre where, in season, you can see the rare ospreys feed their young in their nest.
Aviemore
Known as the gateway to the Cairngorms, Aviemore is ever full of hikers, cyclists, climbers, and in winter, skiers and snowboarders.
Strathspey Steam Railway takes you on a picaresque trip to Broomhill, a ten mile journey.
And at Cairngorm Sled-Dog Centre you can enjoy a 30-minute tour and don’t worry, the sleds have wheels so no need for snow!
Highland Folk Museum
An open-air collection of historical buildings and artefacts including thatched-roof cottages, a sawmill, a schoolhouse, a shepherd’s hut and a post office.
Blair Atholl
This town is home to Blair Castle, one of Scotland’s most popular touristic places of interest. The thirty rooms give a great insight into upper-class Highland life through the centuries.
Aberfeldy
Known as the gateway to Breadalbane, Aberfeldy is renowned for its adventure sports, angling, arts, castles and lochs. Wade’s Bridge spans the River Tay and you can take in the Aberfeldy Distillery for a wee dram of Dewar’s whiskey.
So wrap up warm and be prepared as the best boy scout for all that the Highlands bring, and that is so much diversity and depth you will never forget this road trip.
For more inspiration on road trips across Scotland, check out our Scotland North Coast 500 Road Trip guide. Also, be sure to explore the various locations where you can hire a car with a debit card in Scotland through Debit Card Car Hire.