Updated April 3rd, 2020 

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No Scotland itinerary is complete without at least a few days in the Scottish highlands. The Highlands of Scotland are one of the most breathtaking parts of the country. With castles, boat trips, hiking, fairies and more it can be hard to decide where to go and what to see in the Highlands of Scotland. Read on to discover some of the most beautiful places in the Scottish Highlands and how to spend your time visiting the region.

What to See in the Scottish Highlands

Central & Northern Isle of Skye

The Isle of Skye is a magical area in the highlands of Scotland that is full of natural beauty. It’s a great place to go on scenic drives or hikes. You can visit in a day from Inverness on a one day tour that also includes a visit to the Eilean Donan Castle. If you are short on time it is a great way to see two of the best areas of the western highlands. There is so much to see and do on the Isle of Skye that I recommend basing yourself in the seaside town of Portree on the Isle of Skye for at least a night. Then you can take a full day tour to see the highlights of the island. Read more about what to see on the Isle of Skye whether you visit with a guided tour or on your own.

Transportation: How to Get to the Isle of Skye from Edinburgh. Once on the Isle of Skye you can use StageCoach buses to get between the larger cities on the island. Be aware that the buses have limited schedules and do not go to many of the best sights on the island. It is best to base yourself in Portree where you can walk everywhere and then take guided tours if you do not have a car. You can reach other places in the Highlands with the City Link bus from Portree.

Where to Stay: The Coolin View hotel in Portree is a lovely place to stay. It is a cozy guesthouse with beautiful views of the water and is in close walking distance to the main town square. A wonderful full Scottish breakfast is served at the restaurant next door.

Eilean Donan Castle in Dornie

Close to the bridge going to the Isle of Skye is the small village of Dornie. While Dornie may not sound familiar to you, you might recognize the one and only 13th century Eilean Donan Castle! If you are looking for the best castles in Scotland, you don’t want to miss Eilean Donan Castle. It has been featured in numerous films, TV shows, and music videos, including the movies Made of Honor and Highlander. After seeing Scotland in person, re-watching Made of Honor is on my to do list for sure.

Whereas Edinburgh Castle is a huge impressive castle, Eilean Donan Castle felt more intimate. It is located on its own island at a point where three lochs meet. With a footbridge connecting it to the mainland, the island is made up of the castle entirely. The castle magnifies the breathtaking view of the lochs and mountains around it. There is a little path with lovely views that goes all around the castle.

I quite enjoy learning about how people lived and I of course love food, so one of my favorite parts of the castle naturally was the kitchen. The kitchen was recreated to show how it looked in 1932 when the castle was restored.

Another fun discovery was a little hole in the wall that you could look through to see what was happening in the Great Hall. At the Edinburgh castle we learned that there was a similar grate that the King used to look through to spy on his guests in his Great Hall. I wish I had one of those in my house! 

Transportation: If you are coming from the Isle of Skye take the City Link Bus to get to the castle. From elsewhere in Scotland you can take the train to Kyle of Lochalsh and then the bus to Dornie. There is a bus stop on the street right in front of the castle. The stop is called “Dornie Bridge at Dornie Road End”. From Portree on the Isle of Skye to Dornie the bus takes about one hour and 20 minutes. Bus times are very infrequent so the timing to get to the castle and leave on the bus may not line up. We took the bus to the castle, but were picked up by Kyle Taxis. We had a great experience with Kyle Taxis. It wasn’t too expensive and they were right on time and where they needed to be even though we booked a week ahead of time.

Toilets: There are toilets onboard the CityLink buses and ScotRail trains. We made a stop in Kyle of Lochalsh on the way from Portree to Dornie where you could get out and use the pay toilets. Eilean Donan Castle has toilets in the restaurant and gift shop area, but not in the castle.

Food: A nice buffet style restaurant with Scottish fare at the Eilean Donan Castle. The view of the castle from the restaurant is an added bonus!

Luggage Storage: We stored our luggage in a locked box at the castle. During the boat ride the taxi company kept our things in their vehicle.

Glass Bottom Boat Trip in Kyleakin

Following a visit at Eilean Donan Castle head back across the bridge to Kyleakin on the Isle of Skye. Leave dry land behind and hop on the SeaProbe Atlantis glass bottom boat! It is one of the best lesser known things to do in the Scottish Highlands.

It is a special boat where you are able to see the animals and scenery above the water as well as go down below to view under the sea. As our knowledgable guide told us about the wildlife that lives in the sea, the captain got us up close and personal with the seals!

Transportation: The CityLink bus stops within a few minutes of the harbor for the boat trip. Get off at the “Harbour Slipway” stop. To continue on to your next destination take the CityLink bus from Kyleakin or the train in Kyle of Lochalsh.

Toilets: There is a toilet onboard the glass bottom boat.

Food: We picked up fish and chips at a place in Kyle of Lochalsh before getting onboard the train to Pitlochry. The train didn’t have any food for sale.

Pitlochry in Perthshire

Pitlochry is located in the Perthshire region of the southern Highlands. Perthshire is one of the most beautiful places to see the autumn colors in all of the UK. With distilleries, beautiful hiking paths, numerous events and interesting museums there is a lot to see and do in this small town. Check out my full Pitlochry post for ideas on what to see and do.

Transportation: The train stops in the center of Pitlochry so you can easily get around the area on foot.

Where to Stay: I recommend The Well House, a very charming guesthouse close to everything in Pitlochry and with a large continental breakfast included.

Guided Tours of the Highlands of Scotland

Whether you are tight on time, want to leave the details to someone else or enjoy meeting fellow travelers, there are several tours of the western highlands you can join.

You can take a three day tour from Edinburgh to the Isle of Skye, Eilean Donan Castle and other highlights in the western highlands of Scotland. Another option is to take a day tour from Inverness to the Isle of Skye and Eilean Donan Castle.

That’s my guide to what to see in the Highlands of Scotland! I hope you enjoy discovering the beauty of the Highlands as much as I did. 

More About Scotland

• One Week Scotland Itinerary 
• The Best Edinburgh Walking Tours (Harry Potter Walking Tour & Other Edinburgh Walking Tours)
• Visiting Edinburgh Castle
• How to Get to the Isle of Skye from Edinburgh
• What to See on the Isle of Skye
• Perthshire in the Highlands
• What to Eat in Scotland

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