Updated April 29th, 2020 

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For those of you interested in having your own Scotland vacation, and you should be, here is a look at my itinerary for one week in Scotland by train. I included how we got from one place to another by public transportation, where we stayed, what we did and what we ate. I’m all for exploring without a plan and the adventures that produces, but I know there was no way we could explore so many places in Scotland using public transportation without some thoughtful prior planning and arrangements.

Edinburgh: Days 1 & 2

Edinburgh Transportation

We started and ended our Scotland itinerary by flying in and out of Edinburgh. We needed to do a complicated luggage transfer so it was preferable for us to start and end our journey at the same airport where we could store luggage. You can store luggage at the Edinburgh airport for a fee. It is the busiest airport in Scotland so it makes sense to fly in and out of Edinburg.

From Edinburg airport there are options to take trams or buses to and from the Old Town and New Town areas of the city. We choose to take taxis both ways. Following the signs at the airport you can easily find the taxi line. It goes into the parking lot so make sure you keep walking until you reach the taxi booth. We stayed in the Old Town and New Town areas the whole time so we did not need any transport within the city other than our own two feet.

Our first nights in Edinburg our hotel was within walking distance to the Edinburg Waverley train station. Using Trainline search for train tickets on the WestHighland Rail Line to Mallaig. There is a stop in Glasgow first. We unfortunately did not have time to spend there before catching our next train, but if your itinerary allows you could spend an extra day in Glasgow easily. At the end of our Scottish Getaway we stayed across the street from Haymarket, another train station in Edinburgh.

Luggage can easily be taken onboard and there are toilets on the trains. On our first leg of the journey to Glasgow there was a simple food trolley that went through the cars. On the longer portion of the journey from Glasgow to Mallaig there was no food available for purchase, make sure you plan ahead and bring something to eat!

Edinburgh Accommodation

Holiday Inn Express Edinburgh: 300 Cowgate, Edinburgh EH1 1NA, UK

I would definitely recommend the Holiday Inn. The location is perfect for exploring the main sights of the city. Free breakfast with numerous options are included with the reasonably priced room. The staff were incredibly friendly and helpful, even giving me free gloves when I lost mine.

Haymarket Hub Hotel: 7 Clifton Terrace, Edinburgh EH12 5DR, UK

Excellent location if you want to be close to the Haymarket train station. It is directly across the street. You can pay extra to have breakfast included at the restaurant next door. We chose not to do that and the front desk recommended better options nearby. A modern hotel with some interesting features such as a frosted glass bathroom door and a free cell phone to use during your stay. Another pleasant and reasonably priced hotel near the New Town.

Edinburgh Activities

The Potter Trail: A free walking tour that takes you around the Old Town area to the places that relate to JK Rowling and her inspiration for the books. Perfect for any Harry Potter fans and great to do on your first day to get a better sense of the city. If you are not into Harry Potter there are several other Edinburgh tours you can take.

Edinburgh Castle: The iconic castle is a must to visit. If you want to really explore the entire castle I would reserve at least 4 or 5 hours. There are also a couple of restaurants inside so you can make a whole day of it. Free guided tours are available, but on the day we visited they were not running because of weather. There was a light rain, seemingly typical Scottish weather, so I don’t know what that was about. Also audio guides for a fee are sold. They were alright, but probably didn’t need them because there were things to read inside most of the buildings. Read my full Edinburgh Castle guide.

Shopping: The Royal Mile is good for your touristy souvenir shops. Victoria Street is a lovely street with some stores that might remind you of Harry Potter. Grassmarket has a few stores and restaurants. Princes Street in the New Town has your chain stores.

We did not do any of these activities, but if we had more time we would have.

–National Museum of Scotland: Free!

–The Museum of Childhood: Free!

–Hiking to Arthur’s Seat: Free! 

–The Royal Yacht Britannia

–Palace of Holyroodhouse

Edinburgh Food

Rose Street: A narrow street running parallel to Princes Street in the New Town. Quite a few options. We enjoyed British celebrity chef, Jamie Oliver’s, restaurant (unfortunately it is now closed).

Grassmarket: Another, much wider, street filled with many restaurants. Mary’s Milk Bar had delicious homemade gelato.

Pubs: Numerous options throughout the city. We tried Doctors to have the classic fish and chips and were not disappointed. We also enjoyed Greyfriar’s Bobby one evening. It had such a warm and cozy interior. Read more about the food in Scotland.

Mallaig: Day 3

Mallaig Transportation

After our train journey from Edinburgh we had a very short time in Mallaig before leaving on a ferry to Armadale on the Isle of Skye. We bought our ferry tickets ahead of time. We arrived late and they changed our tickets to the next ferry, so I don’t think you would need advance tickets. The ferry station is a 5 minute walk from the train station. There is a little cafe that offers takeaway food in between the train and ferry. The ferry had ample food available as well.

Armadale: Day 3

Armadale Transportation

We arrived in Armadale on the ferry and then took the local Isle of Skye bus, StageCoach to Portree. You can buy your bus tickets when boarding. Make sure you check the timings for all parts of the journey (train –> ferry –> bus) to ensure you don’t get stuck in one city without any more departures until the next day. For more detailed directions on how to get to the Isle of Skye from Edinburgh read my full post.

Portree – Our base on the Isle of Skye: Days 3 & 4

Isle of Skye Transportation

Getting around Portree is super easy on foot, it is a small town. Most local bus routes stop in Portree as well.

Isle of Skye Accommodation

Coolin View B & B: 2 Bosville Terrace, Portree IV51 9DG, United Kingdom

The Coolin view B & B have set times for check-in and we were going to be late due to a delayed train and all the delayed transportation after that. We made a phone call and our keys were left at the restaurant next door. When we arrived the very friendly owner of the No. 1 Bosville Terrace Restaurant had our keys as we were told. Upon arrival she immediately showed us to our room. The accommodations were very tiny, but clean and cozy nevertheless. The location is great overlooking the harbor and convenient to the central square.

Isle of Skye Activities

Portree has several cute looking shops and it is a very quaint town for wandering around. We did not spend much time in the town though, other than our evening meals. We opted for an Isle of Skye day tour. When researching our trip I found a plethora of options for tours around the Isle of Skye. We chose the Skye Bus Tour with Real Scottish Tours. I picked this tour because it left from Portree. There are other tours that leave from Broadford on the Isle of Skye or from Kyle of Lochalsh on the mainland. The Skye Bus tour also was a bit longer than the other tours and therefore included more stops and more time at the stops. It was one of the only tours that visited both the fairy pools and sights on the northern peninsula within one tour. It also included three stops that we had ample time to get out to hike and explore. The tour was one of our highlights of the trip and would definitely recommend it.

Other Isle of Skye Tours:

Bus Tours: Go Skye (Portree), Skye Minibus Tours (Portree), Tour Skye (Options), Skye Magical Tours (Options), Skye Tours (Options), James Taxi & Tours (Armadale)

Boat Tours: Bella Jane (Elgol), Misty Isle (Elgol), Stardust Portree Boat Trips (Portree)

Kayaking Trips: Whitewave Skye’s Outdoor Center

Isle of Skye Food

No. 1 Bosville Terrace Restaurant: When staying at the Coolin View B & B you can have your breakfast included. They have a variety of options, including a full Scottish Breakfast. We found all the staff very pleasant here as well.

The Lower Deck Seafood Restaurant: Expect a long wait outside in the cold or rain, but it is worth it for all the fresh seafood. Try the Cullen Skink soup!

Dornie/Kyleakin/Kyle of Lochalsh: Day 5

Transportation

Bus from Portree to Dornie We took Scotland’s national bus service, City Link to Dornie. The bus runs vary infrequently so make sure you plan ahead of time. I bought tickets online the week before our trip. The bus drops off and picks up right across the road from the Eilean Donan Castle. There is a toilet onboard and it makes one longer stop where there is access to a pay toilet.

Taxi from Dornie to Kyleakin and Kyleakin to Kyle of Lochalsh Leaving Dornie to go to Kyleakin we booked a taxi. There wasn’t a bus around the time we would need transportation, so we opted for a taxi ride with Kyle Taxis. It was all arranged ahead of time and I was a bit nervous that the taxi would be there on time and pick us up, considering we did not have cell service. Everything went extremely smoothly and they were very punctual, friendly and helpful. They picked us up again after our boat trip in Kyleakin and took us to the train in Kyle of Lochalsch.

Activities & Food

Eilean Donan Castle: One of the most famous castles in Scotland with lovely views. We spent a couple of hours on the small island walking around and inside the castle. Then we spent our last hour eating the homemade cafe food and taking a quick peek at the gift shop.

SeaProbe Atlantis Glass Bottom Boat Trip: Various boat trips take off from Kyleakin even though the office is in Kyle of Lochalsh. We did a one hour boat tour that gave the opportunity to see wildlife (mostly seals) above the water and go below in the glass bottom portion to see underneath the water. Our tour guide had an impressive knowledge base about the wildlife and nature in the area.

Pitlochry: Day 6 

Pitlochry Transportation

ScotRail train from Kyle of Lochalsh. Then train back to Edinburgh the following day. In between the Isle of Skye and Pitlochry we changed trains in Inverness. Another great place for a stop if you have time. Check out the used book shop at the train station in Pitlochry.

Pitlochry Accommodation

The Well House:  11 Toberargan Rd, Pitlochry PH16 5HG, UK

We asked for a late check-in because we would be arriving late by train. They accommodated us happily. Very pleasant, clean and spacious room in the guest house. There was a lovely continental breakfast in the morning. Please note there are no hot cooked items other than oatmeal. For a continental breakfast there are many options though. The owner is friendly, but very talkative. He will happily give you suggestions on what to do in the area.

Pitlochry Activities

Walking/Hiking: Pitlochry is a great location to visit in the autumn with all the rich colors. The town is very quaint and conducive for walking. There is a short little loop walk that starts and ends in the town. You can visit the Salmon Ladder and get beautiful views from the top of the dam. There is also a visitor center where you can learn more about the dam. Longer hikes in the area are available as well. Several sights online that give detailed information on the paths. We found that the actual paths were not as well labeled as the maps though.

Distilleries: If you are a whiskey lover there are two distilleries in the area (Blair Athol Distillery & Edradour Distillery).

Pitlochry Festival Theater: Would have loved to have been able to catch a show at the local theater.

Atholl Palace Hotel Museum: Gives you a glimpse into the lives of guests and workers 140 years ago at the hotel.

Enchanted Forest at Faskally Woods: Every fall there is a sound and light festival in the evenings within Faskally Woods. There is transportation from Pitlochry included in the ticket. Buy your tickets early, they sell out fast.

Pitlochry Food

Cafe Biba: A typical small town cafe with a touch of charm. Many food choices are available, including both Scottish food and non-Scottish options.

Hettie’s Tea Room: Adorable tearoom that stands out on the main street with it’s bright blue and pink coloring. Delicious baked goods, but the sandwiches were a little too simple for my tastes.

There you have it, one week in Scotland by public transportation! There is no need to rent a car to visit Edinburgh, the Isle of Skye and the Scottish Highlands! You can follow this Scotland itinerary and get around the country to see the best sights of Scotland! 

Not quite what you are looking for? Don’t worry, I can help! Through my Personal Travel Planning service I can plan the perfect Scotland itinerary to meet your travel needs…or any other place you dream of visiting! 

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