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Highlands, Islands, and Iron Roads

This 8-day loop takes you from the bustle of London up into the mist-shrouded peaks of the north, blending a classic rail journey with a rugged road trip through Scotland’s most dramatic landscapes.

8days
23stops
1409km

The route

Tap a day or a town

You sleep in Stirling · Glencoe · Isle of Skye · Dornie · Inverness · Dunkeld — start and end in London.

DAY01

London → Stirling

705 km · 8h 33m driving · long drive · Overnight in Stirling Castle
  1. 10:00
    London King's Cross· start
  2. 636 km · 7h 28m
  3. 15:30
    Edinburgh Old Town
  4. 1.2 km · 5m
  5. 17:30
    Victoria Street
  6. 68 km · 1h
  7. Stirling Castle· overnight
Accommodation
New Town, Edinburgh
DAY02

Luss → Glencoe

62 km · 56m driving · Overnight in Glencoe
  1. 14:00
    Luss· start
  2. 62 km · 56m
  3. 16:30
    Glencoe· overnight
Accommodation
Glencoe or Ballachulish
DAY03

Glenfinnan → Armadale

95 km · 1h 29m driving · Overnight in Armadale
  1. 10:30
    Glenfinnan Viaduct· start
  2. 53 km · 51m
  3. 13:30
    Mallaig
  4. 42 km · 38m
  5. 17:00
    Armadale· overnight
Accommodation
Portree
DAY04

Old Man of Storr → The Quiraing

92 km · 1h 22m driving · Overnight in The Quiraing
  1. 09:00
    Old Man of Storr· start
  2. 78 km · 1h 10m
  3. 13:00
    Kilt Rock
  4. 14 km · 12m
  5. 15:30
    The Quiraing· overnight
Accommodation
Portree
DAY05

Fairy Pools → Eilean Donan Castle

106 km · 1h 57m driving · Overnight in Eilean Donan Castle
  1. 10:00
    Fairy Pools· start
  2. 66 km · 1h 17m
  3. 14:00
    Dunvegan Castle
  4. 39 km · 40m
  5. 17:30
    Eilean Donan Castle· overnight
Accommodation
Kyle of Lochalsh or Dornie
DAY06

Urquhart Castle → Clava Cairns

113 km · 1h 36m driving · Overnight in Clava Cairns
  1. 11:00
    Urquhart Castle· start
  2. 86 km · 1h 7m
  3. 14:30
    Inverness
  4. 27 km · 29m
  5. 17:00
    Clava Cairns· overnight
Accommodation
Inverness
DAY07

Blair Castle → The Hermitage

134 km · 1h 48m driving · Overnight in The Hermitage
  1. 11:00
    Blair Castle· start
  2. 122 km · 1h 35m
  3. 14:30
    Pitlochry
  4. 12 km · 13m
  5. 17:00
    The Hermitage· overnight
Accommodation
Dunkeld or Pitlochry
DAY08

Forth Bridge → London

102 km · 1h 36m driving · long drive
  1. 10:30
    Forth Bridge· start
  2. 78 km · 1h
  3. 13:00
    Edinburgh Waverley
  4. 24 km · 36m
  5. 18:00
    London King's Cross
Heads Up
  • Day 1: 8h 33m driving — plan rest stops
  • Day 8: 9h 2m driving — plan rest stops
  • Book your Mallaig-Armadale ferry and the London-Edinburgh train (LNER) well in advance to save significant money.
  • Pack a waterproof shell even in summer—Highland weather changes every ten minutes!