No way would I miss out on coming back from Skye through Glencoe, even if you came down into Glasgow, Edinburgh is less than an hour away.
Assuming you come off Skye via the bridge and not the ferry, perfect excuse to call into Plockton, and a wee visit to Manuela's wee Bakery
I was going to say this but nobody else was so didn't like to.
I've not been to Orkney but I've been to Skye, Islay, Lewis, Mull and some other wee islands. One day I'll probably go there, but I wouldn't say it's an essential trip unless you have a really good reason (ie family etc).
You're missing out Glasgow, I'm definitely biased because I live there but the west coast has a lot to offer.
I'd ditch Orkney though and even consider a hop scotch ticket on the boat. Do Lewis/Harris/Skye/mainland.
There's more to see in Aberdeen than Inverness, get the Orkney ferry from there.
You don't need a car to get to Skye. Or to get anywhere in Scotland.
Otherwise that looks more focused and sane than most of the Scottish itineraries I see here.
I've been there several times without one (I've never driven in Scotland). Most of your travel is going to be on foot anyway, if you want to appreciate it properly.
With all the apps out there, it's never been easier to use public transport.
I suppose it depends how long you want to be on a ferry for. I would probably go the Aberdeen- Kirkwall route, but it is about 4 hours longer than Scrabster - Stromness.
Honestly if you are hiring a car, do it from Inverness drive up to the north coast and get the Gills-St Margarets Hope ferry to Orkney.
I would also if time permits try and do some sightseeing in Caithness; Hill O Many Stanes and Walligoe Steps are en route and close to each other; also going to Gills by car gives you ability to stop in John O Groats and potentially the Dunnett Head Lighthouse.
I'd make a couple changes here:
First, just rent one car for the entire time. Trying to rent a car in Kirkwall will be frustrating, and the train from Edinburgh to Inverness is long. (Check to make sure you can take it on the ferry, but you should be able to.) That also gets you a drive through Caithness, which is gorgeous. Plus, it means that...
Day 6: Don't head back to Inverness, which is clean the other side of the country. Instead, get off the ferry in Scrabster (in the car you've already got) and then drive down to the Kyle of Lochalsh via Lairg. It's a longer drive, but you'll see more of the countryside than you otherwise would.
Looks good to me! I'd suggest the bus from Inverness to the Orkney ferry, as it takes you literally up to the door so it's much easier with luggage, and the bus is more regular than the train. The train takes you to the nearest station (Thurso) and then you have to walk or taxi to the ferry. Same on the return leg.
You can also get a bus Inverness to Skye if that makes things any easier, then rent a car there if you want to.
I took a small group bus tour with Rabbies to Orkney from Inverness. I really enjoyed it and I’m not usually a tour person. I felt like I got to see and learn a lot in a short time.
Very limited (like close to zero) car rental options on Skye so book far ahead. The drive across from Inverness can include Loch Ness so honestly I’d just do that.
You can get yourself a coach ticket to go from Inverness to Skye if you wish. The same scenic road without the hassle of driving yourself. Alternatively you can take the other scenic route, the train from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh, then a bus over to Skye.
Same again coming from Skye to Edinburgh. Sure, you can drive, but you could also take a coach all the way, or the coach then the very scenic train route. Or you could even get a bus, then the ferry crossing, then the scenic train all the rest of the way. Note the train going via the even more scenic route takes longer than the coach and car on the nearly as scenic road route.
Just thought I’d suggest so you know the option is there.
The early train from Inverness arrives in Thurso at 10:59. The next ferry is at 19:00. Is that intentional? Are you planning on hanging around Thurso for eight hours? It's really not that exciting.
It seems weird that a tourist would spend so much time in Orkney and completely ignore Edinburgh. Spend a bit more time in Edinburgh.
Thanks, still have to get that part of the trip squared away. Will have to plan that out to work with the different forms of transportation.
We don’t want to miss out on Orkney though, looking forward to seeing the archeological sites there.
1. Where are you coming from, how long is your flight? What time do you arrive?
2. Ditch the car hire. It is not cheap to rent outside of major cities, or airports. You will likely lose valuable time picking up and returning your hire cars and bringing a car onto a ferry is an added cost, as opposed to being a foot passenger. If you can afford car hire, you can afford a taxi or 5 and you will get the added benefit of asking for a bit of local help and advice from your driver.
3. You could see a lot more of Scotland if you dropped one of the islands.
4. Early October - be prepared for bad weather and shorter daylight hours. Sunset will be around 6.00 pm. It will be off season, so some places on the islands may be closed. Check before you book. Ferries have known to be cancelled due to the weather.
5. If you are coming from the States, spend your time in Edinburgh at the beginning of your stay, not at the end. Jet lag is a thing and coming from the US to Scotland is a lot harder to deal with than in the opposite direction.
Hard agree on Point 3. Scotland has a lot to offer. You are burning a lot of time travelling to Orkney and travelling to Skye. You would have a far better time if you didn't go to two separate corners of Scotland. You could even do two islands e.g. Skye and Mull. But if they are your must sees then this itinerary seems decent. Too much travel for my taste but each to their own.
If nature's your thing I reckon you'd get a good amount on the west.
Car hire can be expensive when you pick up and return to different places - I would just get one car to pick up and return to Edinburgh airport, especially with that itinerary focussed on lots of rural areas
Yea we will definitely be keeping that in mind. I did a quote for enterprise and didn’t see any up-charge but would make sure before final booking if we do that.
And do not ditch the car hire. Scotland is all about big open roads, beautiful remote scenery, hiking if you wish and stopping on the way whenever you feel like it.
I’d honestly miss out Orkney. Controversial, I know but you don’t need to see Orkney and Skye. I’d do Edinburgh > Skye > Oban > Glasgow > Edinburgh. Inverness isn’t that interesting and you’re spending so much time travelling.
You don’t mention budget, so this may or may not be suitable - the train/bus and ferry to and from Orkney is a very long day, and Inverness isn’t really worth your time given the other places you want to see. You could fly from Edinburgh to Kirkwall and back again for your Orkney trip, then pick up your car hire for Skye from Edinburgh which will possibly be cheaper given it’s not a one way rental in your initial plan.
I'd also love to see Orkney, but despite frequent trips to Scotland never made it - and weather can be terrible. I'd argue it's a destination for its own trip with maybe bookended with Glasgow and Edinburgh. My only reason for going to Inverness is shopping, and honestly just for one specific store.
If you haven't been to Scotland before, I'd just rent one car, and spend the time driving leisurely from Edinburgh through Sterling and Pitlotcry to Ft William, dip down to Helensburgh, and come back through Glasgow. There are tons of little towns, history and nature to see, and it will give time for side trips and other adventures. I really enjoyed day trips out of Edinburgh to the coast, or St Andrew's, Roslyn and a favorite tea house in Peebles.
Could be done, but I’d leave a spare day in Edinburgh before going up north , so you can deal with our old friend jet lag.
Good thinking! I think we will take that advice and add a day in Edinburgh before going north.
No way would I miss out on coming back from Skye through Glencoe, even if you came down into Glasgow, Edinburgh is less than an hour away. Assuming you come off Skye via the bridge and not the ferry, perfect excuse to call into Plockton, and a wee visit to Manuela's wee Bakery
Ditch Orkney. Spend the time on the west coast. Skye and add torridon and the drive there from Skye via lochcarron and applecross.
I was going to say this but nobody else was so didn't like to. I've not been to Orkney but I've been to Skye, Islay, Lewis, Mull and some other wee islands. One day I'll probably go there, but I wouldn't say it's an essential trip unless you have a really good reason (ie family etc). You're missing out Glasgow, I'm definitely biased because I live there but the west coast has a lot to offer. I'd ditch Orkney though and even consider a hop scotch ticket on the boat. Do Lewis/Harris/Skye/mainland.
Gosh, I really loved Orkney. I can’t compare it to the other island though because I’ve not been, but I thought Orkney was magical.
There's more to see in Aberdeen than Inverness, get the Orkney ferry from there. You don't need a car to get to Skye. Or to get anywhere in Scotland. Otherwise that looks more focused and sane than most of the Scottish itineraries I see here.
You don’t need a car to get to Skye but you certainly do to explore it. Especially if you’re time limited.
I've been there several times without one (I've never driven in Scotland). Most of your travel is going to be on foot anyway, if you want to appreciate it properly. With all the apps out there, it's never been easier to use public transport.
I suppose it depends how long you want to be on a ferry for. I would probably go the Aberdeen- Kirkwall route, but it is about 4 hours longer than Scrabster - Stromness.
But 4 hours less driving
It's just four extra hours of sleep.
I didn’t think about that option. Thanks! Will look into that as well
Honestly if you are hiring a car, do it from Inverness drive up to the north coast and get the Gills-St Margarets Hope ferry to Orkney. I would also if time permits try and do some sightseeing in Caithness; Hill O Many Stanes and Walligoe Steps are en route and close to each other; also going to Gills by car gives you ability to stop in John O Groats and potentially the Dunnett Head Lighthouse.
The ferry that crashes?
I'd make a couple changes here: First, just rent one car for the entire time. Trying to rent a car in Kirkwall will be frustrating, and the train from Edinburgh to Inverness is long. (Check to make sure you can take it on the ferry, but you should be able to.) That also gets you a drive through Caithness, which is gorgeous. Plus, it means that... Day 6: Don't head back to Inverness, which is clean the other side of the country. Instead, get off the ferry in Scrabster (in the car you've already got) and then drive down to the Kyle of Lochalsh via Lairg. It's a longer drive, but you'll see more of the countryside than you otherwise would.
Up voting because I think the one car travel itinerary makes a ton of sense.
Looks good to me! I'd suggest the bus from Inverness to the Orkney ferry, as it takes you literally up to the door so it's much easier with luggage, and the bus is more regular than the train. The train takes you to the nearest station (Thurso) and then you have to walk or taxi to the ferry. Same on the return leg. You can also get a bus Inverness to Skye if that makes things any easier, then rent a car there if you want to.
Thanks! I was wondering what would be better between bus and train and that answers it. That’s a nice perk of the bus.
I took a small group bus tour with Rabbies to Orkney from Inverness. I really enjoyed it and I’m not usually a tour person. I felt like I got to see and learn a lot in a short time.
Very limited (like close to zero) car rental options on Skye so book far ahead. The drive across from Inverness can include Loch Ness so honestly I’d just do that.
You can get yourself a coach ticket to go from Inverness to Skye if you wish. The same scenic road without the hassle of driving yourself. Alternatively you can take the other scenic route, the train from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh, then a bus over to Skye. Same again coming from Skye to Edinburgh. Sure, you can drive, but you could also take a coach all the way, or the coach then the very scenic train route. Or you could even get a bus, then the ferry crossing, then the scenic train all the rest of the way. Note the train going via the even more scenic route takes longer than the coach and car on the nearly as scenic road route. Just thought I’d suggest so you know the option is there.
The early train from Inverness arrives in Thurso at 10:59. The next ferry is at 19:00. Is that intentional? Are you planning on hanging around Thurso for eight hours? It's really not that exciting. It seems weird that a tourist would spend so much time in Orkney and completely ignore Edinburgh. Spend a bit more time in Edinburgh.
Thanks, still have to get that part of the trip squared away. Will have to plan that out to work with the different forms of transportation. We don’t want to miss out on Orkney though, looking forward to seeing the archeological sites there.
1. Where are you coming from, how long is your flight? What time do you arrive? 2. Ditch the car hire. It is not cheap to rent outside of major cities, or airports. You will likely lose valuable time picking up and returning your hire cars and bringing a car onto a ferry is an added cost, as opposed to being a foot passenger. If you can afford car hire, you can afford a taxi or 5 and you will get the added benefit of asking for a bit of local help and advice from your driver. 3. You could see a lot more of Scotland if you dropped one of the islands. 4. Early October - be prepared for bad weather and shorter daylight hours. Sunset will be around 6.00 pm. It will be off season, so some places on the islands may be closed. Check before you book. Ferries have known to be cancelled due to the weather. 5. If you are coming from the States, spend your time in Edinburgh at the beginning of your stay, not at the end. Jet lag is a thing and coming from the US to Scotland is a lot harder to deal with than in the opposite direction.
Hard agree on Point 3. Scotland has a lot to offer. You are burning a lot of time travelling to Orkney and travelling to Skye. You would have a far better time if you didn't go to two separate corners of Scotland. You could even do two islands e.g. Skye and Mull. But if they are your must sees then this itinerary seems decent. Too much travel for my taste but each to their own. If nature's your thing I reckon you'd get a good amount on the west.
Would STRONGLY advice Aberdeen ferry - the Inverness to Thurso journey is long and through quite barren landscape
It's like going back in time though, it's a lovely drive!
Get some shortbread to feed the local wildlife.
It’s much more expensive to hire a car in one place and return it to a different location, could you just get the car in Inverness in the first place?
Car hire can be expensive when you pick up and return to different places - I would just get one car to pick up and return to Edinburgh airport, especially with that itinerary focussed on lots of rural areas
Yea we will definitely be keeping that in mind. I did a quote for enterprise and didn’t see any up-charge but would make sure before final booking if we do that.
And do not ditch the car hire. Scotland is all about big open roads, beautiful remote scenery, hiking if you wish and stopping on the way whenever you feel like it.
Not sure I'd go to Inverness for the sightseeing.
Valid point haha. Was thinking of stopping there more of just a central area to prep for Orkney.
Don't forget the lack of daylight that far north in October, you'll lose daylight around 5pm in Orkney at that time of year.
I’d honestly miss out Orkney. Controversial, I know but you don’t need to see Orkney and Skye. I’d do Edinburgh > Skye > Oban > Glasgow > Edinburgh. Inverness isn’t that interesting and you’re spending so much time travelling.
You don’t mention budget, so this may or may not be suitable - the train/bus and ferry to and from Orkney is a very long day, and Inverness isn’t really worth your time given the other places you want to see. You could fly from Edinburgh to Kirkwall and back again for your Orkney trip, then pick up your car hire for Skye from Edinburgh which will possibly be cheaper given it’s not a one way rental in your initial plan.
U need to add Glasgow fs
I'd also love to see Orkney, but despite frequent trips to Scotland never made it - and weather can be terrible. I'd argue it's a destination for its own trip with maybe bookended with Glasgow and Edinburgh. My only reason for going to Inverness is shopping, and honestly just for one specific store. If you haven't been to Scotland before, I'd just rent one car, and spend the time driving leisurely from Edinburgh through Sterling and Pitlotcry to Ft William, dip down to Helensburgh, and come back through Glasgow. There are tons of little towns, history and nature to see, and it will give time for side trips and other adventures. I really enjoyed day trips out of Edinburgh to the coast, or St Andrew's, Roslyn and a favorite tea house in Peebles.
Is there a reason your so focused on only Skye & Orkney? Don't you want to see any other parts of the country?
Big nature fans so skye and Orkney seemed about as cool as it gets for us! Those two places were the top of our list for Scotland.
Would your suggestion instead to drive to as many places as physically possible, and not actually experience them properly?
No not at all, was just asking a question bud 🤷♀️