Top tip: We Never Drive the Fastest Route
Everyone asks us the same question.
“What’s the best route around Scotland?”
The truth is, we’ve stopped trying to answer it.
After hundreds of road trips we’ve realised that Scotland isn’t a country to tick off. It’s one to wander through…
The Road is the Destination
One of the things we love most about travelling through Scotland is that the best moments are rarely the ones you plan too carefully.
Of course, it helps to have an itinerary. It helps to know where you are heading that day. Where you might sleep that night, and which places you don’t want to miss. But some of the most memorable parts of a Scottish road trip happen in the spaces between those plans.
They happen when you pass a sign for a bakery and decide to stop, simply because it looks inviting. That was how we found The Norse Bakery near the very top of Scotland: a beautiful, welcoming place with food that made the detour feel like part of the journey rather than a break from it.
They happen when the weather changes everything. On one trip, we were caught in a thunderstorm in Ullapool and had to abandon our campsite plans. What could have felt like a disaster became one of our favourite parts of the trip. We carried on north and stumbled upon beautiful cottages in Durness. There the owners kindly agreed to let us stay for a couple of nights instead of the usual week-long booking.
That, for us, is the joy of road travel in Scotland. It gives you the freedom to follow your instincts. To stop when a view takes your breath away. Change direction when the weather rolls in. Discover places you would never have found if every hour had been planned in advance.
So yes, plan the route. Choose the places you most want to see. But leave enough space for Scotland to surprise you. More often than not, the road itself becomes the part you remember most.
You Don’t Need to go Far to Feel Remote
One of the things that surprises visitors most is just how quickly Scotland changes.
You can leave Perth after breakfast and, within a couple of hours, find yourself on a single-track road with nothing but mountains, lochs and the occasional sheep for company. Continue a little further and you might not see another car for miles.
That’s one of Scotland’s greatest gifts. You don’t have to spend days travelling to feel like you’ve escaped the everyday. That sense of remoteness is woven into the journey itself.
These are a few of the places that remind us just how special that feeling can be.
Glen Etive
Glen Etive is a perfect example of how quickly Scotland can feel remote.
You may recognise it from the dramatic driving scene in Skyfall, but the real magic of Glen Etive is not its film connection. It is the feeling of turning off the main road and suddenly finding yourself surrounded by moorland, mountains and open sky.
The road winds slowly through the glen, with vast stretches of landscape on either side and little to distract you beyond the changing light, the river and the hills ahead. It feels wild, quiet and wonderfully far removed from everyday life, despite being surprisingly easy to reach.
Applecross
If Glen Etive gives you a taste of Scotland’s wild landscapes, Applecross feels like stepping into another world.
By the time you reach the west coast, you already feel a long way from everyday life. But to get to Applecross, you have to travel over the Bealach na Bà, one of Scotland’s most spectacular mountain passes. With its tight hairpin bends, steep climbs and panoramic views stretching across the mountains to the sea, it’s a drive that commands your full attention. At times it’s exhilarating, at others a little hair-raising, but it’s an unforgettable part of the journey.
As you descend into Applecross, the pace changes completely. Nestled on the shores of a sea loch, the tiny hamlet has a remarkable sense of peace. The mountains seem to shelter it from the rest of the world, and it’s the kind of place where you instinctively slow your pace and stay a little longer than you planned.
One of our favourite places to stop is the Applecross Inn. Sitting right on the waterfront, it’s the perfect place to enjoy fresh seafood and watch the gentle rhythm of the loch.
Isle of Lewis
Lewis is often spoken about as Harris’s less famous neighbour, but that is part of what makes it so special.
While Harris is known for its white beaches and dramatic coastal scenery, Lewis has a quieter, more exposed kind of beauty. It feels vast, open and wonderfully remote, with long stretches of moorland, windswept roads and skies that seem to go on forever.
This is a place where cafés, restaurants and shops can be few and far between, so the journey naturally encourages you to slow down and plan a little differently. Campsites are often tucked behind houses on crofts that stretch down towards the sea, where an evening stroll can lead you to what feels like your own private beach.
There is something almost otherworldly about Lewis. The beaches at the top of the island are wild, beautiful and windswept, with pale sand, Atlantic waves and a feeling of space that is hard to describe until you are standing there.
Where Scotland Feels Most Like Scotland
One of the greatest joys of travelling through Scotland isn’t always the scenery; it’s the people you meet along the way.
Some of our favourite memories have come from places that barely appear on a map. A café owner recommending a hidden beach. The campsite owner stopping for a chat to point out their favourite highlights. A local pointing us towards a quiet walk we’d never have found ourselves.
Scotland’s smaller communities are full of independent bakeries, family-run cafés, village pubs and local producers. Spending time in these places isn’t just a lovely way to experience the country—it also helps support the communities that keep these remote areas alive.
We always encourage people to take their time. Stop for coffee in a village you’ve never heard of. Browse a local gallery. Buy fresh seafood from a harbour café. Some of the best conversations happen when you have nowhere else to be.
You don’t need to be a seasoned explorer to enjoy Scotland – but a bit of preparation makes every journey smoother and more rewarding.