Scotland Itinerary 7 Days
Korri and I recently returned from our trip to Scotland! It all started when I was given the ability to buy tickets to the U.K. leg of The Eras Tour last summer and purchased tickets to a show in Edinburgh, Scotland. Korri has family in Scotland that we’d been wanting to visit for years, and I’m thrilled Taylor gave us a reason to finally make it happen. 😆
Our trip started and ended in Manchester, England (read more about how we picked our flights and why we didn’t fly directly to Scotland). From Manchester, we took the train into and out of Scotland! Even though we were in Scotland for a total of 10 days, we really only spent 7 days exploring the country.
Scotland is famous for its spectaular landscapes, historic castles and towns, hearty food, kind people, and so much more. You can easily spend a week or more exploring this beautiful place! Below, I shared the 7-day Scotland travel itinerary that I recommend based on what we did and places we saw, and I also included an alternate itinerary if you want to see more of the major cities and sites.
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Scotland Trip Itinerary
Like my other itineraries, my 7-day Scotland itinerary is heavily influenced by the things we did and saw during our time in Scotland. It only makes sense to share the things I know and have done, right? But since we couldn’t quite squeeze everything into our trip and you might have more time, I also included suggestions for other things to do and see at each location.
This itinerary assumes you’ll call Glasgow and Edinburgh your home base(s) for your week in Scotland like we did. We unfortunately did not make it to the Scottish Highlands this time around! Of course, you can modify this itinerary however you need, and you can hop around to each location instead of calling one or two cities “home” for the week.
I will say that after our whirlwind trip to Germany and Austria last fall, it was really nice to stay in one place for a few days before moving on to the next! There is definitely merit in less moving-constantly-from-place-to-place and more day trips, and I think I prefer traveling that way now that I’m getting older, ha.
When it comes to your preferred method of transportation, you get to decide! You can get to most of these cities and towns by train (and rail passes are available if you decide to go that route), and you can get to all of these places and more by car. We were fortunate because Korri’s uncle drove us around to everywhere except Glasgow and Edinburgh.
If you are planning to visit a bunch of castles and other historic places during your Scotland trip, I highly recommend purchasing an Explorer Pass offered by Historic Environment Scotland. It costs 44 GBP and is valid for 14 consecutive days. I wasn’t sure if we’d get our money’s worth, but I think we broke even after visiting Stirling Castle, Arbroath Abbey, and Edinburgh Castle. Here’s the full list of places it’s valid (ask for a physical copy of this list the first time you use it for easy reference).
Scotland Itinerary 7 Days
Day 1: Glasgow
Start your day in Glasgow by picking up a coffee (or coffee-like drink of your choice; Korri always gets a mocha and I always get a chai latte) at The Wild Olive Tree, a community café located inside St. George’s Tron Church of Scotland. This spot also offers quick bites. You can dine in if you have time or opt for takeaway.
Walk 20 minutes or hop on a bus to the Glasgow Cathedral. Korri and I took George Street to High Street, but I would recommend Cathedral Street for a bit more scenery and to walk through the University of Strathclyde. Note that there is a hill up to the cathedral.
After exploring the cathedral, you can spend more time in the area and check out the Glasgow Cathedral Burial ground, and then walk across the Bridge of Sighs to the expansive Glasow Necropolis. Once you’re done, walk south on High Street past the giant mural on the side of the building.
Follow High Street until it turns into Saltmarket, and on Bridgegate, head west (turn right). At the corner of Bridgegate and King Street is Shawarma King. That was a must stop for Korri after seeing it featured on Somebody Feed Phil on Netflix. After all that walking, it was nice to indulge in yummy shawarma wraps and chips (fries)!
From there, continue to follow Bridgegate to the River Clyde. You can walk either direction; if you turn left and head east, you’ll reach Glasgow Green, a huge park and green space with monuments scattered about. If you turn right and head west, you’ll head back towards Glasgow Central Station.
If you do go back towards the train station, you’ll be back in the thick of people and shops. It’s a good time to pick up souvenirs for yourself or loved ones! Don’t forget to stop by Tantrum Doughnuts for sweet treats (another spot featured on Somebody Feed Phil). You can also catch the subway or train to other parts of Glasgow, or head back to the hotel to relax before heading out for dinner.
Here are a couple of restaurants that were on our list for Glasgow that we unfortunately didn’t make it to:
Sunny Acre (breakfast, pastries)
Ga Ga Kitchen (Malaysian-inspired dishes)
Day 2: Loch Lomond, Inverary
Get away from the city and head towards Loch Lomond (and continue to Inverary for more gorgeous views and coastline)! Loch Lomond is a popular vacation destination for locals because it’s close to Glasgow, absolutely stunning, and the perfect place to enjoy outdoor activities. It’s located northwest of Glasgow and part of the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park.
We drove by Loch Lomond (about a 30 minute drive from Glasgow) on our way out to Inverary. Unfortunately we didn’t have time to stop, but I’d love to make a proper visit next time! Here are some spots worth considering and things worth doing around Loch Lomond:
Walk or cycle through the national park
Maid of the Loch
Balloch Steam Slipway
Balloch Castle and Country Park
Loch Lomond Bird of Prey Centre
Cruise with Sweeney Cruise Co.
Golfing
Eglinton Castle
After stopping in Loch Lomond, continue on to Inverary! The total drive time from Glasgow to Inverary is just under an hour and a half. You’ll drive over the Rest and Be Thankful Pass. (Do stop to take a photo of the view!) This drive through the hills (mountains?) of Scotland was one of the times it rained on us, probably because of the terrain.
As you enter Inverary, you’ll cross a small bridge, and from the bridge to the left you can see the Inverary Castle in the distance! The center of Inverary is super cute and tiny with only one main street (aptly called Main Street). Grab a fish and chips meal at Fyne Fish and Chips (get the haddock if you’re not sure; a large is enough to share), then walk the 15 minutes to Inverary Castle. The castle is stunning! You can purchase a ticket to go inside and/or walk around the gardens outside. There’s also a tea room and gift shop.
Walk down to the water front and pier to check out the view of Loch Fyne, a sea loch (it’s connected to the ocean). Before heading back to Glasgow, swing by the Inverary Jail and Escape Room for a bit of family-friendly fun! That would have been fun to do if we had more time.
Day 3: Stirling
No matter where you going during your week in Scotland, make sure Stirling is somewhere on your itinerary! Stirling is a darling town in between Glasgow and Edinburgh. It’s easily accessible by train, though the trek to the castle is up a big hill, so be prepared for that or hire a car to take you up.
Of course, you can’t go to Stirling and not visit the Stirling Castle. We walked over two miles all around the castle grounds! It’s huge. It was really cool to see inside the castle and learn some of the history. It was super windy on the day we visited, and you could really feel it walking around on the castle wall. I wish we had booked a proper tour of the castle with a guide, but it was still fun to explore on our own.
After visiting the castle, walk back down the hill to find a spot to eat! We ended up at The Crossed Peels, a Wetherspoon (U.K. chain) restaurant, and enjoyed some typical pub food (Korri got a sandwich and I had the mac and cheese).
Other things to do in Stirling include:
Stirling Old Town Jail (tours, escape rooms)
Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum
King’s Knot and Queen’s Knot
Wallace Monument
Stirling Old Bridge
Shop at the Thistles Shopping Centre
Day 4: Perth, Arbroath, Dundee, St. Andrews
Day 4 is another long travel day, so don’t feel like you need to hit up all of these spots. Pick the cities that sound most interesting to you! You will need a car to get to all four of these cities in one day.
If you are traveling by train, you can get to Perth, Dundee, and Arbroath on the same line (it takes just under 2 hours to get to Arbroath from Glasgow); make sure you are on a train from Glasgow to Aberdeen that calls in those three cities on the way. St. Andrews is not accessible via train; you can take the train from either Glasgow (about 2 hours including a transfer in Dundee) or Edinburgh (about 1 hour) as far as Leuchars and then a bus (~15 minutes) to St. Andrews.
We drove through Perth (about an hour from Glasgow) and didn’t stop to see anything, but here are some things and places that I’d consider checking out:
Perth Museum
Perth Art Gallery
The Black Watch Castle and Museum
Branklyn Garden
Huntingtower Castle
Scone Palace
Kinnoull Hill Tower
There are also a ton of golf courses in and around Perth! After Perth, the next larger city you’ll pass through is Dundee (about an hour and a half away from Glasgow). If you’re hungry or need a pit stop on the way, check out the Horn Milk Bar for a quick bite or treat. Before checking out Dundee, head north to Arbroath, a small town located on the North Sea (about two hours from Glasgow).
In Arbroath, walk through the marina and out to the East Pier for a view of the sea. Then, drive or walk through town to the Arbroath Abbey. There isn’t much left of this 12th-century abbey; only the ruins and the cemetery remain, and while we were there, the ruins were in the process of being restored, so we couldn’t get up close to them. The cemetery was cool yet creepy, and there’s a small museum with a wealth of information.
If you want to spend more time in Arbroath, here are a couple of options:
Hiking at Arbroath Cliffs
Signal Tower Museum
After Arbroath, drive back to Dundee. Like Perth, we just drove through Dundee. The most exciting part for me was that it’s located along the River Tay! (It’s nowhere near Loch Tay, though; Scotland temporarily renamed it Loch Tay Tay in honor of Taylor Swift bringing The Eras Tour to Scotland.)
Here are some options to consider in Dundee, the city of discovery:
Discovery Point
Dundee Waterfront Gardens
The McManus (art gallery and museum)
Dundee Museum of Transport
Verdant Works Museum
Broughty Castle Museum
The final stop of the day is St. Andrews, the home of golf! I knew people went to this gorgeous seaside town to golf, but I didn’t realize it was THE place golf started. You can’t go and not see the Old Course, the famous golf course along the coast. Be sure to snap a photo on the famous Swilcan Bridge at the 18th hole (when no golfers are starting the hole, of course).
It’s worth walking through St. Andrews to see all the golf shops (and stop inside if that’s your fancy). Walk towards Market Street to find a spot to eat; we enjoyed a quick bite at Central Bar. We picked out five small plates to share.
Afterwards, continue east to make your way to the St. Andrews Cathedral. There isn’t much of the 12th-century cathedral left, but the ruins of what used to be Scotland’s largest church are cool, and you’ll be in another eerie cemetery. Note that the last entry is 4:45 pm.
St. Andrews Castle is a quick walk north of the cathedral towards the water. It has the most gorgeous view of the coastline! Like the cathedral, the last entry is 4:45 pm, so unfortunately we weren’t able to explore inside but still enjoyed seeing the ruins that we could see from outside.
Walk back where you started along the coast and through the University of St. Andrews! This is one of the most beautiful settings for a college campus I’ve ever seen. It’s so picturesque! Those students are so lucky (and brilliant—this university ranks higher than Oxford).
Day 5: Edinburgh
The train ride from Glasgow Queen Street to Edinburgh (which terminates at the Waverley station) is a quick 50 minutes. Note that ScotRail trains to Edinburgh do NOT depart from Glasgow Central. If you have a car, the drive is about one hour give or take depending on traffic.
After you check in to your hotel, it’s time to start exploring! (We stayed at the Old Waverley Hotel, which is located on Princes Street across the street from Scott Monument and steps away from the Waverley station. Our room overlooked the streets below and thankfully, it wasn’t loud at all! We had a great view of the castle, too.)
One experience I HIGHLY recommend booking in advance is an afternoon tea. There are a ton of places in Edinburgh that offer tea! I read about so many and settled on the Colonnades at The Signet Library. It wasn’t the least expensive option, but it was fun and the food was super yummy. It doesn’t seem like a lot of food, but it’s surprisingly filling! Plan about two hours for tea.
After tea, take some time to walk around the city! Half the fun of exploring a new place is wandering with no real destination in mind. (Post-tea is also a great time for a nap, if that’s more your jam, haha—no shame!) I would have loved to do an evening tour of the underground vaults in Edinburgh and that’s on the list for next time!
Day 6: Edinburgh
Good morning! Kick off your day with quick breakfast before heading to the Museum of Scotland (on our list, but we ran out of time!). After that, if you’re a fan of pulled pork, I recommend grabbing lunch at Oink! Their pork sandwiches were delicious and a highlight of the trip for Korri.
Head over the Johnnie Walker on Princes Street for their whiskey experience! I’m not a big whiskey fan, but they tailor your whiskey tasting to your preferences, and I was really curious to try it myself to see if I really would like what they gave me. (Argh, this was another stop on our list I really tried to make happen, but they sold out of spots. Book as far ahead as you can!)
Soak up the whiskey with a delicious Italian meal at Bar Napoli. This restaurant came recommend by a friend, and it was another highlight of the trip! I was surprised to find such good Italian in Scotland. Bonus: They’re open (and serve food) LATE! It was one of the only spots we found open at around midnight after The Eras Tour, and it was rightfully packed with Swifties after the show.
Korri ordered spaghetti and a margherita pizza, and I ordered gnocchi. Korri ate every bite of everything he ordered, LOL. My gnocchi had a bit of spice in it, and it was so good! I didn’t get a lot of spicy foods during this trip so this meal was a treat.
If you want to try a drink-making experience, check out The Cauldron or The Alchemist! Another cool thing that sounded fun to me (but less so for Korri) was a handbag-making experience at Islander. That sold out well ahead of time, too.
Day 7: Edinburgh
On your last full day in Edinburgh, grab a coffee and quick breakfast before heading to Edinburgh Castle for a castle tour! Guided castle tours sell out in advance, so book yours once you know what day you want to visit the castle. We got a discounted rate with our Explorer Passes. Our guide was named Marcus and he was knowledgeable and enthusiastic!
After your tour, stick around the castle grounds to check out all the different rooms, museums, and views. There is enough to do to kill a couple of hours. Afterwards, grab lunch at Makars Mash Bar just down the road from the castle. (I wanted to try this place so bad but the line was too long! It’s a mashed-potatoes-lover’s dream.)
Now that you’re fueled up, it’s time to tackle the Royal Mile! The Royal Mile is actually just over a mile and extends from Edinburgh Castle down High Street to the Palace of Holyroodhouse. There are tons of shops to stop into on the way (including a cute Christmas shop!), bars, restaurants, and more.
Like the castle, you can kill quite a bit of time on the Royal Mile and visiting the Palace of Holyroodhouse. When you’re done/when your feet are tired from walking for many days in a row, head back to the hotel for a nap or find a pub with seating outside to relax, drink, and people-watch.
In the evening, I recommend wandering to the Princes Street Gardens for gorgeous views of the castle and surrounding area at sunset.
I hope you have the BEST week visiting Scotland! 🫶🏻
ALTERNATE SCOTLAND ITINERARY
If you want to spend more time seeing the major cities/sites and less time day tripping, here’s an alternate 7-day Scotland itinerary option.
Days 1-2: Glasgow
Days 3: Glasgow to Inverness
Day 4: Inverness
Day 5: Inverness to Edinburgh
Days 6-7: Edinburgh
With this itinerary, you can see the major sites in Glasgow and Edinburgh and spend some time in the Scottish Highlands with a quick stay in Inverness! You could start at either Glasgow or Edinburgh, and I would do no fewer than two nights in any one city. You could also switch this around and spend one full day in Glasgow and two days in Inverness. The drive (or train ride) to/from Inverness is long and highly scenic, so give yourself time to make a few stops along the way.
I actually considered this itinerary for about a day until I realized the trains back to Edinburgh were extremely expensive! If you plan to travel by train, I definitely recommend figuring out where you want to go and when and book those tickets as much ahead of time as you can.
Sample Scotland Itinerary
Be sure to pin the Scotland 7 Day Itinerary image below to your Pinterest for reference. You can find all of the cities and towns I mention in this itinerary in the interactive map below the image!
