Getting Between Stops
In Edinburgh, walk. The center is compact but hilly, with plenty of steps. Pick up the car only when you leave, at the airport rather than in town.
Edinburgh to Glencoe takes about two and a half to three hours by road, with Fort William a short drive beyond. Fort William to Skye is either a drive to Mallaig and a CalMac ferry to Armadale or a drive of about two and a half hours via Eilean Donan and the Skye Bridge. Skye to Inverness takes about two and a half to three hours.
Many roads in the Highlands and on Skye are single-track with passing places. Pull in to let faster cars pass and never park in a passing place for photos. Watch for deer and sheep at dusk. Distances look short on a map but take longer than apps suggest, so plan fuel stops in remote areas. Rent a small automatic and add a second driver so you can share the wheel.
Where to Stay
In Edinburgh, The Balmoral on Princes Street has castle-view rooms and a spa. Gleneagles Townhouse occupies a former bank on St Andrew Square with a rooftop bar. The Witchery by the Castle has a handful of theatrical gothic suites. Prestonfield House is a baroque mansion at the foot of Arthur's Seat, where peacocks stroll the lawns.
Around Fort William, Inverlochy Castle Hotel is the grand choice, with formal dining and Ben Nevis views. Glencoe House offers mountain-view suites in a quieter setting.
On Skye, accommodation is small-scale and books out months ahead. The Three Chimneys & The House Over-By at Colbost pairs a celebrated restaurant with a few suites on Loch Dunvegan. Kinloch Lodge on the Sleat peninsula is a welcoming country-house hotel with a respected restaurant. Portree has the most choice and the shortest drives to the Trotternish sights. A sea-view cottage suits couples who want to cook local seafood.
When to Go
May and September are the best months for this route. May often brings the driest weather of the year on Skye, long days and few midges. September brings russet hills, calmer roads and still-decent daylight, with stags starting to roar in the glens later in the month.
June is lovely too, with twilight lasting until nearly midnight, though midges start to appear. July and August are the busiest months: crowded car parks at the Storr, the Quiraing and the Fairy Pools, higher prices and peak midges on still, damp days. August also fills Edinburgh with the Festival and the Fringe, when hotels sell out far ahead and rates climb.
From November to March, many Skye restaurants and hotels close, days are very short and storms can disrupt ferries and roads. October can be beautiful but wetter and windier, with some places shutting for winter.
Budget and Booking
Expect roughly $300–900 a night for two in boutique hotels, castle hotels and restaurants with rooms, with Inverlochy and the top Edinburgh hotels at the high end or above. All prices are approximate and rise in August.
Book in this order: Skye accommodation and dinner at The Three Chimneys, then Jacobite steam train seats, then the Edinburgh hotel and the Mallaig ferry with a car space. Last-minute rooms are rare on Skye in summer. The Jacobite sells out for popular dates.
Some popular Skye sites charge for parking. The fees help maintain trails. Fuel costs more in remote areas than in the cities. Book Friday and Saturday dinners ahead in Edinburgh, especially in Leith and the New Town. Scottish banknotes are fine throughout Scotland but are occasionally refused in England, so spend them before you head south.
Weather, Midges and Packing
Pack waterproof jackets, waterproof trousers and layers for every month, plus boots with good grip for wet trails on the Storr and the Quiraing. The weather on Skye can swing from sunshine to sideways rain within minutes. Clear spells often come in the evening, so keep plans loose and go out when the sky opens.
From June to August, bring midge repellent and a head net. Midges are worst on still, damp days and around dawn and dusk. A breeze keeps them away. A spare pair of shoes in the car is a small luxury after a wet hike.
Dress codes are relaxed nearly everywhere. Inverlochy Castle Hotel's dining room is the exception, so bring one smart outfit each for that dinner. Stay on paths, close gates behind you and take your rubbish with you in the countryside.
Make It Shorter or Longer
With eight days, keep two nights in Edinburgh, two in Glencoe and Fort William and three on Skye, then fly out of Inverness the next day.
With 13 days, add two nights in the Cairngorms National Park on the way back south, staying in Braemar or Aviemore for forest walks, Speyside whisky distilleries and a gentler drive to Edinburgh Airport. Or add Torridon, where The Torridon sits beside a sea loch surrounded by mountains.
With two weeks or more, start in London and take the LNER train from King's Cross to Edinburgh Waverley in about four and a half hours along the Northumberland coast. Or begin with the Caledonian Sleeper from London Euston to Fort William and wake up to mountains.
Keep at least three nights on Skye whatever you trim. Weather can wipe out a day. The island's best walks need a clear morning.
