Scotland is a must see destination in Europe but the rugged northern countryside and spread out tourist attractions can make it difficult for newcomers to plan their trips. I knew Scotland was on my bucket list so that's why I decided to use the DK travel guide to plan my trip and fit in as much as possible during my week in the land of plaid!
Day 1
I arrived at the Edinburgh airport where I rented a car and drove the hour trip to my resort in the Trossachs national park. This beautiful resort was the perfect base for my stay because it is very central to lots of tourist attractions including castles, hikes, and cities. Plus, it is surrounded by the natural beauty of Loch Ard which is literally right across the street!
Day 2
I headed up into the highlands out to my first castle which I found thanks to my travel guide. The Kilchurn castle in Kinlochard is an amazing place to visit if you are looking to get some views of the highlands without going too far off the beaten path. It was about a two hour drive from my resort and we had stunning views of the castle, mountains and loch in the background on the sunny day. The castle has all kinds of interesting history dating back to Medieval times that you can learn about on your visit!
Pro Tip: You do have to walk along a muddy path to actually get up close to the castle so remember to wear comfortable shoes!
Day 3
I woke up early and headed out to Glasgow for the day. Instead of driving all the way to the city the locals suggested we drive to Stirling and take the train in to avoid the hassle of parking. This definitely worked out well since driving on the wrong side of the road was already tricky enough! Some of my favorite spots in Glasgow included the University Cloisters, the National Gallery of Art, and the Hidden Lane tea room! The hidden lane tea room is the perfect spot for lunch to get the true Glasgow experience. It is nestled away down a hidden lane in the city that opens up into a colorful courtyard where the tea room is located. They offer scones, flavored tea, and finger sandwhiches!
Day 4
After a busy day in the city I took a break and decided to explore some of the local hikes around the Trossachs as well as check out Loch Ard. I started my day off with a kyaking adventure to Eilean Dorn which is a small island in the middle of Loch Ard. The kayaking trip took about an hour altogether but the views from the island were amazing! In the afternoon I headed out to the Queen Victoria Park which has several easy hikes to explore the natural beauty of the Trossachs. I spent about an hour exploring the park and even hiked to a waterfall!
Day 5
Edinburgh is definitely a can't miss stop in Scotland. I spent the whole day in the city and took a bus tour of all the highlights. The castle is one of the most amazing sights in the city and the neighborhood surrounding it is full of fun shops and restaurants to explore! I got a delicious dinner at the Castle at Arms pub before heading back to the train station. It was really hard to see everything in just one day and I will definitely be coming back to this fun city to see more!
Day 6
Aberfoyle is the cutest little Scottish village and is right next to the MacDonald Forrest Hills resort. I decided to take a day to explore the town and found out some really interesting facts! First I headed out to the Aberfoyle golf course and got some practice in since I couldn't visit Scotland without getting some golf in! The course is beautiful and was very quiet during the week so I had a great time! Then I headed back into town and stopped at Maggie's kitchen for a snack. They serve the most delicious scones with fresh cream as well as cookies and cupcakes! I met a local craft lady selling home made fairy figurines who told me about the legend of the fairy tree which is said to be located right in the woods outside the village! She gave me the directions for the hike you can take to the fairy tree and so I headed off to see it for myself! And there is an old oak in the woods decorated with ribbons and notes that people have left over the years! After that, I also stopped into the wool center where they have real live sheep and every kind of wool product you can imagine! It was definitely a nice day exploring the local sights!
Day 7
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| My DK travel tote with my Scotland guide inside! |
On my last day at the resort I planned to head to the famous Glen coe in the highlands for more hiking and amazing views. I got lucky and had great weather and didn't even need my jacket! It was about a 3 hour drive to Glencoe where we stopped into the visitors center to get a map guide of the best hiking spots. There are also some great views from the visitor center of the "three sisters" which are the three mountains in the glen. I decided to hike the devil's staircase which is about a two hour long hike in total along a narrow winding path up to the top of a hill with amazing views of the whole valley. I would definitely recommend this hike even for beginners as long as you are in shape!
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