If planning your dream trip to Scotland has got you feeling a bit overwhelmed (or a lot overwhelmed!), we get it.
We’ve been there.
Trust us when we say we spent probably hundreds of hours behind a computer screen trying to plan our perfect trip. (Travel planning is part of our job, after all!)
If you want all the legwork done for you (aka you don’t want to go cross-eyed from staring at a screen, like I did!), we’ve put together the perfect Scotland road trip itinerary based on our travels.
This road trip itinerary covers the entire country and is broken down into 2-weeks with 14 easy-to-follow days.
Our perfectly curated route is packed with:
We’ve added suggestions for where to spend extra time and where to skip if you are pressed for time so this itinerary can easily be adjusted to fit anyone’s travel preferences.
This itinerary is a healthy blend of adventure and is intended to do in a campervan rental. However, you can easily substitute the campervan for a car and choose to stay in different accommodations.
What you’ll get: A PDF download of the full customizable 2-week itinerary for offline access.
“I wanted to say thank you for your amazing Scotland guide! Me my husband and our 9 month old son just came back one week ago and we had the most amazing time! We were so lucky with the weather and had only sunshine besides one day.
And with the first bigger trip with a baby it was such a help to have that guide and didn’t need to do my own research! Thank you for everything you guys do! It’s an inspiration and such a help!” – Laura, 2023
✓ Full 14-day itinerary overview with suggestions for additional days if you have more time
✓ A full breakdown of driving directions and times per day
✓ Recommended places to eat and stay for each night
✓ Access to the interactive itinerary map in Google Maps
✓ Our complete Scotland packing guide
✓ Insider tips and New Zealand travel resources
We know that is not feasible for everyone, so we decided to take our experience and turn it into a totally affordable PDF guide that you can download to plan an epic trip!
This is a perfect road trip route for anyone who has roughly 2 weeks to spend in Scotland and wants to see the top sights as well as some little-known gems. This would make an amazing honeymoon or special trip.
The hotels, experiences and restaurants recommended are for those with a mid-range budget.
While Scotland can be an expensive country, we’ve done our best to keep costs reasonable. That said, this isn’t an itinerary for budget travelers.
Each night of this itinerary has 2-3 accommodation options to choose from. We’ve included a mix of Airbnbs, hotels, guest houses and campsites for those doing the road trip in a campervan rental.
Yes, you will need a vehicle in order to follow this itinerary. With so much to see all over the country, the best way to see Scotland is with a rental car or a campervan.
If you are interested in renting a campervan, you can follow this route and we have plenty of information in our Iceland Campervan Rental Guide.
You DO NOT need a 4×4 for this itinerary.
We’ve included a number of hikes and outdoor adventures, plus there is a decent amount of walking involved to explore the destinations around Scotland.
That being said, we think anyone with a moderate level of fitness should be able to enjoy this itinerary, and you can always swap out of a hike for another less strenuous activity if you’re not feeling up for it.
The itinerary includes various easy to moderate level hikes, but nothing too demanding or requiring extra gear.
In theory you could do this itinerary for any time of year, however in the colder winter months, some of the hiking and outdoor activities may not be as enjoyable (or open!). Not to mention the shorter daylight hours.
We’d suggest following this Scotland itinerary during the spring, summer or fall months (April – October).
You can find more information in our guide to the best time to visit Scotland.