One of my favourite trips ever has to be the week we drove up to Scotland. With a short city break in Glasgow, then hikes through the Scottish Highlands, we had the perfect mixture of travel and nature.
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- Day 1: Travel to Glasgow
- Day 2: Glasgow
- Day 3: Glasgow to Fort William via Loch Lomond and Glencoe
- Day 4: Glencoe
- Day 5: Ben Nevis
- Day 6: Travel home from Fort William
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Day 1: Travel to Glasgow
Where to stay
Fraser Suites – this hotel offers apartments with kitchenettes, which is perfect for self catering. We found this location to be ideal, the room was huge, and had everything we needed.
Activities
- Smokey Trotters – head here for some classic Scottish scran and an Irn Bru.
- Barras Market – while you’re in the area after having lunch, wander round this busy market, packed full with lots of interesting stalls. However, it’s only open Saturday and Sunday.
- George Square – head here for the civic square laid out in 1781 to admire the statues of famous Scots.
- Glasgow Green – go for a stroll around this large park with various different paths.
- Walking Tour – if a walking tour is more your style, join a group to get the real vibe of Glasgow.
- Hop on Hop Off – or if walking isn’t your style, grab a ticket for a day of sightseeing on the bus.
Day 2: Glasgow
- Kelvingrove Park – explore the extensive grounds and greenery here.
- Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum – entry is free to admire the various exhibitions. I especially loved the natural history and science sections.
- The Left Bank – enjoy some more scran at this quaint cafe for lunch.
- University of Glasgow – wander around the campus and admire the architecture and cloisters.
- Glasgow Botanic Gardens – admire the lush gardens, greenhouses, and pretty flowers on display here.
- SugarFall Patisserie – refuel with a sweet treat, the brownies here were proper fudgy and delicious!
- Riverside Museum – walk to the River Clyde, and take advantage of the free entry to the Riverside Museum.
- The Tall Ship – access the Tall Ship via the Riverside Museum, and learn all about the interesting maritime history!
- Glengoyne Distillery Tour – sample some Whisky & Chocolate
- The Magnificent and Mysterious History of Glasgow – join an exciting history tour to learn lot’s about Glasgow’s past.
If you’re based in Glasgow and don’t fancy driving yourself, there are lots of potential options for day tours to the Scottish Highlands.
Loch Lomond, Trossachs & Stirling Castle Tour
Oban, Glencoe, Highland Lochs & Castles Tour
Glenfinnan, Fort William, and Glencoe Day Trip
Stirling Castle & Loch Lomond Tour with Cruise
Day 3: Glasgow to Fort William via Loch Lomond and Glencoe
This is a travel day from Glasgow to Fort William. While the drive should only take around 2.5 hours, you’re going to want to stop at many scenic viewpoints along the way! As soon as you are north of Glasgow, the changes in the landscape are incredible.
- Luss, Loch Lomond – visit this tiny village on the edge of Loch Lomond, with beautiful views of this National Park. park at the Luss South carpark and head to the pier. Go for a dip if you’re brave!
- Firkin Point – drive 10 minutes up the road to reach Firkin Point, a lakeside spot with stunning views, perfect for a lunch pit stop.
- Glencoe and Glen Etive – drive through this mountainous landscape, and pull over into the various car parks along the road to admire your surroundings.
- Fort William – this will be your base for the remainder of your time here. We stayed at Achintee Cottages No 1, and LOVED IT. The apartment was spacious, had everything we needed, and was in the perfect, secluded location. Highly recommend!
Day 4: Glencoe
- Glencoe Lochlan Trail – this is the one of the most stunning walks I have ever come across. It’s a gentle loop around a lake, not strenuous at all, but offers beautiful views. Apparently this was designed for a homesick Canadian woman – which explains the woodlands vibes.
- Glencoe Orbital Walk – this isn’t actually a circular walk, despite its name, but is an enjoyable flat route from Glencoe to Signal Rock. Bear in mind this is quite long, which took us around 3 hours return (especially if you’re planning on conquering UK’S highest mountain the next day…).
Day 5: Ben Nevis
- Hike the UK’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis! – we completed the Mountain Track, but this isn’t for the faint of heart. We set off from our accommodation at 6.30am, and returned 8.5 hours later at 3pm.
- It’s an incredible accomplishment and I would recommend you do proper research and plenty of practice hikes. Keep an eye on the weather also – originally we had planned to do this on Day 4, but the weather forecast didn’t look great, so we delayed it by a day.
- The mountain will always be there, so don’t be afraid to reschedule if it isn’t going to be safe.
Day 6: Travel home from Fort William
- Check out and travel home 😦
- The Meeting of Three Waters – if you’re heading back south, this is a stop on the side of the road to witness an interesting geological feature.
Thank you for reading, and I hope this helps plan your next trip to Scotland!
Love, Lydia x
LYD1A KERR 
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