Scotland Recommendations

Edinburgh

If you have even a spare half day, Edinburgh is a great choice. It's extremely walkable, with rich history, unique aesthetic, and great food/drink.

Find a cozy coffee shop known for its Millionaire's Shortbread (like this one). Dani and I fell in love with this dessert.

Golfers: February is among the easiest months to get a tee time at some of the most legendary courses in the world. Muirfield, St Andrews, and Carnoustie are all within a 2-hour drive.

En route (Glasgow to Inveraray

Loch Lomond National Park is world famous and directly on the route from Glasgow or Edinburgh.

Inveraray Castle is stunning, and the hike from the Castle to Dun Na Cuaiche is breathtaking (see our photo at the bottom of the homepage).

Brambles is a quaint and cozy cafe on Main St in Inveraray.

Loch Fyne Whiskies is an awesome bottle shop on Main St in Inveraray. Ask the purveyor about their small bottles of limited and unique whiskies.

If you're extending your trip, consider going past Kennacraig down to Campbeltown - the heart of the Kintyre Peninsula. It's very charming, walkable, and has its own rich whisky history (with several distilleries still active).

Islay

We walked the full "Three Distilleries Pathway" in 2024 - connecting Laphroaig, Lagavulin, and Ardbeg - and it exceeded already high expectations. If the weather isn't good, you can still take taxis between them, or drive to one and walk to a second.

Tours and tastings require reservations; given it's low season, you should be able to snag them with only a few days' notice. Both Lagavulin and Laphroaig also have cool onsite bars that don't require reservations and offer a solid selection of their whiskies.

The hike to the Mull of Oa monument is breathtaking. The coastline on this part of the island is especially steep and rugged.

Islay's west coast has some great beaches (in the Scotland way), notably Saligo Bay. We haven't seen sunset here but imagine it'd be beautiful.

The Islay Whisky Vault is very close to Islay House and Bowmore, and is a palace of both large and small bottles you might want to take/ship home.

Right next to each other near Port Ellen, Carraig Fhada Lighthouse and The Singing Sands are (rightfully) popular photo taking spots.