Our Incredible Ireland and Scotland Itinerary

We spent a month travelling through Scotland and Ireland. We rented 2 cars (one in each country) and saw some of the most beautiful sites in the world.

Scotland and Ireland are both breathtakingly beautiful, with cozy accommodations and warm and hospitable people, plus so much fascinating history.

Our Ireland and Scotland itinerary was done over 4 weeks (4.5 weeks if you also count Northern Ireland), but we are indicating below:

• which days are officially a part of the 2-week itinerary that we’ve put together for travellers
• days in blue that are optional. If you do all of the optional days, then it will take almost 4 weeks. But, you can add as many or as few of the optional days as you want to your itinerary

On the itinerary below, I’ve noted which days I’d consider ‘optional’ so that you can skip them to cut your trip down to 2 weeks.

Below, I will detail how we spent our time across Scotland and Ireland. If you want to cut it down to 2 weeks, then my 1 week in Scotland and 1 week in Ireland itineraries can be combined to create an incredible 2 week trip.

If you do have about a month, though, 4 weeks – 2 weeks in each- is so worth it! Scotland is one of the prettiest countries you will see, and Ireland has a charm like no other.

So, let’s jump in – our amazing Scotland and Ireland itinerary.

Our 2-Week Road Trip through Ireland and Scotland

Day 1: Arriving in Edinburgh

We decided to fly into Edinburgh. As first-time visitors to Scotland, Edinburgh was a higher priority than Glasgow.

When we landed at the Edinburgh airport, we picked up our rental car and immediately drove to Midhope Castle (the real-life Lallybroch from Outlander.) We spent about an hour there.

Then, we drove into town, got groceries and hung out at some beautiful city parks waiting for our rental apartment check-in time.

Day 2: Exploring Edinburgh

We took the bus into downtown Edinburgh from our accommodation. Edinburgh has a really good and reliable bus system – and it was a double-decker bus!

Our first stop was the Edinburgh Castle. We spent 2 hours touring it. It’s a beautiful castle, but it was pretty packed too.

After the castle, we grabbed lunch at a little hole in the wall on the Royal Mile and me and my older daughter headed to the Harry Potter Tour.

We booked our Harry Potter tour through the Potter Trail, which I recommend – it’s free but they do ask for tips, so it’s basically not free unless you’re ok with not tipping.

The Harry Potter tours tend to all end on Victoria street, which is one of the most famous streets in Scotland. Its beautiful, and colourful – but its also packed, so we didn’t want to stay there too long. Worth seeing though!

Optional: Another day in Edinburgh

Me and my younger daughter Sophie spent time in the beautiful Princes Park which the Edinburgh Castle looks down over.

Eric took our 12 year old, Vivienne to do a chocolate tour at the Chocolatarium of Edinburgh.

After we’d have enough of the park, Sophie and I walked all the way to the National Museum of Scotland. There’s lots of things to do in Edinburgh with kids.

After reuniting with my husband and other daughter, we starting looking for the hidden gems along the Royal Mile – the little closes.

The kid’s favourite spot was Dunbar Close garden. It was so quiet, peaceful with blooming flowers. It was a nice break from the busy streets of Edinburgh.

Day 3: Road trip to the Highlands with stops along the way

We left Edinburgh in the morning to drive to our next stop in the Scottish Highlands. It would have only been a 2 hour drive, but we made 4 stops along the way which turned it into a full day experience:

• The Kelpies – tall metal horse statues (kelpies are based on Scottish folklore)
• Stirling Castle, which we liked better than Edinburgh Castle. It was May Day, and they had a special celebration with snacks and horses that the kids could meet. The views of the highlands from the castle were incredible!
• Trossach’s Woolen Mill, where we got to meet adorable and fluffy Highland Cows and buy some unique Scottish souvenirs
• Doune Castle, which was used in Game of Thrones and Outlander. It was quiet, and unbusy and small which made it a nice break from other castles we’d visited so far.

After Doune Castle it was around 4pm, and we drove on to a small village in the Highlands called Blair Atholl.

I was immediately stunned by the beauty of this small town – driving into it was like dream. We checked into our small cottage Airbnb that we’d rented there.

Day 4: Exploring Pitlochry

We walked from our cottage to the Blair Atholl Watermill, which is a 500-year old watermill and now a bakery.

We sat in the cozy stone room and ordered coffees, and freshly baked scones for breakfast.

We hthen drive out to Queen’s View after breakfast, and were glad we did – it was a sunny day, and it one of the prettiest views we saw in Scotland!

After Queen’s View, we drove into Pitlochry for lunch and shopping. Its the main tourist town of the area, and we grabbed lunch there.

We enjoyed Pitlochry, but we were glad that we chose to stay 10 mins away in Blair Atholl though, because it’s a lot quieter.

*Unless you want to do the opional day below, then it would be best to head to Inverness today if you want to visit Inverness. If not, then you could head to Isle of Skye instead.

Optional: Blair Castle + Cairngorm Reindeer Herd

After breakfast at the Blair Watermill again, we checked out of the our little cottage in Blair Atholl and headed to Blair Castle which was so beautiful.

We had a really nice morning there exploring the outside of the castle, playing at the playground and walking through the gardens.

From there, we drove to Glemmore (deeper into the Scottish Highlands) for our 2 pm booking of the Cairngorm Reindeer Hill Trip.

We were so glad we did this. The hike wasn’t nearly as tough as we’d thought, my 4 year old pratically climbed up on her own.

Feel free to watch our video of the Cairngorm reindeer experience here to see if it’s something you want to do.

After the Cairngorm Reindeer heard, we drove to Inverness which is only about an hour away.

We stopped in a town called Carrbridge, which as the oldest bridge in the Highlands – known as the coffin bridge- built in 1717!

There’s nowhere immediately nearby to stop to see this bridge, but we managed to find a spot in a residental road about a 5 minute walk away.

My 12-year-old stayed in the car, as she’d had enough for today, and we brought the younger one with us.

From there, it was only another 45 minutes to Inverness (made longer because of rush hour traffic) and wow – were we glad that we decided to see Inverness.

The surrounding mountains were beautiful, and our accommodation had the best view (seen above) of the Moray Firth and the Kessock Bridge.

The place we stayed at in Inverness was called Tangle Tower, and it was one of the highlights of our entire 2 month trip to Northern Europe.

Amazing views, very cosy, great location and very kind hosts.

Day 5: Exploring Inverness

Optional: Inverness is a really nice city and we’re glad we went to it. If you only have 2 weeks in Scotland, then fitting it in along with Isle of Skye will make things tight. If you want a more relaxed, enjoyable trip with less driving, then I recommend choosing between Inverness and Isle of Skye.

We drove into downtown Inverness, which was only about 5 minutes from Tangle Tower.

We visited the Leaky Bookshop (which although cute, was a bit crowded as its been all over instragram for being the cutest bookshop in the UK.) We did like it though, and my 12 year old bought a book.

Then, we walked around a bit. We researched some of my husband’s ancestry at the Old High Church, which turned out had the most beautiful view of the harbour.

We grabbed lunch at the Victorian Market in downtown Inverness, which is great for foodies and it also had some more unique souvenirs that we hadn’t seen elsewhere.

After that, we drove south for our Loch Ness boat cruise. We had picked a cruise that allowed us to get off and explore the ruins of Urquhart Castle.

Many people come to see the Loch Ness because of the monster legend, but its such a beautiful lake and worth seeing for the views alone. It was one of the prettiest lakes we saw in Scotland!

We booked our boat cruise through Jacobite Cruises.

We were glad we chose the option to get off at Urquhart Caslte, because it’s such an interesting castle and the views of the lake are incredible.

Optional: Culloden Battlefield and Viaduct and Clava Cairns

This day is great if you like history, if you’re interested in Scottish history and especially if you’re an Outlander (and maybe a Harry Potter Fan.) If none of those things apply to you, then you may want to scratch this day from your itinerary.

We started the day with a guided tour of the Culloden Battlefield – and we were glad we opted for the guided tour rather than self-guided, because we learned a lot of interesting things.

We had lunch at the Culloden Battlefield on-site restaurant, which was actually very yummy! Lots of space too – recommend it.

After our morning and lunch at the Culloden Battlefield, we drove out to see other things in the area – Clava Cairns, which is an ancient burial groun, and the Culloden Viaduct.

Day 6: Drive to the Isle of Skye

We drove from Inverness and drove to the beautiful Isle of Skye. The scenery in between was so pretty! There were many times I wanted to stop just for photos.

We made two stops along the way from Inverness to Isle of Skye:

• Rogie Falls
• Stopped for lunch in Kyle of Lochalsh. It’s a cute little town, with very scenic views of the harbour and mountains

We squeezed in the Fairy Pools hike (1 hour from Kule of Lochalsh) on Isle of Skye before heading to our accommodation.

By then, it was 4pm on a sunny Friday evening. It was packed there, but we were glad we did it today to make room on other days!

We spent around an hour there, but we rushed it because we had a dinner reservation for 6pm and still needed to check in.

We then headed to our accomodation – we booked Acholochan House, a B&B in southwest Isle of Skye. It was only about a 15-minute drive from Fairy Pools.

Day 7: Dinosaur Footprints + Fairy Glen Trail

We drove north to the Staffin Dinosaur Museum. We met the owners daughter who was working there at the time, and she was so helpful, telling us about how her dad started the museum and about some of the fossils they had.

Afterwards, we drove to An Corran, which is the beach where there are dinosaur footprints.

We spent about an hour there, just taking in the view – its a beautiful beach. And we saw a few different dinosaur footprints.

We had lunch afterwards at the Hungry Gull, which was packed but we’re glad we got a spot.

And then, we drove to the Fairy Glen Hike. We liked Fairy Glen better than Fairy Pools, because it felt like you could enjoy the scenery more without seeing a billion people 🙂 The mountains and hilliness of it kind of hide everything!

Driving around Isle of Skye is hard because of the single lane roads, and the amount of people driving on them (we pulled over constantly.)

But the the scenic beauty more than makes up for it. It’s just such a beautiful place, and we still talk often about how gorgeous it was.

Optional: Another Day Exploring the Isle of Skye

Our 2nd day on Isle of Skye was Mother’s Day (but only North American mothers’ day, it wasn’t mothers day for the Scottish.)

We decided to be more low-key and explore hidden gems near Acholochan House.

• A ruined fort, called Dun Beag Broch. There was only one other group there when we went. The views were beautiful!
• A beach ofLoch Bracadale, just a short walk from Acholochan House, where we could see wild sea lions basking on little islands off the shore. It was so beautiful. We had this gem all to ourselves

It’s days like today that remind me why I love travel, and making these memories with my family.

Day 8: Drive from the Isle of Skye to Glasgow

The drive from Isle of Skye to Glasgow is a long one (5 hours.) And there are many worthwhile places to stop along the way.

Here are the stops we made:

• Eilean Donan Castle, supposedly the prettiest castle in Scotland. We agreed, we really liked it. Get here early, as the parking lot filled up when we went and we were lucky to get a spot (this was May.) LOTS of food on site where you can eat lunch
• Fort William for lunch. Many people choose to spend 1-2 nights in Fort William but we just drove through and stopped for lunch
• Luss, at Loch Lomond. Beautiful, charming little town with old stone houses, and a beach! We were inspired by this blog post about an afternoon in Loch Lomond. This is another place where you could spend a night or two. 45 mintues from Glasgow

We decided to skip the Glenfillan Viaduct Visitor Centre, but it’s a very popular stop for tourists. For one, it would have added an hour to our already very long car trip, for another, we knew it was going to be packed. You may want to build it in if it’s important to you!

Optional: A Day in Fort William

Many people choose to stay overnight in Fort William or Glencoe area.

Fort William is a cute village to explore with lots of hidden gems. And it’s also where you’d take the famous Jacobite steam train.

We decided not to do this. We simply drove from Isle of Skye to Glasgow making the stops we indicated above. But you can absolutely stat overnight in Fort William if you want – many people do!

If you want to ride the Jacobite steam train, then book early! It fills up quick.

Do you want to fit in everything above on your own Scotland itinerary, but want to do it in more than 1 week, but less than 2 weeks? Check out my 10-day Scotland itinerary. It fits most of the above in in a less tight schedule

Day 9: Fly from Glasgow to Dublin

We stayed overnight at the Holiday Inn Glasgow Airport by IHG. The hotel was ok (just fine, nothing spectacular) but the best part is that its right across the street from the Glasgow Airport! We literally walked there.

Anyone who’s used to travelling knows that travel days basically kill a whole day. And that was mostly all we did today.

It was rush hour by the time our plane landed in Dublin, and took over an hour to gt to our hotel in the city centre. W arrived at our Dublin hotel by 6pm, and checked in.

Day 10: Dublin

On our first day of Dublin, we woke up to the delicious buffet breakfast at Grafton Hotel, where we were staying.

We immediately walked over to St. Stephen’s Greens, and then walked along Grafton street. We were so glad we stayed in the area.

In the afternoon, we did the Book of Kells tour! I missed it the first time I visited Dublin, and am so glad that I did it this time. All of us liked it, including the kids.

The Book of Kells also had a large giftshop where we spent a bunch of money on unqiue Irish souvenirs – but it was worth it, we loved what we came home with.

Optional: Another Day in Dublin

Dublin is a really nice city, we were glad to have another day. Read my post on Is Dublin Worth Visiting to see what things there are to do, and if you should spend more than a day!

On our 2nd day in Dublin, we visited Christchurch Cathedral, and Dublina Viking museum which is attached to the cathedral (but a separate attraction.)

Dublina is probably the best Viking museum I’ve ever been to – so immersive, with live actors, and visuals. Highly recommend whether you’re in Dublin as just adults, or with kids.

We also visited St. Patrick’s Cathedral, which we actually liked even more than Christchurch.

We walked through the old streets of Dublin, and got dinner at Cornucopia – one of my favourite restaurants from last time I was in Dublin. Three floors of seating, healthy homemade plant based food, and delicious plant-based soft ice cream.

Day 11: Drive to Dublin to Galway

After we checked out of Dublin, we decided to stop at Malahide Castle and Gardens. It’s quite large, and you could easily spend a while day there – with or without kids.

There’s a fairy trail, a butterfly garden, beautiful landscaped grounds, a gift shop and a little food hall on site.

There’s also a small coastal village called Malahide, which we didn’t see because we were anxious to head out to County Galway.

It was a hot, sunny day and the drive from east to West Dublin was uncomfortable in the front seat of the car, in the constant sun. But once we got out to the Connemara region, we were blown away by the beauty.

Pulling into the remote Irish cottage we rented felt like a dream. We couldn’t believe it would be ours for a few nights! Here’s the Airbnb we rented.

Optional: Killary Sheep Farm

We wanted to enjoy the remote Irish cottage we rented, it was such an amazing place to stay. So, we spent the day taking it slow.

We did a tour at Killary Sheep Farm, which I recommend. It’s so important to learn about Irish Sheep Farming, how its done, and even how the industry is changing.

I recommend supporting this small family farm – plus, the views of the lake and mountains from the farm were incredible.

Day 13: Village of Clifden and Kylemore Abbey

From our cottage, we drove out to the Clifden, one of the cutest small towns in Ireland.

It was so colourful, and it was right on the water. We did the small trek to the abandoned Clifden Castle which I recommend if you don’t mind 1 km (almost a mile) of walking.

Clifden Castle is one of the many abandoned castles in Ireland that there are to explore, and it was high on my list of ones I hadn’t seen yet.

Warning: I got stung by stinging nettle at the castle, which is a plant you have to look out for in Ireland. I realized afterwards that its everywhere!

We got lunch in Clifden, and then we visited Kylemore Abbey on the way back to our cottage.

This is another huge place where hours could be spent exploring the whole thing. Its also apparently the 2nd most popular attraction in Ireland right now, so expect lots of tour buses. We were here in May, which is not even peak season. We were glad we saw it!

Day 12: Drive to Doolin, See Cliffs of Moher in the Evening

We made the drive from County Galway to County Clare, to check into our accommodation in Doolin.

We stopped in Galway City along the way. I had come here previously in 2016, and its my favourite city in Ireland.

If you prefer more of a city/town atmosphere, then you could also stay in Galway City rather than in a remote cottage like we did.

We spent about 1-2 in Galway (see the things there are to do in Galway here) and then drove on to Doolin.

By then, it was raining. It had been an unusually warm and sunny May in Ireland, and it was our first time seeing rain in Ireland and we’d been here almost a week!

We checked into our accomodation in Doolin, got dinner – and then headed out to see the Cliffs of Moher for sunset hour.

Tip: The area surrounding Doolin and Cliffs of Moher is packed with so many amazing places to stay. Lots of cute B&Bs, some nice hotels, lodges, etc. Read my post on best places to stay near Cliffs of Moher if you want to stay in the area for a night or two.

Optional: Ferry to one of the Aran Islands

One of the benefits of staying in Doolin (besides seeing Cliffs of Moher) is being able to take a ferry to the Aran Islands.

Pro Tip: It’s possible to get to the Aran Islands from Galway too, but its quicker from Doolin because Doolin is closer to the islands than Galway is.

These islands are each unique, with only a few hundred people living on them. Irish is still the spoken language there, and the Celtic history and ruins, and scenery are all so otherworldly.

We woke up at 9 to take the 10 am ferry to Inis Oírr, the smallest of the Aran Islands. You can read more about our day on Inis Oirr, plus things to do here.

Optional: Moher Hill Petting Farm, plus horseback riding

We spent an extra day in Doolin, exploring the lesser-known things.

First, we headed to Moher Hill Petting Farm, which is perfect if you’re in Ireland with kids.

It’s directly across from the Cliffs of Moher, and we could see the Cliffs of Moher parking lot filling up with so much traffic -and we were glad we saw it in the evening when the crowds were fewer.

Then, we made stops at Killilagh Medieval Church, and the abandoned castle below to take photos.

Later in the afternoon, my 12 year old and I did a horseback riding tour with Mountainview Horseback Riding which she talked me into.

I hadn’t ridden a horse since I was a child and its not really for me, but I loved the tour and the horses seem very happy and well cared for.

There’s a lot to do in Doolin, for all ages, so its a good place to spend 2-3 nights for a nice Irish experience!

Optional: Spend a couple days in Killarney

After Doolin, we drove to County Kerry where we spend a couple nights in Killarney. This would be hard to do if you only have one week in Ireland (you would need to spend less time in County Galway which I recommend in the itinerary.)

Connemarra region is beautiful, but County Kerry is stunning too. Read about all the things there are to do in Killarney.

One of my highlights in Irland was visiting Muckross House, and the farms that are attached. It was such a nice way to learn about Ireland and see what life was like there over 100 years ago.

Day 13: Drive to County Limerick

If you’re short on time, and want to skip Killarney, then it makes sense to drive to the Limerick area after Doolin.

Limerick City is a nice place to visit – I visited my first time in Ireland, but not this second trip.

Optional: A Day in Adare

Adare is known for being one of the cutest small towns in Ireland. We personally liked Clifden a bit better (mentioned early in the Ireland itinerary) but Adare is nice too and there are some things to do.

It’s known for those cute colourful thatched roof cottages. There’s also a cathedral, a beautiful park, and some interesting things to see in the area.

After Adare, we drove to a nearby friary and we had it to ourselves! The kids waited in the car while us adults got out to explore it and take photos.

There’s a famous castle hotel in Adare called Adare Manor. If you want to stay here or another castle hotel, read my post on castle hotels in Ireland.

Day 26: Drive to Dublin

We checked out of our accomodation in County Limerick and drove straight to Dublin, which took over 2 hours.

We dropped our car off at the rental place and headed to Dublin Connoly Station. From there, we hopped on a 2-hour train ride to Belfast!

Optional: A Few Days in Northern Ireland

The last few days of this journey don’t technically fit into the 2-4 weeks that I quoted you. But, its very easy to take a train from Dublin to Belfast. It only takes 2 hours and its a scenic ride!

We were glad we made the time for Belfast. Here’s what we did over those few days:

• A full day tour that brought us along a scenic coastal drive of Giant’s Causeway, the Bushmills Distillery and Dark Hedges
• Titanic Museum
• Belfast Botanic Gardens
• Game of Thrones tour (my husband only, because it was his birthday)

Ireland and Scotland Itinerary Planning FAQ

How many days do you need for Ireland and Scotland?

You need at the very minimum 2 weeks if you want to see both Ireland and Scotland – but I would recommend pushing it to 3 if you can! Both countries have so much to offer, and you could easily spend 2-3 weeks in each without feeling like you got to see as much as you wanted to.

What is the best month to visit Scotland and Ireland?

The best months to visit Scotland and Ireland are anytime in between the spring and fall. Summer is a good time too, but they tend to get very touristy. We were surpsied by the crowds even just in May. If you’re visiting anytime between May and September, then book accomodations early, and plan ahead.

Should I do Ireland and Scotland together?

You should do Scotland and Ireland together if you have a minimum of 2-3 weeks to see them. Both countries are very beautiful with a lot to see, and could each fill 2-3 weeks of sightseeing and enjoying the scenic beauty easily. So if you want to squeeze them both in, then block out at least 2 weeks minimum of time and plan your itinerary to prioritize the things you really want. If you have less than 2 weeks, then I recommend comparing Scotland and Ireland to figure out which you’d like more and sticking with just 1.

Final Thoughts on Visiting Scotland and Ireland Together

Visiting Scotland and Ireland will be a trip you remember for a lifetime. I know that spending an upwards of 4 weeks in two such small countries seems like a lot, but the more time you have – the better.

In Scotland, you’ll find dramatic beauty, the most beautiful of UK’s coastal cities, stunning lakes, and the tallest mountains.

In Ireland, you’ll find scenic beauty, a rich heritage, rugged coastal drives, and idyllic small towns and rolling greens.

Both Scotland and Ireland are like dreams to me. Ultimately, both of them have a lot of the same qualities, but they are pretty different in what makes them unique.