Visit Scotland in Winter: Multi-Day Itinerary and Guide

Visit Scotland in winter for a wonderful holiday destination!

[Updated April 2020]

This post contains affiliate links for which Expedition Wildlife may receive a commission (where applicable) at no additional cost to you.

Spending the holiday season in the Scottish Highlands is perfect for those who love the outdoors and don’t mind bundling up a little bit to head out and explore.

Christmas markets fill the cobblestone streets of centuries-old towns and cities. Jovial laughter and singing spill out of warmly-lit restaurants and bars. And, the tourist crowds are all but nonexistent compared to summertime.

Visiting Scotland in Wintertime

Of course, you don’t have to go in wintertime for this to be an amazing itinerary.

There are only about six hours of daylight in December. Despite the shorter days, there’s plenty to see and do during the day. The shorter days also allow for later starts to the morning, which is ideal on vacation.

If you’re coming in wintertime, definitely think ahead about the sites you most want to see. You’ll need to fit them in during the sunny parts of the day!

Don’t worry about not getting to see Scottish wildlife in wintertime. There’s plenty to see, even when the snow begins to fall. You’ll find a handful of wildlife spotting opportunities in this itinerary!

If you explore the Highlands outside of the winter season, you’ll have longer days and thus more time to see more sites.

Trust us, more time to see the sights Highlands is always a good thing!!

Loch Leven of Glencoe is stunning any time of day, especially at sunrise and sunset. Photo by Christa Rolls

How long to spend in the Highlands

This particular itinerary is for 8 days and mimics the same itinerary we took on our visit to the Highlands.

Of course, this is a suggested itinerary, so if there are destinations that most interest you, go with those! Any of these days can be coupled together, as long as you have a means of getting from one place to the next.

Getting to the Highlands

The two major airports to fly into are Edinburgh and Glasgow.

We flew through Edinburgh, which is why it’s on this itinerary. We also wanted to hit up some of the Harry Potter-inspired locations in Edinburgh. Feel free, however, to start your journey from Glasgow.

Rental car facilities, trains, buses, and taxis all depart from both airports to get into the city.

If you aren’t interested in seeing the city, feel free to skip on ahead to the Highlands right off the bat!

I REALLY recommend a visit to Edinburgh, though.

Getting around the Highlands

This itinerary depends on being comfortable with driving in Scotland (opposite side of the road from the United States and much of the rest of Europe). Keep this in mind as you prepare for your trip.

Car rental companies are at both major airports as well as directly in the city. However, driving in the city (especially if you aren’t used to driving on the other side of the road) can be a little stressful!

Plan out your driving route ahead of time to alleviate that stress.

There are options to explore the highlands with tour guides. Harry Potter lovers can board the Hogwarts express for a day. In a day you can even sample the Highlands or visit the Cairngorms. But nothing quite beats spending time to explore this beautiful region.

Prepare with the right Gear

In Scotland, “there’s no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing” — Sir Ranulph Fiennes

There are a handful of items that comfortably got us through the chilly winter weather in Scotland.

Itinerary Layout 

Feel free to skip ahead to the sections that most interest you!

Click the Google Maps image to see all the sites listed in this itinerary.

Visit Scotland Day 1: Explore Edinburgh

Edinburgh is a beautiful and historic city, emcompassing medieval buildings, lush garden parks, and picturesque cobblestone streets. It’s Scotland’s capital, and also home to Edinburgh Castle and other important historical monuments.

For Harry Potter Lovers

Edinburgh is a Harry Potter lover’s dream. JK Rowling spent some of her time in Edinburgh when she wrote some of the series’ books! Our Scotland visit wouldn’t have been complete without these things!

Black Medicine coffee shop and The Elephant House coffee shop are two places where Rowling is said to have spent time writing. They’ve also got wonderful coffee and cakes!

Greyfriars Kirkyard has tombstones with inspired names, including Riddel and McGonagall. Remember that this is a cemetery, so please be respectful of the grounds and keep your voice level down. 

Coffee and cakes at The Elephant House in Edinburgh, one of the locations presumed to be where JK Rowling wrote some of the Harry Potter Series. Photo by Nathan Rolls

Walk and Shop the Royal Mile

The Royal Mile has loads of tourist shops with everything Scottish inspired you could imagine, from wool scarves and hats to butter cookies. The Royal Mile is so named because it is the main road that leads up to the Edinburgh Castle.

Tour the grounds of Edinburgh Castle

Tour the Castle grounds for a spectacular view of the city and to see some beautifully done war memorials. Head inside to see the crown jewels and Scotland’s National War Museum. Events are held at and around the Castle throughout the year, so check their webpage for upcoming events during your visit!

Walk Calton Hill at Sunset

Calton Hill is the perfect way to get a stunning view of the city, especially at sunset. There are a handful of monuments lining the pathway leading to the top, which are a good distraction from the steep hill you need to climb to reach the end!

Eat at The Outsider for dinner

We enjoyed an incredible dinner, with a jovial and warm atmosphere, at The Outsider. If you’re going on a weekend, be sure to make reservations as they’ll fill up quickly!

Enjoy drinks and live music at Sandy Bell’s

After dinner, make your way over to Sandy Bell’s, a small, local pub with that small, local feel despite it becoming more and more popular. They have live, traditional Scottish music every night, but they fill up quickly!

Tip: If you’re visiting Edinburgh around the Christmas season, the Edinburgh Christmas Market will be open from mid-November into the New Year. You’ll find all sorts of delicious food and local artisans selling handmade artworks at the numerous fair stalls.

Gate to Greyfriar’s Kirkyard, a cemetery established in the 1500s, with beautiful monuments and a nice view of the city. Photo by Christa Rolls

Stay at the Motel One Princes Street in Edinburgh

We recommend staying the Motel One Princes Street in New Town Edinburgh. It’s close to many of the main attractions, but not so much that you’ll be awake all night with music and boisterous noise.

The parking garage for the Motel One Princes Street is about a five minute walk away at the Q Park Omni (Greenside Row, Edinburgh EH1 3AN, UK). Get the discount voucher from the front desk of the hotel to get 50% off the ticket price.

Visit Scotland Day 2: Birdwatch at Visit Loch Leven Nature Reserve, Explore Aviemore

Get Coffee and breakfast at The Milkman

Head to The Milkman for your morning brew, whether that be an espresso, a luscious cappuccino, or a hot chocolate, and a freshly baked pastry. The croissants are flaky and delicious!! This intimate cafe is a wonderful place to start the day.

Birdwatch and Stroll the Loch Leven Nature Reserve

On the way to the Cairngorm Mountains, stop at the Loch Leven Nature Reserve, a Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) site.

Loch Leven is a wonderful place to birdwatch. The Reserve has wooded walks with blinds behind bird feeders, where you spot tits, robins, red squirrels, and various other wildlife in hiding. The marsh boardwalk (£5 for adults, £1 for children) offers great views of waterfowl and birds of prey.

Have a panini and coffee at the Loch Leven Reserve Café before heading north to the Cairngorm Mountains.

READ NEXT | Best Birdwatching Destinations in Europe!

Loch Leven Nature Reserve is a Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) site with an interpretive center, cafe, and trails heading out along the Loch shores. Photo by Christa Rolls

Base yourself in Aviemore to explore the Cairngorm Mountains

Aviemore is an awesome place to experience what the Cairngorm Mountains have to offer because of their proximity to some of the best sites in the Cairngorms.

Aviemore is a small town, so it’s not exactly bumping at night, but there’s still some great places to cap off your evening. The Cairngorm Hotel especially has live music starting around 10 on most nights, allowing you to sit in a relaxed setting over a nice local beer or whisky.

Not many itineraries for a visit to Scotland include the Cairngorms – definitely add it to the list of must-dos!

Stay at the Cairngorm Hotel

We recommend staying at the Cairngorm Hotel, which has great service and is right in the center of the town. This way, you can enjoy dinner and drinks without worrying about driving anywhere afterward.

Eat at The Winking Owl for dinner

We ate at a couple of the local joints in town, and The Winking Owl is perfect for a warm, traditional atmosphere. Right in the center of Aviemore, it has a whole suite of traditional Scottish fare on the menu.

Be sure to make reservations if you’re going on the weekend, especially at the Winking Owl!

READ NEXT | Top Must-Do Activities in the Cairngorm Mountains

Visit Scotland Day 3: See Cairngorm’s Reindeer and Hike Cairngorm Mountain

Grab coffee and a pastry at Asher’s Bakery

Asher’s Bakery is a small café with meat pies and sweet pastries for an early, on-the-go breakfast. Grab an extra, fresh-baked meat pie for a late-morning snack – you’ll need it along with plenty of water!

A reindeer forages on grass and moss at the Cairngorm Reindeer Centre in the Cairngorm Mountains, Scotland. Photo by Christa Rolls

Visit the Cairngorm Reindeer Centre

A visit to the Cairngorm Reindeer Centre is a fun way to explore the mountains.

Take the guided hill tour, a 15-20 minute walk up into the hills where the only free-roaming herd of reindeer in the UK take residence. Arrive about 30 minutes before their opening time in order to secure a spot on their hill tour as they’re first come first served.

We found it incredibly relaxing hanging out on the hills watching the Reindeer forage and interact with each other.

Take a hike around Cairngorm Mountain

The road from the Reindeer Centre goes straight to Cairngorm Mountain.

Most people will head straight up the Cairngorm Mountain trail, but we suggest heading on the trail heading southwest of the car park, following the Leth-choin creek.

Bring your binoculars and step lightly on the trail, keeping an eye and ear out for various wildlife, such as mountain hare, red grouse, ptarmigan, and capercaillie.

For a comprehensive selection on hikes and leisurely walks in the Cairngorm Mountains, check out Cicerone’s guide to Walking in the Cairngorms!

Have dinner at the Old Bridge Inn

Down by the river in old Aviemore, the Old Bridge Inn offers a more gourmet spin on local specialties – don’t miss their fish of the day, caught locally!

Ptarmigans will camouflage themselves in snow patches as they begin getting their white winter plumage. Photo by Nathan Rolls

Visit Scotland Day 4: Wander Elgin Cathedral and Stroll Inverness

Eat Breakfast at the Coffee Pot

Take the morning easy in heading out, and stop by one of the cafes/coffee shops in town. Sunrise in winter in the Highlands typically isn’t until well after 8 AM.

The Coffee Pot is a delicious spot in Aviemore. Though it doesn’t open until 10 AM, you can take your time getting out of town.

Explore Elgin Cathedral

Elgin Cathedral is a beautiful 13th century ruin. Carvings and pictishes can be found in the stones throughout the Cathedral ruins as well as on tombstones in the graveyard. The land on which the Cathedral is located is stunning, just next to Cooper Park and the River Lossie.

Drive to Inverness and check into the Beaufort Hotel

The Beaufort Hotel is located up the hill from the main part of the city. It’s about a 5-10 minute walk to get to the center of everything, but we enjoyed the attentive staff and most of all, being away from the main bars that play music well into the night.

Stroll around Inverness

Inverness isn’t a large city, but it’s a great jumping off point to see many incredible sites in the area.

Tour the grounds of the Inverness Castle and to get a great view of the city. From there, head down to the River Ness to walk along the tree-hewn riverside and appreciate the city’s architecture. We loved exploring the various art galleries, such as the Castle Gallery on Castle Street.

Fun Fact: Inverness has become the starting and ending point for the North Coast 500, a 500 mile long-distance, epic road trip around the northern part of Scotland. If you have time on your visit to Scotland, check it out!

Eat dinner at the Mustard Seed

We highly recommend eating at the Mustard Seed. The atmosphere is warm and fun, so see if you can get a table by the fire or on the upper level.

If you’re a coffee lover like me, don’t miss their amazing espresso martini. The top level of the restaurant offers a fun view of the bar and restaurant from above.

Enjoy some live Scottish music at Johnny Foxes

One of the things I looked into at every destination we went was where to hear live Scottish music – I couldn’t get enough! In Inverness, Johnny Foxes is one of the best places to see live traditional and modern Scottish music.

Scotland Visit Day 5: Visit Culloden Battlefield and the Clava Cairns

Start your day at the Rendezvous Cafe

Start your day off right with a solid cup of coffee and breakfast at the Rendezvous Café. They serve a no-nonsense, full Scottish breakfast as well as fresh baked scones and cakes.

Visit historic Culloden Battlefield

At Culloden Battlefield, learn about the history of the Jacobite rebellion against the British rule, and the tragic ending for the soldiers who fought there.

At first glance, this might look only like a giant field, but really it’s so much more – the way in which the memorials are laid out and the history is retold is respectfully- and well-done.

One of the many memorial stones that line the pathways looping through the moors of Culloden Battlefield. Photo by Christa Rolls.

Take care to be respectful, as you walk on hallowed ground – you’ll pass the memorials erected by the surviving families and clans for those who died at Culloden.

Walk the ancient Clava Cairns

After visiting and spending time at Culloden, drive down some of the back roads, meandering next to farms, historic homes, and glens. About ten minutes away, you’ll reach the Clava Cairns, stone graves dating back thousands of years (it’s approximately, 4,000 years old!).

Entry into the paddock to see the Cairns is free – just drive up to the parking area and let yourself in through the sheep and cow-proof door.

Not only are the Cairns incredibly old, but what is almost as incredible is how well-preserved they are after so many millennia. There are dozens are cairns around Inverness, but these are some of the easiest to see and access.

The Clava Cairns are old burial sites surrounded by stones believed to have been used to astronomical purposes. Photo by Christa Rolls

Eat Dinner at the Fig and Thistle

The Fig & Thistle has a beautiful selection of steaks and fish, all locally sourced. The menu is written out on a chalkboard each day, so their specialties change regularly, but you won’t be disappointed in the options.

Finish the night off with live music at Hootananny’s

Hootananny’s Bar is a staple in Inverness. It’s also HUGE, so there is loads of space to watch live Scottish music with everyone else in town.

Visit Scotland Day 6: Step back in time at Urquhart Castle, Hike the hills of Glencoe

Stock up on pastries at The Bakery

Bidding farewell to Inverness, stop at The Bakery on Tomnahurich Street on the way to Loch Ness. Here you’ll find some delicious coffee and baked goods, such as croissants or meat pies!

Tour Urquhart Castle

Enjoy the drive down to Urquhart Castle along Loch Ness, the largest body of fresh water in the United Kingdom.

You’ll see the pull-off for the Castle before you really see the castle itself. Views from all over the grounds are stunning, especially looking out toward Loch Ness, and you really get a feeling for how huge this Castle was! Its location on the hill above Loch Ness makes it obvious why it was such a sought after location many centuries ago.

Walk the trails of Glencoe

We LOVED seeing beautiful Glencoe during our Scotland visit. Seriously, the scenery here is just stunning. Take some time to appreciate the quiet and surrounding beauty for a couple days.

Glencoe itself is a small, quiet town, especially in wintertime. But it makes a great jumping off point to seeing some stunning locations in the area.

The seemingly endless hills all shades of green, orange, purple, and brown are just waiting to be explored, and there are a ton of different hiking trails to explore all along the Glencoe area.

Even if you aren’t feeling up to hiking, simply driving around this area is totally worth it any time of day. Everything is illuminated in that incredible golden light at sunrise and sunset.

The hills are stunning and you’ll spot numerous waterfalls along the way. Take the opportunity to get off at some of the car pull-off areas to hike around and explore, especially at the Three Sisters car park, where you can get a wonderful view of the Three Sisters of Glencoe.

View from the Three Sisters Car Park, looking west along the Glencoe road. Hidden Valley and its waterfalls are off to the left. Photo by Christa Rolls

Just a little further down the road is Glen Etive, another stunning and scenic site.

Keep an eye out for mountain hare, red deer, red grouse, and other wildlife. Herds of red deer will walk through the hills here, so be sure to be quiet as you walk the road and trails because you can actually get within a good viewing distance as long as you aren’t super loud.

Stay at the Glencoe Inn

During our particular trip, we got a Christmas package at the Glencoe Inn. They fed and housed us for three nights – although the package is pricey, we felt it was incredibly worth it.

Because we were visiting on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, we knew many places wouldn’t be open for lunches, dinners, etc. and felt the convenience of having someone cook for us the whole time would answer our problem.

Check out availability for The Glencoe Inn and other possible hotel options in Glencoe below:

Visit Scotland Day 7: See the Jacobite train at Glenfinnan Viaduct and Monument, Take a scenic drive to Mallaig

Visit the Glenfinnan Viaduct

The Glenfinnan Viaduct is even more famous because the Harry Potter train scenes were filmed at this location. Remember that viaduct scene? And thinking it was all CGI?? It wasn’t.

You can even see the “Harry Potter train”, or the Jacobite Train as it’s called, go across the viaduct at a certain time in the morning. The train will pass over the viaduct around 10:45 AM and again at around 3:00 PM – be sure to arrive at least thirty minutes before the train is set to pass over, as it takes time to walk from the parking area to the viaduct!

Check the website for updated train schedules and to make sure the train is running.

The Glenfinnan Viaduct and surrounding hills are illuminated by the morning sun. A trail runs right under the Viaduct to allow visitors a better view of the surrounding area from the top of a nearby hill. Photo by Christa Rolls

Visit the Glenfinnan Monument

After you’ve seen the Jacobite and hiked the viaduct trail, walk over to the Glenfinnan Monument.

This is the location where the Jacobite uprising first began, when “Bonnie Prince Charlie” erected his flag to let it be known that he intended to take Scotland back from the British.

Keep an eye out for birds of prey all along the roads and in the moors hunting for small mammals. Even in wintertime there are plenty of birds to be seen!

Drive the scenic route to Mallaig

As you go along the coast to Mallaig, you might even see seals near some of the more remote shores, as seals will give birth to their pups until December.

Mallaig is quiet in wintertime, and if you aren’t going to Skye then there isn’t much to do in the town itself. The scenery on the drive up is worth it, however!

Get some tasty Fish and Chips for lunch

Jaffy’s Fish and Chips is known for its namesake fish and chips. Situated by the water, it’s the perfect place to enjoy some hot food on a cool day.

End the day with a whisky at the Clachaig Inn

Head on back for a relaxing evening by the fire, or head over to Clachaig Inn for some live music and even a whisky tasting.

View from famous Glenfinnan Monument, looking out to the hills along Loch Shiel. Photo by Christa Rolls

Visit Scotland Day 8: Walk Trossachs National Park before departing Scotland

Stop off at Trossachs National Park for a scenic walk

Given you have time to explore on your last day, we suggest heading south to the Trossachs National Park and Loch Lomond for more sightseeing and hiking.

Ben Lomond, one of the tallest mountains in the Park, has incredible trails leading up to the highest points for wonderful views of the area. It’s also a great place to bird watching any time of year, so bring your binoculars and keep an eye out!

Get a good handle on the various hikes and walks in the region with Cicerone’s guide to Walking Loch Lomond and the Trossachs.

Phew! Look at everything you can see in the Highlands in just a little over a week!! While this list of places doesn’t cover every possible opportunity in Scotland, we feel it’s great for those who want to add some different components into their visit to Scotland as well as enjoy the outdoors.

We hope you enjoy every minute of your Scotland tour!

Let us know your favorite places on our visit Scotland itinerary, and send us a message or comment below if you have questions!

Happy birding and traveling!

Christa and Nathan