Please make me an itinerary for a week in Scotland in July

[shockthemonkey]

Dear people in the know,

I am planning a week away for my husband and me. The plan is to discover Scotland properly.

We'll begin in Glasgow to stop in on some friends. After that first night, we'd love your help in planning a tour of the west coast in all its scraggly bits - if it can be done in a kind of loop that ends back in Glasgow, so much the better. In all we will have seven nights in Scotland.

We would like to venture quite far north, and definitely visit an island - maybe Skye, or Harris and Lewis. We will be driving but don't know if it's advisable to bring the car on the ferry to the islands during peak tourist season - will they not be clogged up with traffic?

We'd like to take in as many of the country's natural gems and places of interest as possible, but also to savour what we see, rather than rushing from one night here to one night there. Maybe two nights at each hotel/bed and breakfast place is the way to go? Or maybe some destinations only warrant one night?

The more articles and travelogs I read the more confused I am getting. It seems we'd really need a few months to do it properly, so I am looking for help to boil our wishlist down to the essentials.

Our main interests are wildlife, scenery... and hiking - my husband especially, though I have RA so can't go as far and as fast as he can - but I still love a gentle hike. We love good food and comfortable, scenic accommodation. Two things we are not particularly interested in, but that keep popping up, are distilleries and golf courses.

Budget wise, we're pushing the boat out a bit as it's to mark my husband's retirement, so are expecting to pay on average 300 GBP per night, more if it secures a real treat. Conversely we'd also be very happy if a little-known guesthouse comes in under that projected spend, of course!

July is one of the worst months for midges in Scotland! We tend to go at end April/May or end Sept to avoid them

Thank you! Yes we realise about the midges, and we may regret it, but decided to brave them as couldn't easily find another month to do this.

From Glasgow you would be better visiting Arran. Drive from Glasgow to Troon (used to be Adrossan but the hew ferry doesn’t fit). Then take the car over and explore there.

Im Scottish and holiday here at least a few weeks a year. Id go from Glasgow to Glencoe area (Glencoe house is gorg if your looking to splash out on accommodation) theres lots to do in that area within an hours drive for a few days. Id the head up through Fort William, Loch Ness up to Ullapool area where you could get boat to Lewis. Lots to do and see around there too (amazing beaches) On way Back down Id go to Aviemore and surrounding for a few days. But if your looking to go this July id get booked soon!

You could get to Oban and a ferry to Mull and then Iona. From Tobermory there are busy trips where you may see Minke whales, basking sharks, dolphins and lots of sea birds. Any of the Lochs you drive by will have boat trips and nice hotels. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g186501-d13797342-Reviews-Hebridean_Adventures-Oban_Argyll_and_Bute_Scotland.html

I'd recommend at least a few days on Mull. Boat trip to Staffa, ferry to Ulva, lots of hiking opportunities, fabulous places to eat. Also Loch Fyne and a special meal at Inver.

I always ask AI for an itinerary if I go away anywhere. It's usually pretty good.

Thank you everyone! There is a great selection in your suggestions.

Choc, I asked AI just a few hours ago, and it was great too! Gave me ferry times and everything. I will get booked up fast, thanks for the warning Nap.

We off to Mull next Saturday!! A week isn't long enough for there alone!!. Ime.

Arran is Fantastic, the village of Luss on Lock Lomond is great too

Yay, more ideas. We have just found a week in June, so are going a bit earlier in the summer now, in hopes that midges will be slightly less annoying!

We went back to the west coast last September as so much to see, we can never get to all of it when we have time to visit in our Motorhome (from the South of England)

One of our highlights this year was Camusdarach beach, just below Skye, and above Arisaig. Absolutely stunning and because they are remote we were often the only people on the beaches.
We stayed on a fab campsite that also does glamping, and you can walk to 4 gorgeous secluded bays. We watched the Northerm lights there with a campfire on the beach.

https://www.camusdarach.co.uk/

June would be better, weather wise and Scottish school holidays are from start of July.

Mull is a good shout, drive from Glasgow via Glencoe (spectacular), then take the Corran and Lochaline ferries (not bookable so more flexible), but book accommodation ASAP, we usually go self catering but friends have liked the Western Isles Hotel.

We visit Mull a lot (several times a year), trip to Staffa to see the puffins is a must, and/or a whale watching trip, Iona, Lochbuie, Ulva, Calgary and Ardalanish beaches then all the lovely shops in Tobermory. Its a real foodie place, there's many wonderful restaurants and cafes. We love the Glass Barn at the cheese farm, Glengorm coffee shop, Bespoke Bakery and a new find on our last visit was An Cala Ciuin. Look up https://www.mullandionafood.co.uk/

Would agree with the suggestions for Oban-Mull-Iona, as it is a tad ambitious to think you can get to Lewis/Harris and back in the space of a week, even from Glasgow. Combination of roads being much slower to drive than you think, and working round ferry timetables & bookings mean you wouldn't get much time to stop and admire the rainswept stunning scenery.

I've worked and travelled a lot all over Scotland and would recommend less driving and more wandering along beaches. June is generally a lovely month with long days, and Iona is a very magical place. I've been to Iona many times at different times of year, and no matter how horrible the weather was being, the sun has always come out for me there.

Have a lovely time.

Nothing to add to your itinerary OP but regardless of your travel dates, take every midge and horse fly repellant you can 😆
Get a head net, smidge, there are fab wipes to top up. Most of all have the most amazing time here, it's the most beautiful place to travel. 💗 x

https://skyeferry.co.uk

great wee ferry

"The plan is to discover Scotland properly."

I have been here 15 years and am still discovering! You would not 'discover England properly' in a week. We have 94 inhabited islands, 30,000 lochs, over a thousand hills and mountains, similar number of villages. We are 80% of the land area of England - and travel is very slow with few motorways and small roads. To take it all in means more trips....

Don't plan a driving holiday - going to a more limited place and exploring properly is what will get you under the skin of Scotland. Being able to walk on beaches, stop at cafe, go for a daunder through the woods, etc etc. So many tourists in my view expect that Scotland is made up of a few Instagram images / AI suggestions (made from all the Instagram posts...), when in fact exploring slowly and 'off the beaten track' can deliver something really special. I have some favourite places few have visited - Isle of Lismore for a walk to the community run cafe and hope the garden scheme is running, getting lost in the waterfalls and cabins of the Royal estate, the amazing spaces of the Black Woods of Rannoch etc. There is a celtic saying about where the line between heaven and earth is thin - and you need to be both out the way and away from people, as well as take the time to 'see' the places.

A couple of ideas from Glasgow -

• Go a loop via Arran, over Kintyre, and perhaps step on to Gigha (without a car), then return via, Faery Isles/Crinan, Oban and Loch Lomond. Some amazing spots, from beach and island, to town, mountain and forest. Book accommodation so that you have a day of travel and a day of exploring.
• Head to Glencoe, Ft William and Mull - lovely wee 'circuit' onto Mull via the ferries at Corran and Lochaline, onto Mull, off via main ferry to Oban, back to Glasgow via Loch Lomond. Again, book accommodation for a couple of nights at a time.
• Mountains and Forests: Head east - drive up to Aviemore, then daunder over the ski roads to Royal Deeside (Ballater and Braemar), back down to Perth and then over to Loch Tay/Killin, and then back down via Stirling to Glasgow.

Chat GPT...
Put in when , where budget, no of people and ages! I had a cracking itinerary for Seville and Madrid in seconds

Thank you one and all for your amazing suggestions. It's taken a long time booking ferries and hotels and restaurants but thanks to you guys and to ChatGPT I have a great itinerary that brings in Arran, Mull, Iona and Loch Lomond. Some lovely hotels and super dining to look forward to, not to mention all the discovering we'll be doing in between meals.

It's natural beauty and wildlife I get most excited about. I know that some of that wildlife will try to eat us, so we've put in an order for those hats with nets, and smidge and horse-fly repellent, thanks!

When I said I wanted to discover Scotland "properly", I didn't really mean "comprehensively and exhaustively in all its diversity"... I really meant the kind of Scotland I have not seen in either Edinburgh, Glasgow or St Andrews - so the rural, if you like more "authentic" Scotland.

Chat GPT wanted us to stay two nights on Iona but it's a tiny place and we wanted to cover just a bit more ground. We'll be doing a day trip there instead. We would have been interested in one night, but St Columba does a minimum of two nights. To compensate, we are having lunch there and I have booked it already, knowing how in demand these places are!

Iona is stunning, particularly if you get a sunny day. Walk right up to the north or west, there's a good bit that I find more interesting than the village and abbey.

Currently sat in front of this.... In a cosy cottage on Mull 2 mins from the shore....
Weather has been spectacular today.. Double rainbow... Rain. And blue skies.. All in less than 2 hours!

I would throw everything at midge protection. Even stuff that's unproven. (I take B1 / Thiamin between May and October) And anti histamines to minimise itching if you do get bitten.

North coast 500 - I couldn't recommend it enough

www.visitscotland.com/travel-planning/touring/north-coast-500

If you think that's good, wait until you see the rest of Scotland, including the bits without crowds... 😉

@Chocoholicnightmare and @tinytemper66 absolutely brilliant!

Chatgpt, who knew.

Just received an awesome itinerary for an upcoming trip.

Thank you both 🤗