| Recommended days | 5 |
| Budget | ££ |
| Difficulty | Medium |
This was a ‘work’ trip, hence the inefficient routing and the weather could have been better but it’s always good to get away! The Shetlands are spectacular and northern Scotland is just superb, even in the rain. The Scottish Islands and Highlands offer a diverse mix of history and scenery and are always a fascinating place to visit.
Highlands: Ullapool
We drove north and spent the first night in Glasgow before heading to Ullapool to catch the ferry to the Isle of Lewis. We actually had a good chunk of time to explore around Ullapool which made a nice change so we visited the Falls of Measach and it’s ‘fun to cross’ rope bridge and also Leckmelm Gardens. The weather helped here in that both places were deserted, we’ve been to the falls before when the bridge has been crowded and not much fun to cross!
It’s a bit wet … 
Eilean Donan Castle 
Eilean Donan Castle 
Commando memorial 
Falls of Measach 
Falls of Measach 
Falls of Measach 
Falls of Measach 
Falls of Measach 
Leckmelm Gardens 
Leckmelm Gardens 
Leckmelm Gardens 
Leckmelm Gardens
We had almost no time on Lewis, just time to get the work done and catch the ferry back and we then had a long drive to Aberdeen to catch the ferry to the Shetlands. The ferries are very good now and you can get a private cabin with shower for not much more than the base ticket price. Although the beds are narrow I always seem to sleep well on them too.
Shetland Islands
The Shetlands were enjoying a brief respite from the rain so we explored Lerwick and Fort Charlotte before heading to Clickimin Broch. This is one of the many spectacular brochs on the Scottish islands and it is easily accessible, unlike some. It is free to enter and surprisingly intact for an Iron Age building.
The highlight of a visit to Shetland, other than the sheer joy of the remoteness, is Jarlshof which has prehistoric remains to rival Skara Brae and also ruins of a Norse settlement. The staff here are always excellent and it is a great place to wander and clear the cobwebs.
Lerwick 
Lerwick 
Fort Charlotte 
Lerwick 
Lerwick 
Clickminin Broch 
Lerwick 
Clickminin Broch 
Clickminin Broch 
Jarlshof 
Jarlshof 
Jarlshof 
Jarlshof
Highlands: Dollar Glen
After the overnight crossing back to Aberdeen we started our trek home. Of course that wouldn’t be any fun without a few diversions so we took time out to visit Dollar Glen and Castle Campbell. This is in a quite spectacular setting and there is a lovely walk around the glen and waterfalls near the castle. There is also plenty of parking although I’d recommend parking as close to the top of the hill as you can!
Castle Campbell 
Castle Campbell 
Castle Campbell 
Castle Campbell 
Castle Campbell 
Castle Campbell 
Castle Campbell
Edinburgh
Our final stop before enduring 6 hours of motorway tedium to get home was Edinburgh. This really is a wonderful city and every time we visit there are new places to see or things we hadn’t noticed before. We visited the castle again (free to NT members so make the most of it!) and also the Royal Mile but it was pretty tedious in the rain so that was about it.
Edinburgh Castle 
Edinburgh 
Edinburgh Castle 
Mons Meg at Edinburgh Castle 
Edinburgh Castle 
Edinburgh Castle 
Royal Mile
This road trip involved a lot of driving and most of it was tedious motorway work. As it was a work trip there’s only so much flexibility I could build in for exploration.
Luckily the Scottish Highlands and Islands have just so much to see that we have enough left for plenty more visits! The road network is good and the ferry options excellent so it is a really worthwhile place for a road trip.
2011