A History Nerd’s Guide to the Highlands

First things first, you’re going to need to rent a car. Hear me out.

The Scottish Highlands make up 10,000 square miles of Northern Scotland. It’s a vast, sheep-filled wonderland of lochs and stunning vistas. What it is not is a place to explore via train. Sure, the U.K. has the whole railway game on lock, but head north and train efficiency, especially from the perspective of a tourist, quickly wanes. Thus the need for your own ride to get to all the old timey sites you are definitely going to want to see. We’re talking Culloden, Urquhart Castle, Fort Augustus, and Stirling Castle.

Rental Car Tips

Rent from an Airport
Could you pick up a car in a tiny village? Probably. But if you want to avoid delays, weird hours, and the chance that one rental company might not have your vehicle, rent from a site with multiple vendors. We used the Newcastle upon Tyne airport. They had four rental car companies on site, so there was a backup if our reservation got messed up.
Get a Car with Excellent Visibilty
The whole point of having your own car in the Highlands is to optimize your viewing pleasure so nix the sports cars (it’ll be raining anyway, I promise, so there’s no chance you’ll be cruising with the roof down) and compact vehicles and opt for an SUV. We got a Nissan Juke which, frankly, left something to be desired in the view department, but it was better than tiny Puegot.
Opt for Manual
For most drivers the world over, the swap to operating on the lefthand side of the road is going to be confusing enough. Don’t add the agony of operating a left handed gear shift to the situation.

Glenfinnan in Scotland — Glenfinnan Monument

Once you’re buckled up, here’s your Highland historic site roadmap…

Start at Stirling Castle

Stirling Castle is where the Lowlands and the Highlands meet. This is your jumping off point and makes an ideal stop thanks to the towering twelfth century fortification that pops seemingly out of the earth atop a violently steep rocky craig.

Give yourself plenty of time to tour the site and time it with a guide.

Do put the Loch Ness Centre on Your List

Don’t roll your eyes. Nessie fever is as much a part of the fun Highlands experience as Culloden. And thanks to a £1.5m refurbishment project last year, the Loch Ness Centre is a kitsch-free interactive hour you won’t want to miss. This is especially true if you’re traveling with children, but even the biggest mythological creature naysayer will find it entertaining.

Don’t Skip Urquhart Castle

Pairing Loch Ness Centre with Urquhart Castle is a natural combination since they’re a 10 minute drive apart. Pro tip: Arrive at the castle early as it gets crowded fast. And do watch the site film first. From there, you can exit the museum and tour the ruins of this 1,000-year-old fortification that is said to be where St. Columbia, an Irish abbot and missionary, worked miracles, brought Christianity to Caledonia and, naturally, first spotted Nessie (because, of course).

Hop in the car to Glenfinnan

With mystical creatures still on your mind, gather your troops in your trusty vehicle and drive two and a half hours southwest to Glenfinnan Viaduct. For all of you Harry Potter fans out there, this is the famous rail trestle that the Hogwarts Express powers across in the Chamber of Secrets movie. Towering 100 feet above the Earth, even without a steam engine chugging along it, it’s an impressive site. Do climb to the top of the trail near the visitor’s center if you want to capture the best images.

And while you’re there, turn west to get an extraordinary view of the Glenfinnan Monument dedicated to Charles Edward Stuart, better known as Bonnie Prince Charlie who lead the second Jacobite Uprising. The eighteen meter high statue towers above Loch Shiel and when the sun peaks out, makes for picture perfect images.

Charge on to Culloden

The next day, make time for Culloden where in 1745, the Jacobites unsuccssfully fought the Duke of Cumberland in an effort to reclaim the throne for Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Stuart line.

We were lucky to nab a private tour thanks to my husband’s former student. She’s the estate manager of the site and was able to let us view the battlefield before the doors opened. Without VIP access, again I’d recommend an early arrival. The recent arrival of cruise ships to Inverness has boosted Culloden visitation dramatically, and while the visitor’s center is extremely well done, it wasn’t designed to accommodate the numbers disembarking these Highland cruises.

And if you have kids in tow, be sure to ask the Culloden staff for a children’s word search. The worksheet requires kids to read the exhibits in order to answer a final word scramble—a genius way to make a tricky moment in history much more engaging to young visitors.

Swing by Ruthven Barracks

An hour south of Culloden is Ruthven Barracks, military ruins George II installed in an effort to maintain the Disarming Act of 1716 following the Jacobite Rising. Amid farmland and grazing pastures for sheep, the barracks remain a stark reminder of Scotland’s revolutionary past.

Stop at the House of Bruar

Ok, Ok, this isn’t a historic stop, but I’m putting in this PSA because if you love plaids and hunt country chic fashion, a visit to the Highlands is NOT complete without pulling over at House of Bruar. Like a Nordstrom of Scottish design, this is where you need to go to accessorize yourself and pick up high quality souvenirs for friends and family back home. They have entire rooms dedicated to tweed, an astonishing variety of waxed jackets, and, perhaps the biggest perk, a gorgeous food hall for you to lunch before shopping.

Back to the History at Blair Castle

Conveniently located RIGHT behind House of Bruar is Blair Castle, home of the Atholl family for the past, oh, seven centuries! While a little shabby chic, Blair is worth a visit because of all its incredible artifacts. You’ll see eighteenth and nineteenth century couture including intricately embroidered ball gowns up close and personal. A Jacobite exhibit explains how the family was divided in the rising and includes an amazing vintage bagpipe. And don’t miss the many stuffed animals throughout—including a menacing polar bear at the entrance.

Thanks to your rental car, all of this and more is easily accessible and saves you the time and headaches of train schedules and site seeing luggage in tow.