There’s something magical about Scotland, with its rugged landscapes, ancient castles, and misty lochs. We embarked on a two-week road trip across this beautiful country with our friends Matt and Ricci in September 2024. Here’s a snapshot of our unforgettable journey through the land of whiskey, myths, and breathtaking landscapes.

Our journey kicked off in Glasgow, where we stayed two nights in Merchant City, close to everything we wanted to see. Famished from our long flights, we left our rental and walked a few blocks before finding the Smoking Fox (love the name!).

We ate meat pies, mash, mac n’ cheese, and nachos with handmade tortilla chips. The staff were friendly and the pub had a comfortable, relaxing atmosphere. We were pleased with our first meal and happy to have an early night in.

The next morning we enjoyed a hearty breakfast at Wilson Street Pantry, a small cafe with instagrammable dishes. We loved the Eggs Benedict and Ndjou sausage pate. The road directly in front of the cafe is painted in rainbow colors and a great photo opp. After breakfast, we wandered through the Necropolis and visited the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.

The Necropolis is a sprawling Victorian cemetery overlooking the city and adjacent to the Glasgow Cathedral. The crisp morning air mixed with radiant rays of light was the perfect way to start a mystical Scottish morning. The cemetery was opened in 1833 and is the resting place for 50,000 departed souls. It was modeled after Paris’ Pere Lachaise and sprawls across 37 acres of parkland. This is a great place to escape the hustle of the city and take in the city views.

Kelvingrove is a gorgeous baroque style building that opened as a museum in 1901. You can explore 22 galleries of artwork, taxidermy animals and artifacts. The free attraction includes an Ancient Egyptian sarcophagus, Salvador Dali’s Christ of Saint John on the Cross and the famous Floating Heads by Sophie Cave.

Then the REAL adventure began with driving on the left side of the road for the first time. It took each of us about a day to get the hang of it and not feel overly stressed. We alternated between three drivers so we wouldn’t get too tired gripping the wheel on the small country roads. We used a safe word, “skittles”, to kindly let the driver know we were feeling a little uneasy. We learned this from our new friends Tara and crew, from Novia Scotia. Thanks ladies! It really helped save some upset feelings. Ha!

Driving in Scotland is not for the faint of heart, but it’s the best way to get around. Having the ability to pull over at a moment’s notice is ideal. This is how we discovered Merlin and Archimedes carved into a tree across from a gas station and a gorgeous bridge that looked like it was straight outta Fern Gully. 

While we got the hang of driving on the left, if money weren’t an object, we’d hire a driver and save ourselves a few gray hairs.

The haunting grandeur of Stirling Castle and the giant steal Kelpies towering 90 feet above us left lasting impressions. It is the largest equine sculpture in the world. In Scottish folklore, a kelpie is a mythical shape shifting spirit that lives near water and lures travelers to their death. I’m happy to report they let us live.

Before leaving Falkirk, we marveled at the innovative Falkirk Wheel, the worlds only rotating boat lift. It’s a testament to Scotland’s engineering prowess. 

Travel Tips: Buy the Explorer Pass if you plan to visit Edinburgh, Stirling, and Urquhart Castles. You’ll still need to reserve timed entry tickets online, but with proof of your pass you won’t pay the entrance fee. You’ll also have free entry to all historic sites that are open and the pass is valid for 14 days. The number of explorer passes is limited, so buy it at least 2 weeks in advance. Cost is 40 pounds per adult and 80 for a family with up to 3 kids.

DON’T park on the road below Stirling Castle. Drive up to the castle parking lot and pay 5 GBP. We thought we were being clever by parking on the road with many other cars. We walked up the short hill to the castle using the trail, but returned to find a parking ticket on the windshield. The cost was 40 GBP which isn’t terrible, but if you don’t pay it in 14 days it doubles. We could have saved 75 GBP and parked the car much closer if we would have tried the castle parking lot first. Lessons learned!