A Road Trip Through the Scottish Highlands: Castles, Whisky, and Untamed Beauty
September 2016: Decades of watching romanticized films about kilted warrior clans battling against the stuffy British to the south had instilled in me a deep curiosity about Scotland. The majestic lochs, the wild and sparsely populated Highlands, and the countless castles dotting the landscape were just icing on the cake.
To truly experience Scotland, my wife and I rented a car in Northern Ireland and took a car ferry to Scotland, ready for a journey through the Highlands. We headed north, immersing ourselves in the rugged landscapes, staying in old castles and even camping outside abandoned ones—because what better way to experience Scotland than under the shadow of history?
In our five-day adventure, we made sure to fully embrace Scottish culture:
✔️ Drinking locally distilled whisky straight from Highland distilleries
✔️ Trying haggis, Scotland’s famous (and infamous) national dish
✔️ Driving down tiny one-lane roads, leading to the middle of nowhere
✔️ Exploring remote, untamed landscapes, feeling like we had stepped into an ancient world
We ended our journey in Edinburgh, a city that remains one of my favorite in Europe. With its cobbled streets, medieval alleyways, and the towering Edinburgh Castle, it felt like the perfect blend of history and modern Scottish charm. Scotland had lived up to the legend, and in just five days, we had tasted, driven, and camped our way through the heart of the Highlands.
Our route
Our 5-Day Scotland Itinerary: Castles, Highlands, and Edinburgh
Day 1: Arrival & First Night by Loch Ness
- Car Ferry from Belfast to Cairnryan (approx. 2.5 hours)
- Visit Hermitage Castle – A haunting medieval fortress, often called the most sinister castle in Scotland
- Drive from Cairnryan to Loch Ness (3.5 hours)
- Camp next to Loch Ness, keeping an eye out for Nessie
Day 2: Deep Into the Highlands
- Drive into the Scottish Highlands (3.5 hours)
- Camp next to Ardvreck Castle – A stunning ruined castle on the shores of Loch Assynt, steeped in legends
Day 3: North to Keiss Castle & Wick
- Drive to Keiss Castle (2.4 hours) – A breathtaking cliffside ruin overlooking the North Sea
- Sleep in Ackergill Castle, Wick – A restored luxury castle with a rich history of clan battles and ghost stories
Day 4: Edinburgh & the Supernatural
- Drive to Edinburgh (long scenic drive south)
- Explore Edinburgh – Wander the historic streets, visit the Royal Mile, and soak in the medieval charm
- Night Ghost Tour (Mary King’s Close) – A spooky underground experience exploring Edinburgh’s haunted history
Day 5: Departure
- Depart Edinburgh Airport (EDI) at 11:40 AM
Trip Highlights
🏰 Exploring hauntingly beautiful castles – from Lochside ruins to medieval fortresses
🌄 Driving through the remote Highlands, Scotland at its wildest
🏕️ Camping in epic locations, waking up to lochs, mountains, and history
👻 Edinburgh’s eerie ghost tour, uncovering the city’s dark past
This 5-day road trip was the perfect mix of adventure, history, and immersion in Scotland’s rugged beauty.
Hermitage Castle
Hermitage Castle: Scotland’s Most Haunted Fortress
Nestled along the border of Scotland and England, Hermitage Castle was built in 1240, and it remains one of the most impressive—and eeriest—castles I have ever visited. Unlike many abandoned ruins, it is protected and maintained by a local caretaker who lives in a nearby village.
The castle’s imposing stone walls rise ominously from the surrounding grassy fields, giving it a formidable presence. Its isolated location only adds to the atmosphere, making it easy to see why it has such a sinister reputation. The caretaker admitted that locals often sneak in at night, especially teenagers drawn by the castle’s haunted past.
According to him, the stories of hauntings are very real. Many—including himself—have reported seeing dark apparitions lurking within the castle walls. Given its bloody history, it’s no surprise. Hermitage Castle has long been associated with witchcraft, torture, and gruesome executions, earning its place as one of Scotland’s most infamous haunted sites. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, stepping inside its towering walls is enough to make anyone feel the weight of the past still lingering in the air.
Hermitage Castle
Paula standing in front of Hermitage Castle
Paula standing in front of Hermitage Castle
Sheep at Hermitage Castle
Inside the ruined Hermitage Castle
From Loch Ness to the Wild Highlands: Chasing the Real Scotland
After leaving Hermitage Castle, we drove north for hours, arriving bleary-eyed at a campground on the shores of Loch Ness. The legendary lake was undeniably beautiful, its deep, dark waters stretching into the misty distance. But what I hadn’t anticipated was the overly commercialized tourist circus that surrounded it—shops filled with plastic “Nessie” souvenirs, gimmicky attractions, and selfie-hungry tourists.
Wanting to experience the real Scotland, we wasted no time the next morning, setting off to explore the remote northern Highlands, far from the tourist throngs of Loch Ness.
Into the Highlands: One-Lane Roads & Endless Wilderness
Driving deeper into the Highlands, the roads narrowed to single-lane tracks, where every oncoming car required a game of patience—pulling over into tiny passing points or reversing along winding stretches of road to let them through. But the landscapes were worth it: vast, rolling hills, rugged cliffs, and seemingly endless, untouched wilderness.
Highlands
Paula hiking in the highlands in the rain
Highland Cow
Camping Beneath a 1,000-Year-Old Castle in the Scottish Highlands
The deeper we ventured into the Scottish Highlands, the more it felt like we were leaving the modern world behind. Mist clung to the mountains like a ghostly veil, the roads narrowed to single-lane tracks, and the villages became smaller—medieval hamlets where time seemed to stand still.
As night approached, we found our way to Ardvreck Castle, a 1,000-year-old ruin perched dramatically on the shores of Loch Assynt. The crumbling stone walls, silhouetted against the moonlit water, told tales of treachery, betrayal, and long-forgotten battles. Like many Scottish castles, Ardvreck has its share of haunted whispers, and camping beside it only heightened the sense of mystery.
With the wind howling through the ruins and the vastness of the Highlands stretching endlessly around us, we felt completely immersed in Scotland’s raw and untamed past. There were no fences, no signs, no crowds—just the ruin, the loch, and the eerie quiet of the night. It was exactly the wild, unfiltered Scotland we had been searching for.
Camping at Aardvark Castle
Aardvark Castle
Aardvark Castle
Paulaand I drinking red wine at the Aardvark Castle
Aardvark Castle
Aardvark Castle
Old abandoned house near Aardvark Castle
Aardvark Castle
Aardvark Castle
From Wild Camping to Castle Luxury: A Coastal Hike to Keiss Castle
Leaving Ardvreck Castle behind, we navigated a series of confusing single-lane roads, weaving through rolling hills and remote rural areas in northern Scotland. The drive felt like a journey back in time—tiny stone cottages, endless fields of green, and barely a soul in sight.
Our destination? Ackergill Castle, where, for the first time on this trip, we’d be sleeping inside a castle rather than camping in the cold outside. We had booked a banquet hall dinner and a cozy attic room overlooking the ocean, a well-earned touch of comfort after days in the Highlands. But before indulging in luxury, we had one last adventure planned—a coastal hike to the ruins of Keiss Castle.
Hiking to Keiss Castle: A Journey Through Time
The weather was unexpectedly perfect, with clear skies and crisp sea air—a rarity in Scotland. The hiking path wasn’t exactly marked, and before long, we found ourselves tramping through cow pastures, cautiously maneuvering around some very skittish bulls that seemed just as unsure of us as we were of them.
Adding to the surreal landscape were the abandoned World War II bunkers, relics of a time when Scotland braced for a potential Nazi invasion. Climbing over these crumbling structures, now partially reclaimed by nature, felt like uncovering a forgotten chapter of history.
Finally, as we reached the edge of the cliffs, the ruins of Keiss Castle emerged—a dramatic, wind-beaten fortress standing defiantly against the sea. Perched on the very edge of a jagged precipice, the castle looked as if it could tumble into the North Sea at any moment, yet it had stood there for centuries, battered by storms and time.
Standing in its shadow, with the ocean stretching endlessly beyond, was one of the most breathtaking moments of the trip. Scotland had a way of making you feel small, humbled by its landscapes and its history—a feeling I never got tired of.
WWII Bunker
Paula looking at keiss Castle
Remains of an old wooden boat near a bunker
A Night in a Scottish Castle: Living Like Highland Royalty
One of the unexpected perks of our trip was the strength of the U.S. dollar against the British pound, which made it possible to stay in a historic Scottish castle—an experience that would have otherwise been well beyond our budget. After days of camping beside ruins, this felt like the perfect contrast.
At Ackergill Castle, we decided to fully embrace the experience, dressing up for a fancy banquet dinner in the grand hall. The setting was straight out of a medieval film—towering stone walls, dim candlelight flickering against ancient wood beams, and the faint hum of bagpipes in the background. We ordered locally distilled Scotch, savoring every sip as we relaxed into the sheer luxury of it all.
After dinner, we wandered through the castle’s expansive grounds, feeling like we had stepped into another era. The waves crashed against the rugged coastline below, and the castle itself stood majestic and timeless, a reminder of Scotland’s rich and storied past.
For one night, we weren’t just travelers passing through—we were guests of the Highlands, living in the echoes of history.
Ackergill Castle
View from Ackergill Castle-castle Ruins in Distance on Sea Cliffs
Ackergill Castle
Paula in Ackergill Castle
Ackergill Castle
Paula in Ackergill Castle
Paula in Ackergill Castle where we stayed one night in the tower
Edinburgh: A City of Shadows and Secrets
On our last night in Scotland, we stayed in Edinburgh, and I had no idea just how much I would end up loving this eerie, macabre, and hauntingly historic city. I’ve always been drawn to places with dark pasts and unsettling histories, and Edinburgh—especially Mary King’s Close—was exactly that.
We signed up for a ghost tour to explore the oldest part of the city, now buried underground in a network of tunnels. This hidden underworld was once home to Edinburgh’s poorest residents, crammed together in damp, suffocating quarters. When the Black Plague swept through the city, it spread like wildfire in these cramped conditions. In a desperate and brutal measure, authorities sealed off Mary King’s Close, effectively condemning its inhabitants to death in a last-ditch effort to contain the disease.
Walking through those dark, narrow corridors, knowing the suffering that had taken place there, was genuinely chilling. The silence felt heavy, as if the air itself carried whispers from the past. Sadly, no photos were allowed inside, but I did manage to sneak one—a small, grainy glimpse into a world long forgotten, yet still lingering beneath Edinburgh’s bustling streets.
Edinburgh was a city of ghosts, history, and stories etched into its very walls. It was the perfect way to end our journey through Scotland—a final deep dive into its haunting, fascinating past.
Edinbourough
Edinbourough
Edinbourough
Leaving Scotland, But Not for Long
After our time in Edinburgh, Paula and I boarded a British Airways flight back to San Diego, leaving behind the misty Highlands, eerie castles, and centuries of history that had captivated us. Scotland had been everything we had hoped for—wild, mysterious, and unforgettable.
As we sat on the plane, reminiscing about camping beside ancient ruins, wandering through medieval villages, and uncovering Edinburgh’s haunted past, one thing became clear—this wasn’t a one-time trip.
We’re already planning our return to Scotland someday, because there’s still so much left to explore. More castles to discover, whisky to drink, and remote Highland roads to lose ourselves on. Scotland, we’ll be back.