The west coast of Scotland is stunning – right up there with the likes of the fjords of Patagonian, Alaska, New Zealand and Norway . . . and with the added advantage of castles and whiskey. As an Englishman, I’d travelled far and wide to see great sites around the world and didn’t realise that one of the most impressive was, comparatively, on my doorstep. Stunning and one of the 2 standout highlights of the UK alongside London (see London’s top 10 in summer).
There are various routes to take, but I suggest the sweet spot is the driving route from Oban and up to the Isle of Skye. Plenty of highlights to keep you busy for 3-4 days.
Top tip #1 – you must drive. Whilst you could I suppose make your way by public transport, you would miss out on the real highlight which is being able to stop for 5mins in the various stops along the coast to gorp at the magnificent views, and it would take you overall just a lot longer as public transport in these parts is quite limited. The driving is very much part of this experience
Top tip #2 – even if you don’t like whiskey, the learning about how it is made, the history and the different tastes to look out for in each dram is a very Scottish, and very much fun experience. The distilleries of Talisker and Oban are some of the most famous is Scotland and give you that great taste of the art that is whiskey making
Top tip #3 – you can do this trip all year round. I’ve visited 3 times in winter and found the atmosphere at this time or year, with the far fewer tourists, magical. Of course, summer is also great as the hikes are more enjoyable