Driving Through the Scottish Highlands: Johnson Summer Trip Part 1

Bryan Johnson
Aug 17, 2025
9 min read

After months of planning, our big road trip across Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Ireland has finally arrived. In true Bryan fashion, I convinced Katie we didn't need to pack until the night before. Needless to say, our puppies were not excited to see the suitcase and backpacks being pulled out.

Wednesday, July 30: Meet Up with the Parents!

Katie and I's flight left on Wednesday afternoon. Along the way, Katie was excited to see the environment slowly change from standard Southern Spain brown and beige, to finally seeing some green as we neared landing outside of London. At 3:45 pm we met up with Mom and Dad in London's Luton airport, following Mom and Dad's four-day adventure across York, the Cotswolds, and London.

London Luton Airport

After meeting up with the folks, dropping our luggage, and making our way back through security, we found the airport lounge to catch up while teaching Mom and Dad to play Shanghai!

Inverness Airport

Despite a one-hour delay in our departure to Inverness, the capital of the Highlands, we still made it with some time to spare before Budget Rental Car closed.

Budget Car Hire - Inverness Airport

After getting the keys, cramming three medium-sized suitcases in a tiny trunk, and trying to recall my Japan driving (they also drive on the left side), we were off to our B&B for the evening.

Leanach Farm

After 15 minutes of driving, we made it to Leanach Farms. Unfortunately, the front door was locked...Katie drafted an email to the owner of the B&B, but more good news: there was no cell phone service to send the email. So after running around the driveway and yard with Katie's phone in the air and praying for a signal, it finally went through. Just a few minutes later, the owner apologetically let us in the front door and showed us to our rooms!

Thursday, July 31: Inverness, Loch Ness & Coos!

We started our first morning in Scotland by exploring the farm at our bed and breakfast, where we watched their sheep graze, and stood in awe of the incredible environment we found ourselves in! We were then treated to a great breakfast by our host with stunning views from the observatory.

Perk Coffee + Doughnuts

Immediately after breakfast, we were back in the car and off to Inverness. We had about an hour and a half to kill before our walking tour of the city, and everyone felt like they still needed a little more gas in the tank. We decided the best recharge would be some more caffeine and a key lime doughnut from Perk Coffee.

Leakey's Bookshop

In an effort to find Katie and I's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone: Scots Edition, we decided to make a trip to the highly recommended Leakey's Bookshop. This used bookstore was located inside a refurbished old church, and although we didn't find exactly what we wanted, it was still a cool store to walk through and snap a few pics. Nothing like picking out a good book in a church's reimagined pulpit!

Eden Court Inverness

At 11:30 am we met up with our guide, Steve, for a walking tour of Inverness; Steve is a retired history teacher and had a great sense of humor, so we are excited for this tour!

During our tour, Steve walked us past the local theater and a field that has been converted to a live music open-air tent that is used every weekend for local bands to perform. This arena was one of the few good things to come out of the COVID closures- with bands lacking other performance areas, the Eden Court was created!

Inverness Cathedral, dedicated to St Andrew

We also passed by the Inverness Cathedral, which depicts only 11 disciples in the relief sculpture. (Judas was excluded!)

Inverness Castle

Overlooking the city from its clifftop perch is Inverness Castle. Although the most modern rendition was built in the 19th Century, this site has been the center of strategic importance within the Highlands for nearly a millennium.

The Mustard Seed Restaurant

Following our walking tour, it was time for our lunch reservation. Katie has picked through the Adventures by Disney itineraries for the last few years and found this restaurant that Disney brings their guests to when they book a Scotland adventure! If it's good enough for Adventures by Disney, then it's probably worth checking out. The lunch set menu offered a great variety, and it was a good time to relax before making our adventure deep into the Highlands!

After lunch, we spent a little time shopping and exploring the streets of Inverness. Mom and Dad purchased matching hats, while Katie and I enjoyed listening to the street performing bagpipes!

Loch Ness Viewpoint

We left Inverness around 2:00 pm and began making our way to the Isle of Skye, a stunning island full of natural splendor off the northwest coast of Scotland! Of course, being in Inverness at the mouth of Loch Ness, we had to make a pit stop to marvel at our first of many beautiful lochs on the trip. We even saw some movement in the water...maybe it was ol' Nessy?

We learned earlier in the day that lochs were formed during the Ice Age. When glaciers began melting, they cut through the land and formed these deep crevaces of water all along Scotland's Highlands. "Loch" literally translates to "lake" in Scots.

Redburn Cafe & Gifts

Our next stop on the road was easily Katie's favorite experience in Scotland, maybe even on the entire trip. In the middle of absolutely nowhere is Redburn Cafe.

After enjoying some coffee and a delectable chocolate cake, we finally got to the real highlight of our visit to the cafe! For only £1, we bought a bag of coo treats! If you aren't sure what a coo is, it's a Highland cow! Highland cows are known for their beautiful, light brown locks that cover their eyes. They would be perfect in a punk rock band ("it's not a phase, Mom!")

We carried our brown bag of treats across the street, where we were greeted by Esmerelda and Heather. Esmerelda, the three-year-old, immediately came up the gate, ready to enjoy our treats and pose for some photos; Heather, being in her true emo stage and only a year-and-a-half old, was throwing a bit of a hissy fit and didn't want to comply with our good times! After feeding them an entire brown bag full of what looked like compressed wood, it was time for us to continue on our journey.

As I said, Katie couldn't get enough of these two ladies! She wanted to leash them up and take them home...too bad we didn't have a spare inch of space in our car with all the luggage! Ignore her high-pitched talking in the video, but I have to admit these two babies were adorable!

Loch Cluanie Viewpoint

You'll begin to notice that the word count to photo ratio will decrease. There were numerous pull-offs alongside the roads in the Highlands, so I'll just let the beautiful scenery speak for itself.

Again, more stunning views that photos can't do justice to.

Eilean Donan Castle

Our last stop before reaching the Isle of Skye was the Eilean Donan Castle, known as the most photographed castle in all of Scotland. Despite the low tides, we found a better photo spot up a narrow mountain road! Mom and Dad may have held their breath as we navigated the tiny roads, but these tight streets reminded Katie and I of our time in Japan!

Isle of Skye

We have finally made it to the major attraction of the Scottish Highlands: The Isle of Skye. Did I tell Katie I wanted to come here because I wanted to add the "Isle of Skye" sticker to my "World Travels" water bottle? Yes. After this, do I regret making the long drive up here? Absolutely not! Two days wasn't even enough time- we all loved it here!

Sligachan Old Bridge

Our first stop was at the Sligachan Old Bridge! Not sure an image can encompass the Scottish Highlands' vibe anymore: cloudy sky, fresh water creek, stunning landscape, and an old stone bridge! This is the Scottish Highlands in one photo.

As we got off the main thoroughfare towards our cottage, the roads became narrower and more wild, and cell service became spotty! We would pass over numerous cattle grates and had to share the roads with sheep and goats. Anytime we would pass another car, we'd have to slow way down and have two tires off the road just for both of us to get by!

Roskhill Cottage

Around 7 pm, we finally made it to our beautiful cottage for the evening! The cottage was modern, but still had a lot of charm. They even had chickens roaming the property and had feed inside for us to share with our new wild friends. One chicken in particular seemed to grow very fond of us, so Katie affectionately named her Red. Dad threatened to BBQ her if she continued to try and come into the house.

The Stein Inn

For dinner, we made our way 15 minutes north to one of the most remote areas of the island. The Stein Inn is the oldest inn on the Isle of Skye, having opened in 1790. We were in love with the restaurant's moody lighting, exposed wooden beams, and rock walls. The atmosphere was amazing and our food was excellent!

Friday, August 1: Isle of Skye

Our first, and only full day on the island, is jam-packed with exploring as we try to see as much as we possibly can!

Fairy Pools

The first stop of the morning was the Fairy Pools, a 40-minute there-and-back hike to beautiful waterfalls and crystal clear pools. Of course, first thing in the morning, the midges were horrible! The small, gnat-like bugs were swarming everywhere along this hike, making it quite miserable, if I'm honest. Mom swallowed a midge about halfway to the pools, and Katie said she snorted a handful of them on the hike, so after seeing about 3/4 of the fairy pools, they both turned around and walked slowly back to the parking lot.

Dad and I decided to keep trucking on and made it to the farthest pools! The pools were fine, but what's truly stunning is the landscape. I know some people will say the gray, cloudy weather is gloomy, but Katie and I decided to use the term "moody" instead; it definitely added to the vibe!

Café Cùil

Having completed the hike while uncaffeinated, everyone was keen for some coffee and brunch! Fortunately, in the absolute middle of nowhere was a very modern cafe that met our exact needs! Mom and Dad enjoyed their toasties while Katie and I enjoyed some brisket and shakshuka!

Rigg Viewpoint

Following brunch, we spent around 50 minutes in the car, making it to the northeast coast of the island to check out some more incredible viewpoints. I'm going to be honest, very few of these stops were planned. We would just drive around, and if we saw a handful of people parked on the side of the road, we would do the same and see what we found! Most of the pull-offs were well worth the stop!

Kilt Rock

One of the most popular natural attractions on Scotland’s Isle of Skye is the towering sea cliff of Kilt Rock, named for its resemblance to the traditional Scottish garment. The 180-foot vertical cliff is composed of both igneous and sedimentary rock of different colors, which come together in vertical bands and look like the pleats of a kilt. (Not sure I see the kilt, but the cliffs were amazing!)

Old Man of Storr

Next, the most famous of the island's natural monuments: The Old Man of Storr. Formed by landslips and volcanic plugs, these basalt pillars make for an incredibly unique landscape. Scottish folklore says that the rock pillars are actually the fingers of an ancient giant buried at the top of the mountain. Google said the hike was of moderate-to-high difficulty and would take 3 hours to get there and back. After seeing the chaotic parking situation, the group quickly decided that was a no-go, so we opted for a photoshoot from the road instead.

Portree, Isle of Skye

Our final stop of the day was Portree, the largest town on the island. My priorities, in no particular order: get more caffeine, find a Harry Potter book, and find a painting. Fortunately, Portree was able to deliver all three! We were able to snag a copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stane (Scots Edition, and yes, it's spelled "stane" in Scots) at Carmina Gadelica. After grabbing some coffee at Birch Cafe, we were able to get a beautiful mixed media watercolor painting from Cath Waters Gallery! Before jumping in the car to head back to the cottage, we snapped a pic of the colorful houses lining the port.

While this town was pretty small in comparison to most towns we visit, the quaint, secluded vibes of Portree make it well worth a visit!

On our way out of town, we made one final stop for groceries at Co-op Food Woodlands Road, where we purchased chicken, pork, potatoes, and broccoli for dinner back at our Airbnb!

Back at the cottage, we made full use of our wood-burning grill and wood-burning hot tub. Unfortunately, the hot tub never got quite warm enough to be comfortable before the midges came back out! Regardless, the evening was a great success with an awesome dinner, great company, and amazing views! (And no, Red did not get cooked!)