Scottish Landscapes

Scottish City Escape: Edinburgh, Inverness & Glasgow in 7 Days

Passengers: 2 adults, 0 children

Itinerary and included services

• Edinburgh – 3 nights
• Courtyard by Marriott Edinburgh West (Edinburgh, United Kingdom)
• Modern and comfortable hotel in the west of the city, ideal base to explore the Old Town, the Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle. Breakfast options available on site, with easy access to public transport.
• Rail transfer: Leuchars → Inverness Railway Station
• Scenic train journey through the Scottish countryside. You will travel from Leuchars to INVERNESS RAILWAY STATION, passing coastal landscapes and rolling hills. Seats can be reserved in advance for added comfort.
• Inverness – 2 nights
• Mercure Inverness Hotel (Inverness, United Kingdom)
• Centrally located hotel on the banks of the River Ness, perfect for day trips to Loch Ness, Urquhart Castle and the surrounding Highlands. Restaurants, pubs and riverside walks are just a short stroll away.
• Rail transfer: Inverness Railway Station → Glasgow Queen Street
• Train journey through the heart of the Highlands to Glasgow Queen Street, Glasgow City. Enjoy panoramic views of lochs, forests and mountains along the way. Comfortable standard class with luggage space on board.
• Glasgow – 2 nights
• The Social Hub Glasgow (Glasgow, United Kingdom)
• Stylish, contemporary hotel with a social atmosphere, ideal for exploring Glasgow’s music scene, museums and vibrant neighbourhoods. Easy access to the city centre, shopping streets and riverside walks.
• Suggested highlights (not pre-booked, but recommended)
• – Edinburgh: Edinburgh Castle, Royal Mile, Arthur’s Seat, National Museum of Scotland.
• – Inverness: Loch Ness cruise, visit to Urquhart Castle, walk along the River Ness and the islands.
• – Glasgow: Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, Merchant City, West End, live music in traditional pubs.

Trip overview

This itinerary offers a balanced journey through Scotland’s most emblematic cities. You will begin with three nights in Edinburgh, discovering its medieval Old Town, elegant Georgian New Town and dramatic castle perched on the volcanic rock. With your hotel in a calm area and easy transport connections, you can enjoy the city’s history by day and its cosy pubs by night.

From there, your train ride to Inverness takes you into the Highlands, where you spend two nights in a riverside hotel that is perfectly placed for exploring Loch Ness and its legendary landscapes. Finally, you head south by rail to Glasgow, Scotland’s cultural powerhouse, for two nights in a modern, design-focused hotel. Here you can immerse yourselves in the local art, music and dining scene before returning home with a complete impression of Scotland’s urban and natural charms.

Recommended guides and reading to prepare your trip

• Guidebooks
• – Lonely Planet Scotland: Great for practical tips, suggested walks and up-to-date city maps.
• – Rick Steves Scotland: Accessible, focused on highlights with cultural context and walking tours.
• Background reading
• – Scotland: A Very Short Introduction by Rab Houston – concise overview of Scottish history and identity.
• – Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson – a classic adventure novel set in the Scottish Highlands.
• City-focused resources
• – Official tourism sites: edinburgh.org, visitinvernesslochness.com, peoplemakeglasgow.com for event calendars, museum info and local recommendations.
• – Walking map apps (such as offline city maps) to plan self-guided routes in each city.