May have the opportunity to add on a trip after a few days in London on business. Would be early June.

Definitely want to go to Edinburg, but I've been there before, so I know what there is to see/do. Will prob end the trip there so we can more easily fly home.

Looking for suggestions for 3-5 nights prior to ending up in Edinburgh. I'm leaning toward an Airbnb somewhere on the Isle of Skye, but am definitely open to suggestions. Reading that crowds can make a visit unpleasant.

We will probably rent a car. Preference would be to stay at the same hotel/Airbnb and just drive to see things in the countryside.

Skye is a five hour drive (or more) from EDI. Maybe 3 nights on Skye, and one night stops in between on the way to and from Skye? Like Glen Coe one way (you can take the ferry from Mallaig) and then somewhere else on the more direct route on the way back.

Yeah, I know it's a bit of a drive from Isle of Skye to/from Edinburgh.

I wa thinking we could fly from London Gatwick to Inverness (looks like Easy Jet has cheap flights) since that's a closer drive. Then we would drive from Isle of Skye to Edinburgh at the end of the trip.

I was looking at a Friday departure from London and Thursday departure from Edinburgh (Fri-Mon or Tues in Isle of Skye). That would give us a day or two in Edinburgh

Definitely open to other options, though, if those logistics aren't good.

If you go to Isle of Skye, look into Kinloch Lodge. It's an incredible property.

16th century hunting property, family owned, 1 Michelin Key, fantastic restaurant. It's been on my list for a while! Trying to find a reason to stay there and do some photography and fly fishing.

Let me know if you have any questions, happy to help.

Oh wow...that place looks amazing! We will probably have to book an Airbnb. Will be traveling with a 16 year old, so two beds and separate bedrooms is a must. Starts to get expensive when booking hotels.

TXTransplant said:

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Yeah, I know it's a bit of a drive from Isle of Skye to/from Edinburgh.

I wa thinking we could fly from London Gatwick to Inverness (looks like Easy Jet has cheap flights) since that's a closer drive. Then we would drive from Isle of Skye to Edinburgh at the end of the trip.

I was looking at a Friday departure from London and Thursday departure from Edinburgh (Fri-Mon or Tues in Isle of Skye). That would give us a day or two in Edinburgh

Definitely open to other options, though, if those logistics aren't good.

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Do you drive a stick every day? If you pick up a rental car in Inverness, that's what you are likely to get (sometimes, if you request an automatic, they may not have any at these smaller offices), and I wouldn't want to add that to the complexity of driving on the opposite side of the road. EDI is a good place to pick up a rental car because of the wider selection, and it's a relatively easy place to start your driving on the left experience (particularly if this is new to you).

Here's a sweet looking house, remote, but beautiful surroundings. Not sure if it's your vibe

https://www.plumguide.com/homes/1259473/fireside-dram?adults=3&checkin=2026-06-04&checkout=2026-06-09&utm_source=plum&utm_medium=sharing&utm_content=link&share_id=392eefb3-ac83-421a-8db6-8d6967057ba7&partnerCode=kyle.regitz

Other favorite spots, not necessarily Isle of Skye:
- Glencoe House (they have suites with separate bedrooms).
- Cameron House (they have lodges and apartments)

I do drive a stick every day!

I prob won't be the one driving. I left that decision up to my BF, and he says he's cool with it. If he changes his mind, I don't think we will be going to Isle of Skye. Everything I've read is that it is best experienced with a car.

Thank you! I'm going to check that out later tonight.

I zeroed in on Isle of Skye because my BF loves being near the water. I actually found some small ship cruises that go up the Scottish coast over 5-6 days, but they are pretty much all sold out on our dates. But I figure we can do water/boating activities from a land based stay.

Sure thing! Let me know if you need any help.

Best of luck!

We were on the Skye in June of 2024. Yes, it is busy but absolutely beautiful. I would suggest trying to get going early in the morning to make sure don't have to fight for parking at the most popular places. We spent two days there and could have spent several more exploring the area.

Where did you stay? What town?

TXTransplant said:

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Where did you stay? What town?

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We stayed at Loch Eyre Guesthouse- small bnb out in the country between Portree and Uig. We prioritized location so we could get to the Quiraing and the other sights on the north end of the island earlier in the morning.

I would suggest staying in Oban a couple of nights before heading to Skye. Many Airbnb's to choose on the water. It's a neat little town with great seafood and an old distillery we enjoyed. From Oban you can take ferry to Isle of Mull for a day trip or just hang around town. Beautiful drive from Oban to Skye.

On Skye we stayed at the Monkstadt 1745 guesthouse near Uig. Spectacular scenery in the area you will enjoy. We absolutely loved Scotland!

If you get a rental car in Scotland, rent from Arnold Clark. I've rented from them at Heathrow, Edinburgh, and Manchester. A bit more effort to get to their off-site location, but much better overall experience than Avis, Hertz, etc.

Alternatives to Skye for me would be somewhere around Cairngorms or Glencoe. I thought Skye was really pretty, but was also quite touristy.

If you're in Edinburgh, try the Johnnie Walker Experience. It's a really cool scotch tasting.

My dad and I did that back in October. I did what you did and tacked on a vacation to my work trip to London.

https://www.dunvegancastle.com/holiday-cottages/laundry-cottage/

Stayed here in 2019 and highly recommend. Access to gardens after hours, do the bay tour for local seal colonies. Convenient location for days trips to popular Skye attractions.

Anyone fly out of Edinburgh on the United 757? How is the plane? It looks like about as enjoyable as taking an 8+ hour flight on a 737. This could actually affect our itinerary (although BA is an option, but out of IAH, United is our preferred airline).

I flew a United 757 in and out of Shannon (to ORD) last year. It was as you described. It is a narrow body aircraft, so not much different than a 737 other than length.