Scotland Off the Beaten Track

I stayed at loch Ossian youth hostel which was nice. It was on a lake with several hikes right from the door steps. It’s the most remote hostel in Scotland, only accessible via rail. There weren’t many people so I had the chance to take in the munros in relative silence. I’ve also heard glen affric (sp?) is really nice— and not as remote so you can use your car to get there. Definitely check out glen Nevis. If you choose to hike Ben Nevis (highest mountain in the uk) start early to avoid the crowds

Catch the ferry over to the Isle of Lewis and Harris. It's wild and beautiful with stunning beaches, plus has things like the Callanish stones and black houses to see.

I dont have any by name off hand right now (feel free to DM me) but all over Scotland you shouldn't have too much trouble finding some fairly priced bed and breakfasts. If you dont know what they are (not sure where you are from) they are usually just pubs or inns with a few rooms upstairs. Rarely too expensive and will definitely give you a proper feel of the local culture as they are run by locals and the pub will probably be frequented by all the locals too. Hostels are also dotted around so I'd look into them too. Have a fun trip! The west coast is fantastic.

I did the loop around Scotland in June. The scenery changed every day. There are literally 1000s of bed and breakfasts in Scotland, not sure on prices though. Most of these are not on Airbnb.

Isle of Skye is great, but its super-expensive for accommodation, I found. If you can't get reasonably priced accommodation, I would probably just suggest spend a full day driving there and head back to cheaper places to stay.

Anywhere around Fort William is absolutely awesome for scenery. You could drive up through the middle past Loch Ness up to John o' Groats, then back along the coast counter-clockwise. Much more knowledgeable people than me will give you better tips, I am sure. I stayed one night at a little place called Lochside Guesthouse in Arrochar - it was just nice and a great view from my room over the Loch.

This place is an absolute must-go.... http://www.lochlevenseafoodcafe.co.uk/ I had mussels and scallops and was one of the best meals I have had in a long time. Was recommended by several local Scots and some friends who went. It wasn't even that busy at lunch time when we went. Just thinking about the Mussels cooked in cider (500g) makes me salivate. And it wasn't at a stupid high price either. Check out their menu on their website.

All of Scotland was great. The only other place that I really enjoyed above everything else was Castle of Mey. The history of the place and the tour inside the castle was absolutely outstanding. If you are up that way, definitely do it.

You honestly can't go wrong with the North West Coast. There are so many small fishing towns and villages and if you've got a car they're all accessible to you. It's hard to name a specific one because in a sense it's similar - small fishing town, castles, museums, the odd ruin, mountains, hikes, beaches that are either glorious or windswept and incredible. If you can find accom at this last minute, consider the ferry over to Knoydart, pies in Lochinver, the beach at Achmelvich if it's nice, hike the Scourie headland, walk out to Sandwood Bay on Cape Wrath, anything, really. Hell, you've got long enough to get on a ferry up to Orkney, if you really wanted to and have a thirst for some serious archaeology...

Isle of Barra is beautiful and remote, you can walk from there over the causeway to Vatersay. Barra does have a small hostel, but if you're up for camping you can wild camp in lots of places.

Isle of Arran is also stunning, there's a beautiful campsite called Seal shore, they have a couple of wooden cabins for rent. You can see seals and dolphins on some days which is pretty amazing and there's a lovely walk to a 'secret Library' in the woods.

Rannoch Moor and the area around Corrour railway station. I almost never see anyone talking about going there, and I am not sure how accessible it is by car (I took the train) but it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to.

Will throw in a route local to me:

You can drive from Glasgow down to Grourock, then get the Western Ferry over to Dunoon. Super pretty River Clyde crossing!

Then spend some time in Dunoon. It is a small town with some interesting shops and a couple of artsy places and museums. You can hike up the Camels Hump, which is a really scenic and short hike. The Bishops Glen is also interesting, but less scenic.

A bit outside of Dunoon are the Benmore Gardens, and Pucks Glen which also has some hiking!

After there you can drive up to Inverary. It is a nice drive, and Inverary is really nice tiny little town! They have an old jail you can visit, and a castle which is soooooo pretty. I think it is one of the best in the country. There is a cool hike nearby also which gives a great view of the Loch and the castle.

Then you can go up to Oban, which is a more well known town. It is a nice place to visit! I dont know of any hikes, but you can go up to McCaigs Tower which is a weird Coliseum looking thing on a hilltop.

From Oban you can go on a day trip to Mull, which is a really nice place. Then onto Iona, which is a really rural little island with some cool history and lots of Highland Cows! And of course Staffa, which is like Scotlands Giants Causeway.

And then from Oban it would be a 4ish hour drive up to Skye. Could take a whole day and visit Glenfinnans Viaduct (Harry Potter bridge), Glencoe, Loch Ness, and Fort William. If you stop in Fort William you could take the day and climb Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the UK!

Edit* also Dunoon has the 'Cowal Games' on the 31st of August! That would be a fun thing to attend if you are there for it. Lots of pipe bands, highland dancers, and large men throwing stuff

A good base for you might be Lairg in central Sutherland. A small village right on the edge of Loch Shin it has plenty of walks and stunning views. The beauty of it is though you can explore alot of the north of Scotland within 1-2 hours drive. Dunrobin Castle and Dornoch to the east, Ullapool and Lochinver to the west. Head North to Tongue taking in the breath taking views of Ben Klibreck, Loyal and Hope, then head round the coast to Durness and back in towards Lairg driving right alongside Loch Shin.

I know that your not a fan of cities. But you'll get some great views from Edinburgh! The statues and monuments, the castles, when I visited it was like going into a whole different world! You should really consider adding it to the trip! There's even this area at the top side of the city that that you'll find the most amazing Cliffside view of the whole city! You'll love it!!!