Discover Scotland

A self-drive holiday through Scotland, with the route and the hotels planned by the operator and the dates chosen by the traveller.

The appeal is the planning rather than the company. The operator runs guided group tours over the same country on fixed departures, and this is the same route knowledge sold without the convoy, the leader or the set dates.

Scotland suits the arrangement particularly well, because the good driving is not where most visitors go. The roads that matter are the single-track ones on the west coast with passing places, the Bealach na Ba, the Duke’s Pass, the old military roads through the Cairngorms and the coast road along the north, and knowing which to link and where to stop is the difference between a week of mileage and a week of driving. Having the hotels booked in advance matters more here than in most places, since the good ones in the Highlands are few and fill up months ahead.

The vehicle is provided, with the model confirmed on request; the full itinerary was not published on the operator’s page, so the route, the hotels, the number of nights and which meals are covered are all worth settling in writing at booking. The price shown is per person sharing. May to September is the window, since the Highland weather is changeable at the best of times, the midges on the west coast peak in high summer and the far north has very little daylight in winter. Going outside the main season means quieter roads and cheaper rooms.