Discover driving routes in Scotland, with route maps, worthwhile stops and practical notes. Choose a drive by its scenery, distance and estimated duration.
Follow the A701 from Dumfries through Moffat and over the Devil’s Beef Tub into the upper Tweed country. The drive finishes near Edinburgh’s southern approach, keeping the rural through-road as its focus.
Make a substantial Wester Ross circuit from Kinlochewe through Torridon and Shieldaig, returning by Lochcarron and Achnasheen. Mountain walls, sea-loch approaches and open interior roads provide distinct sections around the loop.
Make a longer Perthshire circuit along Loch Tay to Kenmore and Aberfeldy, returning through Amulree and the Sma’ Glen side of the hills. Lochside sections alternate with upland roads and gentler valley country.
Take the A87 west from Invergarry through the upland loch country and Glen Shiel towards Lochalsh. The route shifts from inland mountain scenery to sea-loch approaches near the west coast.
Combine the cross-peninsula Quiraing road with the eastern Trotternish coast and the A87 approach from Portree. The pass is the driving centrepiece; walking trails and ridge viewpoints remain separate choices.
Use the quieter southern side of Loch Ness from Fort Augustus towards Foyers and Dores, finishing at Inverness. Higher inland stretches alternate with wooded lochside country rather than continuous water views.
Follow the A832 from Kinlochewe through Gairloch and Poolewe, continuing around the Wester Ross coastline towards Dundonnell and Braemore. This longer drive alternates open inland country with sea-loch and coastal sections.
Drive north through the remote interior on the A836, crossing the Crask country and passing Altnaharra before reaching Tongue. This is a short, concentrated Highlands drive with open moorland and mountain backdrops.
Climb through the wooded bends of Duke’s Pass from Aberfoyle, continue through the Trossachs towards Callander, then return by the Lake of Menteith area. This circuit contrasts forested hills with gentler lowland roads.
Follow the A85 west from Loch Earn through the central Highlands and the Pass of Brander towards Oban. Lochside stretches, open glens and the constrained Awe crossing create a varied point-to-point touring drive.
Follow a draft interpretation of the Grand Tour’s shorter alternative to the NC500, linking Inverness with the north-west and Wester Ross. The familiar 287 name identifies the itinerary; calculated mileage depends on the exact road anchors.
Travel north from Bridge of Orchy across the open setting of Rannoch Moor before entering the mountain corridor of Glen Coe. This point-to-point A82 drive offers a clear change from wide moorland to steep glen scenery. Keep the pace unhurried, allow for traffic, and choose any walks or viewpoints as separately planned stops.
Link the A708 and A701 with the narrow hill road between Megget and Talla reservoirs. This compact mountain circuit combines loch-country driving with the Devil’s Beef Tub approach, without adding reservoir access spurs.
Follow the established South West Coastal 300 driving track through the Galloway coast, Solway country, southern uplands and Ayrshire. This complete multi-day draft follows the tourism authority’s published roads with optional stop spurs removed, with town and landscape visits planned around the journey.
Follow the Great Glen north beside the long chain of Highland lochs. This is the western-shore A82 drive, contrasting with the quieter south Loch Ness route: broad glen scenery, wooded narrows and an unmistakable arrival beside Loch Ness.
Make a southwest Scotland circuit from Castle Douglas through the Loch Ken area and across the forest road towards Newton Stewart. Return by the southern corridor for a broad loop with woodland, hills and lower farmland.
Take the A86 across Lochaber and Badenoch, then climb the A889 towards Dalwhinnie. Lochside bends give way to a more open upland finish, making a compact alternative to the busier trunk-road touring corridors.
Give the Applecross peninsula its own full circuit: climb Bealach na Ba, continue around the northern coast, and return on the A896. The coast continuation is essential; this route does not turn around and drive back over the pass.
Follow the Dee east from Braemar through Ballater and Aboyne towards Banchory. The A93 moves from higher Cairngorms country into a more wooded valley landscape with several natural places for a town break.
Leave Blairgowrie on the A93 and follow the valley north into Glenshee before crossing the Cairnwell towards Braemar. The route builds gradually from lower countryside into a high, open mountain-road setting. Make it a point-to-point day outing with an allowance for breaks rather than a short return trip.
Follow the A708 from Moffat through the hills towards St Mary’s Loch, continuing along the valley towards Selkirk. This Borders crossing combines enclosed bends with broader loch and hill-country sections.
Follow the core North East 250 touring circuit through Deeside, the Cairngorms, Speyside and the Moray and North Sea coasts. This version excludes the out-and-back Glenshee gateway and town-centre stop spurs. Choose nearby towns and attractions independently from the driving line.
Tour Mull’s north-western roads through Dervaig and Calgary, returning around the western shore to Salen. Long single-track stretches and sea-loch scenery make the mileage feel more substantial than the map suggests.
Drive the core Kintyre 66 circuit down the eastern coast and back along the western side. The B842 supplies the slower coastal section before the A83 opens out on the return; promoted sightseeing spurs are kept off the driving line.
Drive the full SnowRoads corridor across the eastern Cairngorms, linking the Cairnwell and Lecht crossings. This is the established long touring route, distinct from the shorter single-pass drives, with open high roads and wooded Deeside between them.
Take the long A861 arc from Lochailort through Moidart and Sunart to Ardgour. This is an all-road journey around the peninsula’s eastern side, with coastal reaches, woodland and remote glen sections rather than a lighthouse excursion.
Cross the eastern Cairngorms from Ballater through the Lecht towards Tomintoul and Grantown-on-Spey. High, exposed road sections alternate with valleys and settled approaches on this substantial upland drive.
Cross the Lowther Hills using the A702 Dalveen Pass and return through Leadhills, Wanlockhead and Mennock. This road-led loop pairs a broad main-road pass with a more intimate upland crossing.
Cross the north-west Highlands on the A838 beside Loch Shin before joining the coast-bound road through Laxford Bridge. The long inland section is the reason to choose this route, with the far-north landscape as its finish.
Drive down Mull from Tobermory and turn west through the Ross of Mull towards Fionnphort. The road changes from wooded Sound of Mull approaches to long single-track stretches around Loch Scridain and the island’s western end.
Tour the established North Coast 500 corridor around the northern Highlands, starting and finishing at Inverness. This complete draft is a multi-day journey linking the west coast, far north and east-coast return. Continue north around the Applecross peninsula after Bealach na Bà; do not return over the pass.
Follow the A87 from the Great Glen over the western Highlands and across the Skye Bridge. Glen Shiel supplies the mountain drama before the road opens onto Skye, with a longer island run north towards Uig.
Driving times exclude stops. Leave time for the views, check each route’s notes and make the journey your own.
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