The Scottish Highlands offer the North Coast 500 driving loop's 516 miles of single-track sea-edge road, Glencoe's brooding pass infamous for the 1692 massacre, and Eilean Donan castle on its tidal islet.
Highlights
North Coast 500 route
Glencoe valley
Eilean Donan Castle
Cairngorms National Park
Loch Ness
When to Visit
May-Jun
Daylight stretching past 22:00 by midsummer, Cairngorms walking before midges peak, and the Speyside whisky festival the first week of May.
Jul-Aug
Midges at peak swarming Glencoe and the West Coast, but the Highland Games season fills villages, and the daylight remains long for North Coast 500 driving.
Sep-Oct
Cairngorms turn through October with deer rut audible, midges gone, and the Highland whisky distilleries at peak production for the autumn release calendar.
Nov-Apr
Cairngorm Mountain ski runs December-April with the UK's most reliable snow, the Skye Cuillin atmospheric in winter mist, and aurora visible from northern Highlands on dark clear nights.
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