Best of Scottish Lochs, the Highlands, Edinburgh & Glasgow — Self-Launched
6 days · Scotland
WiseYatra charges £1,569
No-markup version: ~£420 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 6-day version of WiseYatra's "Best of Scottish Lochs, the Highlands, Edinburgh and Glasgow" — same castles, glens and lochs, but booked independently with hostel/budget-hotel stays, a £30-ish day tour to Loch Ness and Glencoe, a self-guided Edinburgh walk, and a cheap ScotRail hop to Glasgow. Three nights in Edinburgh, two in Glasgow, using public buses and trains instead of private coach transfers. Costs are per person and approximate, based on budget/backpacker rates.
Day-by-day
Arrive Edinburgh — Old Town orientation
Edinburgh
Land at Edinburgh Airport or arrive at Waverley station and check into a hostel in the Old Town or Tollcross (Castle Rock Hostel, Kick Ass Grassmarket or a budget guesthouse). Spend the afternoon walking the Royal Mile from the Castle esplanade down to Holyrood, ducking into St Giles' Cathedral (free) and the closes off the High Street. Climb Calton Hill around sunset for the classic city panorama — free and a 15-minute walk from Princes Street. Stock up on snacks and a SIM/eSIM at the airport or a city shop. Evening: a pub dinner in Grassmarket or a cheap pie from a bakery.
🚌Lothian Buses airport bus (Airlink 100) ~£5.50 single, or tram ~£7; city buses £2 flat fare per journey
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Old Town/Tollcross (£25–35/night)
- →Royal Mile self-guided walk
- →St Giles' Cathedral (free entry)
- →Calton Hill sunset viewpoint
Highlands day tour: Glencoe, Loch Ness & Pitlochry
Scottish Highlands (day trip from Edinburgh)
Book a small-group Highland day tour online in advance (Timberbush, Rabbie's, Highland Experience or Gray Line all run the Glencoe–Loch Ness loop from Edinburgh, roughly £45–65). The route mirrors the operator's day: cross the Forth Bridge, stop in Callander, drive through the Pass of Glencoe, free time in Fort William, scenic run along the Caledonian Canal, refreshment stop in Pitlochry, then back to Edinburgh. Add the Loch Ness cruise (about £18–25, payable on the day) if the weather is decent. It's a long day — 12+ hours — so pack lunch and a water bottle.
🚌Included in the day tour coach; no extra transport cost
🛏Same Edinburgh hostel/guesthouse (night 2 of 3)
- →Forth Bridge crossing
- →Callander stop
- →Pass of Glencoe
- →Fort William free time
- →Caledonian Canal drive
- →Pitlochry refreshment stop
- →Optional Loch Ness cruise (~£20)
Edinburgh Castle & Old Town walking tour
Edinburgh
Pre-book Edinburgh Castle skip-the-line tickets direct on the official Historic Environment Scotland site (~£21) — cheaper than resellers and you avoid the queue. Join a free 'pay-what-you-want' walking tour (Sandemans or Edinburgh Free Tour) covering the Royal Mile, Greyfriars Kirkyard and Grassmarket — tip £5–10. Afternoon: free museums if it rains (National Museum of Scotland, Scottish National Gallery), or hike Arthur's Seat for the best free view in the city. Evening: cheap eats on Nicholson Street or a BYOB curry on Clerk Street.
🚌All walkable; occasional £2 bus
🛏Same Edinburgh hostel/guesthouse (night 3 of 3)
- →Edinburgh Castle (pre-booked ~£21)
- →Free walking tour of Royal Mile, Greyfriars Kirkyard & Grassmarket (tip-based)
- →Arthur's Seat hike or free national museums
Train to Glasgow — West End & city centre
Glasgow
Take a ScotRail train from Edinburgh Waverley to Glasgow Queen Street — 50 minutes, about £14–16 return if bought in advance (off-peak singles can be under £10). Drop bags at a West End or Merchant City hostel (Euro Hostel Glasgow, Glasgow Youth Hostel at Loch Ard). Walk the Style Mile, Glasgow Cathedral and the Necropolis, then head to the West End for Kelvingrove Art Gallery (free), the University cloisters and Ashton Lane. Evening: live music in a pub or a cheap meal in Finnieston.
🚌ScotRail Edinburgh–Glasgow Queen Street ~£8–16 one way
🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, Glasgow city centre/West End (£22–32/night)
- →Glasgow Cathedral & Necropolis (free)
- →Kelvingrove Art Gallery (free)
- →University of Glasgow cloisters
- →Ashton Lane & Finnieston evening
Loch Lomond, Luss & Stirling Castle
Loch Lomond & Stirling
Do this independently by train and bus: ScotRail from Glasgow Queen Street to Balloch (45 min, ~£6 return) puts you at the south end of Loch Lomond; walk the loch shore or hire a bike. Alternatively take the train to Arrochar & Tarbet for hill views. For Stirling Castle, take a train from Glasgow to Stirling (~30 min, ~£9 return) and buy castle entry direct from Historic Environment Scotland (~£20). If you'd rather have the scenic Trossachs drive and Luss village stop in one go, book a small-group Loch Lomond & Trossachs day tour (~£45–55) — it's still far cheaper than the package. Optional Loch Lomond boat cruise ~£15.
🚌ScotRail Glasgow–Balloch ~£6 return and/or Glasgow–Stirling ~£9 return, plus local buses
🛏Same Glasgow hostel/budget hotel (night 2 of 2)
- →Loch Lomond shore walk at Balloch
- →Optional Loch Lomond cruise (~£15)
- →Train to Stirling & Stirling Castle (~£20 entry)
- →Optional Trossachs small-group day tour (~£50)
Glasgow morning & departure
Glasgow
Final morning: browse the Barras market or Buchanan Street, grab a full Scottish breakfast at a café (£8–10), and pick up last souvenirs. Glasgow Airport is 15 minutes from Central Station by the First 500 airport bus (~£9), or take a direct train back to Edinburgh (50 min, ~£10) if your flight leaves from there. Check out by 10–11am and leave buffer time for the airport.
🚌First Bus 500 to Glasgow Airport ~£9, or ScotRail to Edinburgh ~£10
🛏—
- →Barras market / Buchanan Street shopping
- →Café breakfast
Self-launched vs. WiseYatra
| This itinerary (self-launched) | WiseYatra | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£420 | £1,569 |
| Duration | 6 days | 6 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,149 per person (73%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more WiseYatra-style trips? Check them out here.~£420
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Best of Scottish Lochs, the Highlands, Edinburgh & Glasgow — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £420 per person for 6 days in Scotland. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with WiseYatra?+
Yes — WiseYatra charges around £1,569 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £420 — a saving of roughly £1,149 (73%) per person.
How long is the Scotland trip?+
This itinerary runs 6 days, covering 6 day-by-day stops through Scotland.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, hiking, budget trip through Scotland, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
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