Highland Tourist Route

The Highland Tourist Route from Inverness to Aberdeen, or vice-versa, offers a scenic Highland journey between these two great Scottish cities. 116 miles in length, it includes around three hours of driving time. The route from Inverness heads east past the Cairngorms National Park, through Speyside and towards Aberdeen. An ideal trip for nature, history and whisky lovers alike. This tour guides you through beautiful Highland landscapes, past several important historic sites and tourist attractions.

From Inverness in the Highlands…

The route begins here in Inverness. After a great night’s sleep at the Kingsmills Hotel, begin your journey by heading east. Travelling through magnificent Highland scenery, you’ll pass historic sites Culloden Battlefield, Fort George and Cawdor Castle. Then as you head through Speyside, the next stops are Grantown Museum, Loch Garten Osprey Centre, Glenlivet Distillery and The Lecht snowsports centre in the Cairngorm Mountains. This is a stunning part of Scotland to explore, with unspoilt, rugged landscapes, abundant wildlife and so much to see and do.

…to Aberdeen on the north east coast

Then, as you enter the second half of the road trip, you’ll continue east towards the city of Aberdeen. The final stops along the way are the Grampian Transport Museum, Pitfichie Forest and Gordon Highlanders Museum. Aberdeen is known as the “Granite City”, due to its distinctive architecture, built from sparkling local granite stone. It is a wonderful city to visit on a road trip from Inverness, with a large beach, plenty of history and culture, lots of lovely parks and gardens, and great places to eat and drink. Find things to do in Aberdeen during your visit.

Take the Highland Tourist Route

For a full route planner for the Highland Tourist Route, see the Visit Scotland website. And if you’re looking for welcoming, luxurious accommodation for the Inverness leg of your journey, please do get in touch with us at the Kingsmills Hotel. Find more road trips and things to around the region with our Inverness Guide.