5 Odd Days Out From Edinburgh
Five days based in Edinburgh adds a coastal, non-golf-pilgrimage day in St Andrews on top of the Highlands, Stirling, Rosslyn and Glasgow. This builds on the 4-day version of this plan; the 6 and 7 day versions extend it with a whisky day and Scotland’s most convincing Outlander village.
Book these before you go:
- Loch Ness, Glencoe and Highlands day tour , seats sell out in summer
- Stirling Castle timed entry , now required in advance to guarantee a slot
- Somewhere to stay in Edinburgh for all five nights, factoring in the new 5% Visitor Levy on stays from 24 July 2026
Day 1: Loch Ness and the Highlands
A small-group coach tour running 12 to 13 hours round trip from about GBP 69 is the standard way to cover the 155 to 170 miles, 3.5 to 4 hours each way, usually via Glencoe and Fort Augustus. Subtract the driving and you get roughly one to two hours actually at the water, so treat this as a scenery day first and a loch visit second.
Day 2: Stirling Castle, the Kelpies and the Falkirk Wheel
ScotRail runs Waverley to Stirling in 40 to 50 minutes, roughly every half hour, fares from about GBP 6.30 one-way. Castle entry runs GBP 17.50 to 20 and now requires booking ahead. Falkirk sits on the same line, so stop first for the free-to-view Kelpies and Falkirk Wheel before continuing to the castle.
Day 3: Rosslyn Chapel and the Forth Bridges
Rosslyn Chapel is a 45 to 60 minute bus ride on Lothian Bus 37, GBP 10.50 with a guided talk, 45 to 75 minutes to see it properly. In the afternoon, ScotRail to Dalmeny plus a 15-minute walk reaches South Queensferry, where all three Forth bridges are visible for free, including the 1890 rail cantilever bridge, a UNESCO site since 2015.
Day 4: Glasgow
Trains run every 15 minutes or so, fastest journey 44 minutes, fares from around GBP 8 one-way. Kelvingrove Art Gallery, the Riverside Museum and the Burrell Collection are all free, and the city stands entirely on its own rather than acting as a smaller Edinburgh.
Day 5: St Andrews
Around 55 miles out, reachable by a direct bus in roughly 2 hours or a train to Leuchars plus a short local bus in about 1h45. The Old Course and the Swilcan Bridge draw the golf crowd, but the free-to-view ruined cathedral and castle, plus a genuine university town centre, make it worth the day even without a set of clubs.
| Day | Focus | Travel time (one-way) |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Loch Ness and the Highlands | 3.5 to 4 hours by coach |
| Day 2 | Stirling Castle, the Kelpies and the Falkirk Wheel | 40 to 50 min by train |
| Day 3 | Rosslyn Chapel and the Forth Bridges | 45 to 60 min by bus, then 20 min by train |
| Day 4 | Glasgow | 44 to 50 min by train |
| Day 5 | St Andrews | 1h45 to 2 hours by bus or train plus bus |
Do you need five days to cover Edinburgh’s best day trips?
Not to cover them all lightly, but five days lets you do each one without rushing back for an evening plan. St Andrews specifically rewards the extra day, since its 1h45 to 2 hour journey each way makes it a poor fit for an itinerary already carrying the Highlands and Stirling.
Is St Andrews worth it if you do not golf?
Yes. The Old Course draws the crowds, but the ruined cathedral and castle cost nothing to view and the town itself, a real working university centre rather than a golf resort, holds up on its own for a few hours of wandering.
Check the St Andrews bus timetable the night before; the direct service runs less frequently than the Stirling or Glasgow trains, and missing one costs real time on your fifth day.