The 8 Best Day Trips from Edinburgh: Tested + Ranked

The Best Day Trips from Edinburgh 2026: 8 Tested Itineraries

Best day trips from Edinburgh: Loch Ness + Highlands + Glasgow rivalry + Stirling castle + Glamis + Fife Coast + St Andrews — Scottish landscapes 30 min to 4 hrs away.

Quick Summary

Best day trips from Edinburgh: Loch Ness + Highlands + Glasgow rivalry + Stirling castle + Glamis + Fife Coast + St Andrews — Scottish landscapes 30 min to 4 hrs away.

Top 8 Day Trips from Edinburgh

1Loch Ness + Glencoe

Distance: 3 hr 30Duration: Full day

Iconic loch + Urquhart Castle + Glencoe Valley + Three Sisters mountains. Long but unforgettable.

How to get there: Guided day-tour from Edinburgh £40-80, includes Glencoe drive.

2Stirling + William Wallace Monument

Distance: 1 hrDuration: Full day

Stirling Castle (rivals Edinburgh) + Bannockburn battlefield + 67m Wallace Monument.

How to get there: ScotRail train from Waverley, 50 min, £8-15.

3Glasgow (rival city)

Distance: 50 minDuration: Full day

Scotland’s second city — Kelvingrove Art Gallery + Mackintosh design + edgier vibe vs. Edinburgh.

How to get there: ScotRail train, 50 min, £15-25.

4St Andrews + Fife Coast

Distance: 1 hr 30Duration: Full day

Home of golf + ruined cathedral + Old Course + Fife fishing villages (Crail, Anstruther).

How to get there: Bus 99/X60 from St Andrew Square bus station, 2 hrs.

5Glamis Castle + Royal Pageantry

Distance: 1 hr 30Duration: Full day

Childhood home of Queen Mum + setting for Shakespeare’s Macbeth + finest medieval-Renaissance Scottish castle.

How to get there: Self-drive recommended. Or guided tour £50-80.

6Falkirk Wheel + Kelpies

Distance: 45 minDuration: Half day

World’s only rotating boat lift + 30m horse-head sculptures (The Kelpies). Engineering marvels.

How to get there: Train to Falkirk High, 30 min, £8-12.

7Rosslyn Chapel

Distance: 30 minDuration: Half day

Mysterious 15th-century chapel from Da Vinci Code + carvings + Templar legends.

How to get there: Lothian Bus 37 from Edinburgh, 30 min, £4 RT.

8Borders + Melrose Abbey

Distance: 1 hrDuration: Full day

Scottish Borders countryside + ruined abbeys + Sir Walter Scott’s Abbotsford home.

How to get there: Borders Railway to Tweedbank, 1 hr. Then bus to Melrose.

Planning more of Edinburgh? See our 3-day Edinburgh itinerary, Scotland travel guide, the destinations index, or our Ultimate Bucket List.

Edinburgh Day Trips FAQ

What is the best day trip from Edinburgh?

Loch Ness + Glencoe (full day, 3.5 hrs each way) for iconic Highlands. Stirling (1 hr) for the castle + William Wallace history.

Can you visit Loch Ness as a day trip from Edinburgh?

Yes via guided tour (£40-80) — 12-hour day including Glencoe drive. DIY tough due to public transit limits.

Should you visit Glasgow from Edinburgh?

Yes — different vibe (industrial-Mackintosh-edgy vs. Edinburgh’s royal-elegant). 50 min by train. Especially for art lovers (Kelvingrove + Burrell).

Is St Andrews worth a day trip?

For golf lovers absolutely. For others — ruined cathedral + UK’s oldest university + Fife coast worth visiting once.