Edinburgh Scotland Trips in 2 Days on a Budget
Two days, two different budgets: a long 12 to 13 hour Loch Ness and Highlands coach day first, from about GBP 56, then an easy GBP 12 to 13 Stirling Castle day by ScotRail. Book the Highlands seat before you land in Edinburgh; the Stirling train can wait until the morning you travel. Longer versions of this base, 3-day , 5-day and 7-day , nest these same two days and add more.
Book these before you go
- A Loch Ness, Glencoe and Highlands day tour , the one genuine sell-out risk in this itinerary
- A Stirling Castle and whisky day tour , if you would rather skip the ScotRail timetable
- A place to sleep both nights, compared on Booking.com
| Day | Trip | One-way travel time | Return cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Loch Ness / the Highlands | 3.5 to 4 hours, coach tour | from about GBP 56 |
| 2 | Stirling | about 50 min, ScotRail | GBP 12 to 13 |
Should one of your two days be Loch Ness?
Yes, if you only have two days total, front-load it. A coach tour from about GBP 56 buys a 12 to 13 hour round trip through Glencoe to the loch and back, and you will not get a second chance at this specific distance on a short trip. Doing Stirling second means you land back in Edinburgh both evenings without a second early start.
Is 2 days enough to see Scotland from Edinburgh?
Enough to sample it, not to cover it. Two days gets you the two extremes: the long-haul Highlands day and the easy near-in castle day. Everything else in this family, Glasgow, Rosslyn Chapel, the Forth Bridges, St Andrews, Glenkinchie, waits for a longer version of this itinerary; a 2 day trip is a taste, not the full base.
Day 1: Loch Ness and the Highlands
Book early, since this is the one day in a short trip that needs advance planning. The Loch Ness, Glencoe and Highlands day tour booked above leaves central Edinburgh around 8am and returns close to 9pm, a genuine 12 to 13 hour round trip covering 155 to 170 miles each way. Expect roughly 7 hours of driving through Glencoe and past Fort Augustus, against 1 to 2 hours actually at the loch. Pack snacks and charge your phone the night before; there is little to do on the coach besides watch the scenery, which is most of the point of the day.
Day 2: Stirling Castle by ScotRail
Direct ScotRail trains to Stirling run roughly every 30 minutes and take under an hour; the current ScotRail fare sits around GBP 12 to 13 for a day return, since the flat rate now applies at any hour. Stirling Castle, run by Historic Environment Scotland , charges roughly GBP 17.50 to 20 online, less than Edinburgh Castle and usually with a shorter queue. Budget the full day: castle first, then a walk through the old town before the train back, and check visitscotland.com for any seasonal closures before you set out.
Two days is a short trip to base yourself in Edinburgh for, so buy both the coach seat and the ScotRail ticket as soon as your dates are fixed. The Highlands tour can genuinely sell out in summer; the Stirling train almost never does.