You’ve booked your dream trip to the Scottish Highlands, and just before you’re about to go, you check the forecast: rain. Buckets, and buckets of rain. This is exactly what happened to me when I spent a week in Fort William and Oban with my family- it rained six out of seven days during our trip! I live in Scotland, and it’s my job as a Scotland travel expert to help people plan their itineraries, so I had a few ideas up my sleeve. In this blog post, I’m sharing our exact itinerary and some bonus things to do in the Scottish Highlands when it rains.
Rain. It’s a common denominator when you visit the Scottish Highlands. In fact, the West Coast of Scotland is one of the wettest places in Europe! Glen Etive (where we spent some time) averages more rainy days than dry days.
If you’re planning a trip to the Scottish Highlands, you need to be prepared that it is more than likely going to rain.
We travelled with our toddler (who is three) and our dog, Angus, so all my following recommendations are child-friendly and (mostly) dog-friendly.
So if you’re curious how we spend a holiday in the Scottish Highlands when it rains, read on…
Things To Do in the Scottish Highlands when it rains
My Number One Tip
My number one tip when planning a trip to the Scottish Highlands is: book accommodation you will enjoy spending time in, should it rain.
Self-catering is a great option, so if you’d like to stay in and have a games night, you have space to relax. Spean Lodge near Fort William was the perfect base for us because we had loads of room, washing facilities, and a kitchen.
We also loved our accommodation near Oban at Melfort Pier and Harbour Resort. Our apartment was spacious, and it was relaxing to watch the storm raging outside while we were cuddled up and warm! It even came with a sauna and jacuzzi 👀
If you can, book accommodation immersed in nature. I find it so cosy watching the rain hammering nature outside while tucked up warm, with a glass of wine and a book.
DAY 1 – Edinburgh to Spean Bridge 🚗
- We stopped for lunch at The Apiary in Dalwhinnie, where I met a bunch of Kiwis who worked there! The food here is excellent – I highly recommend the Honey Cake. We stretched our legs and took Angus for a quick walk to Loch Ericht.
- Checked into our accommodation at Spean Lodge – a gorgeous Highland home with sprawling gardens. We stayed in the River House (2 bedrooms, sleeps 4) – a spacious self-catering and my favourite base for exploring Fort William (it’s just 15 minutes away).
- Admired the views of the glen at the Commando Monument.
- Had dinner at The Station Restaurant, which was a short walk from Spean Lodge. This restaurant is in the old Spean Bridge train station!
DAY 2 – Exploring Fort William ☔
- We started the day with breakfast at Faith’s Cafe – which was absolutely delicious. Definitely my favourite breakfast/brunch cafe in the area!
- We then drove to the Nevis Centre in Fort William. We went bowling and then took Alex to the soft play to burn off some steam. While the boys played, I relaxed with a book!
- I browsed the Highland Bookshop – one of my favourite bookshops.
- We also checked out the West Highland Museum – it’s such an amazing museum, with interesting displays on Jacobite History and World War II.
- We spent the afternoon relaxing at Spean Lodge. We played games with Alex, painted with watercolour, watched the birds on the bird-feeder outside, and read books.
DAY 3 – Exploring Roy Bridge and Glen Nevis
- We drove through Glen Roy to see the Parallel Roads – ancient shorelines embedded in the hillside that were formed by a glacial lake about 13,000 years ago!
- We also saw the Chalice Stone – a rock with a chalice cup carved into it. The stone marks the spot where Catholics would meet for mass during the Scottish Reformation (between 1560 and 1829) when they were persecuted for their faith, and so had to meet in secret.
- We also drove to Glen Nevis to see the Lower Falls. We parked right next to it, threw on our rain jackets, and admired the overflowing waterfall.
Tips For When It’s Raining In Fort William
- Also check out the Clan Cameron Museum – another wonderful wee museum about one of Scotland’s most famous clans. This also happens to be my Scottish Clan, but bias aside, their history is fascinating. The drive to the museum is also beautiful.
- Pack a long rain jacket that covers your thighs. The Highland rain gets everywhere! You’ll be more comfortable with more coverage.
- Embrace the rain. Dress warm, don your hiking boots, and get outside! You can always shower and change later.
- The Ben Nevis Bar on the main street in Fort William is a great traditional pub to grab a meal and listen to live music when it’s storming outside.
- Plan accordingly. Rain comes and goes in the Highlands, so you’ll find it hammers down, then you have a couple of hours of dry weather. Plan your outdoor activities for this time.
- Stay safe. Flooding can happen with high rainfall. Take weather warnings seriously and don’t go on strenuous hikes when there is flooding or heavy rain. BBC Weather and Met Office are good websites for checking the weather.
DAY 4 – Spean Bridge to Easdale
- We jumped in the car and headed south to Argyll, stopping for a bite to eat at the quirkiest wee cafe near Oban – The Station Bakehouse. It only opened recently, and it’s located in the old Creagan station. It’s beautifully decorated, and one of my new favourite cafes in Argyll!
- Next, we drove straight to a wee island called Seil. This island is accessible by bridge – one of the coolest bridges in Scotland. It’s called the Bridge over the Atlantic because it crosses a narrow strip of the ocean. Seil is one of the Slate Islands, and this was my second visit this year. However, Seil wasn’t our final destination…
- Our final destination was another island called Easdale. You need to catch a small ferry boat from Seil to get to this island- which is dog-friendly and child-friendly too! Bizarrely, Easdale is home to the World Stone Skimming Championships, and is dotted with old slate quarries now filled with water. It’s quite a sight to behold!
- We had lunch at The Puffer (another incredible wee restaurant) while Alex played in the playground opposite. Then we went for a walk around the island, skimming stones in the old slate quarries, and admiring the vibrant heather that has taken over the island.
- We stayed at Melfort Pier and Harbour Resort – which we just loved! Our apartment was HUGE and even came with its own private sauna! We had amazing views of the loch, and our living area looked over the pier. I would 100% stay here again – it’s perfect for families, and it’s dog-friendly too.
DAY 5 – Relaxed Day
- The forecast was heavy rain all day, so we enjoyed a relaxed day.
- We spoiled ourselves with a food shop at Marks and Spencer in Oban (the fancy supermarket chain in the UK), and then I had a browse at my favourite Waterstones bookshop in Oban! This bookshop has an amazing collection of Scotland books, and I picked up several new ones for my collection.
- Back at our accommodation, we played games, did some more watercolour painting and relaxed in the sauna.
DAY 6 – Embracing the rain in Oban
- We decided to embrace the rain and have a semi-outdoor adventure. We visited Dunollie Castle, the seat of Clan MacDougall. It was blowing a hoolie, but we explored the castle and gardens and then sheltered inside the wee museum.
- Next, we went for a drive along Loch Etive to a very special place that has been on my bucket list for a LONG time: Ardchattan Priory. It was magical to wander around the ruins in the rain. The priory was built in the 13th century, and has some of the most interesting carved stones and graveslabs. The history and stories practically jump out at you – I’d highly recommend visiting if you’re ever near Oban!
- That evening we treated ourselves to dinner at the Loch Melfort Hotel – a brilliant restaurant with gorgeous views of the loch and…Highland Cows! After dinner, we wandered down to see them, along with several goats who live in the hotel pastures.
DAY 7 – Final adventures and home
- We had one final adventure planned for our Scottish Highlands trip – a visit to the new Kilmartin Museum, which tells the story of the Kilmartin Glen, a site with over 800 ancient monuments. I have been itching to visit since they opened, and I was not disappointed: the museum was amazing! While it was tricky navigating it with a spritely threenager, there were some interactive displays to keep him entertained while we learned about the incredible history in the area.
- We had lunch at The Glen Bistro at the museum, and I was super impressed by the cafe. It looked out onto a giant burial cairn, and we watched swallows and house martins flit back and forth to their nests in the eaves of the museum building.
- Afterwards, we went for a walk around Kilmartin Glen, where we saw standing stones, a burial cairn you could climb into, and stone circles. Alex and our dog Angus loved running around the fields – and the Haggis and I were happy to get our history fix!
Tips For When It’s Raining In Oban
Because I travel Scotland for a living and I have already been to many places in Oban, here are some more recommendations for things to do indoors if it’s raining in Oban:
- St Conan’s Kirk is one of my favourite churches in Scotland and a wonderful place to visit whether it’s raining or the sun is shining.
- The War and Peace Museum in Oban is a great indoor activity if you’d like to learn more about the town and its maritime history. Entry is free, but donations are appreciated!
- Go on a tour of Oban Distillery – one of Scotland’s oldest distilleries.
- Inveraray Castle is an easy day trip from Oban as it’s just a one-hour drive. It’s all indoors, so you can stay dry while exploring one of the most extravagant castles in the area.
- If you’re heading to Inveraray, the Inveraray Jail is also another fun indoor activity.
Despite the rain, we still had a fantastic time in the Scottish Highlands. I hope that our itinerary will inspire you – there are plenty of things you can see and experience despite the rain.
I would do this itinerary again in a heartbeat even if the sun was shining!
Do you have any more recommendations for things to do in the Scottish Highlands when it’s raining?
Let me know in the comments – I’d love to hear them.
Yvette 💜
