5 Days in Scotland with an Electric Car

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If you’re only planning to spend a short while in Edinburgh, spend what time you have by exploring the city’s breathtaking Old and New Town districts on foot which are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Start at the bottom of the cobbled Royal Mile and take in the Palace of Holyroodhouse, and the strikingly modern Scottish Parliament building before making your way to Edinburgh Castle, built in the 12th century atop an extinct volcano. After that, cross over to the New Town to admire the Georgian elegance of Princes Street, George Street and Charlotte Square.

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Explore the historic streets of this picturesque town and visit grand Falkland Palace, which was built in the 1500s and became a favourite country residence for many kings and queens.

In Outlander, Falkland is one of the first places shown on screen - the town substitutes for 1940s Inverness where Claire and Frank go on their second honeymoon.

Around town you can visit:

• The Covenanter Hotel, which stands in for the cosy Mrs Baird's Guesthouse.
• The Bruce Fountain, where the ghost of Jamie looks up at Claire's room.
• Fayre Earth Gift Shop, which doubles as Farrell's Hardware and Furniture Store.
• Campbell's Coffee House and Eatery, which becomes Campbell's Coffee Shop in the show.

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The Cairngorms National Park is a spectacular mountain wilderness in the heart of the Highlands. There are many different routes you can take through the park, but why not discover one of the less-travelled areas of the park? Cruise along the 90-mile SnowRoads Scenic Route through the eastern portion of the park and witness the landscapes, history and culture which makes the Cairngorms so unique.

See the charming Highland towns of Royal Deeside including Braemar, Ballater and Tomintoul, and climb to the highest public road in Great Britain, the eponymous Snow Road. It’s naturally the first in the UK to shut in the event of heavy snowfall, but a joy to drive at all other times of year! 

Stop off at castles including the Royal residence of Balmoral, famous distilleries, waterfalls and three ‘Scenic Route Installations’, which are outdoor artworks that merge seamlessly with the surrounding landscape and overlook dramatic vistas. 

Find green accommodation in the Cairngorms.

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Spend time in the picturesque town of Aviemore set in the north west corner of the park. Surrounded by spellbinding scenery, it makes an excellent base for exploring the park and offers easy access to an incredible range of outdoor activities. Nearby is the Highland Wildlife Park where you can get tantalisingly close to Scotland’s rarest indigenous species including the Scottish wildcat and elusive capercaillie. 

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A trip to Inverness isn’t complete without visiting Loch Ness. This huge expanse of water is an immensely impressive sight – the loch holds more water than all the lakes in England and Wales combined. In the Outlander novels, Claire and Frank take a cruise on the water and in her 18th century life Claire meets the Loch Ness Monster here (referred to as a water horse in the novel). You can still take a cruise on the Loch today, which is a great way to take in the awesome landscape.

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This pretty town sits around the Caledonian Canal. Surrounded by verdant forest and moorland dotted with purple heather, it’s well worth exploring this area on foot if you have time to spare, with a myriad of low-level walking options available. Enjoy a gentle meander along the canal which forms part of the Great Glen Way or venture further afield to take in spots like the Beauly Firth. 

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Explore Fort William and Glen Nevis, in the shadow of Ben Nevis. With some of Scotland's most dramatic scenery available, filmmakers have used this location repeatedly, including scenes from films such as Braveheart, Rob Roy, Highlander and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

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Featured in Outlander’s opening credits, visiting world-famous Glencoe will be a highlight memory from your trip. Driving through this deep-carved glen feels like you’re entering in a secret part of Scotland. Scenes from Skyfall were also filmed here, in the shadow of Buachaille Etive Mor.

Pull into one of the parking places to absorb the atmosphere created by the towering peaks around you before popping into the Glencoe Visitor Centre. You can grab a bite to eat here before browsing the exhibition.

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The delightfully tiny village of Tyndrum sits in a fertile valley in the shadow of Ben Lui.  A popular stop along the West Highland Way, Ben Lui is just one of many Munros which can be accessed on foot from the village. There are also plenty of shorter distance walks you can take such as the route to the tumbling Falls of Falloch, located just over 4 miles (7 km) from Tyndrum. 

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This 7-mile driving loop through Queen Elizabeth Forest Park near Aberfoyle is a great way to experience the beauty of the park if you don’t have a lot of time. Along the drive, there are three lochs – Reòidhte, Drunkie and Achray – which all offer small trails to discover the woodlands. You could spend all day driving and walking in this area.

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Explore a network of leisurely walks around the Aberfoyle area of the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park which pass through woodland, spacious countryside and sparkling rivers, some leading to mysterious landmarks like Doon Hill and Fairy Knowe which are steeped in local legends. You can also have tons of fun in the canopy of the forest at treetop adventure park Go Ape Aberfoyle.

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One of the smaller lochs located within Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park, Loch Achray is a favourite with photographers thanks to its calm surface, which yields stunning reflections of the surrounding foliage and peaks of Ben Venue and Ben A’an. Both mountains offer challenging day hikes with awe-inspiring views from their summits.

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Hop onboard the SS Sir Walter Scott, a historic steamship which runs on carbon neutral biofuel, and glide across the beguiling Loch Katrine which inspired The Lady of the Lake, the romantic poem penned by Sir Walter Scott.