Scotland: Culross, Hopetoun, Falkirk, Inverary & Loch Lomond
(May 2024) - Part 2. For Part 1 of this series, see this blog post.
Continuing on my journey, I wanted to take some more time enjoying the sights of the Loch Lomond area. In my past visits I had only driven through the area. This time I had my eye set on visiting a few spots along the path from Edinburgh to Loch Lomond, as well as a few new places for me to venture around the lake.
Culross
About 30 minutes outside of Edinburgh in Fife, I visited Scotland's most complete and best preserved burgh (village) from the 17th century. At the heart of the village is the iconic Culross Palace with its bright yellow exterior, the very identifyable Mercat Cross, the 1626 Town House and the picturesque authentic cottages on cobbled streets. Of course, the village and palace has been used as a backdrop for various television and film productions, most recently, Outlander which was used for Cranesmuir. Beyond the appeal of being a recognizable place from t.v. and movies, this village gave me an incredibly deep look into a piece of history so perfectly preserved. I was in awe of the details in the craftsmanship - the stories that are being told through the walls and stones themselves.
If you are interested in the history of the witch trials within Scotland, particularly in the area of Fife (the Fife Witch Trials), Culross is one of the key locations where executions occurred. 32 women faced accusations, trials and execution in the year of 1643 alone. And between the years of 1621 and 1652, over 50 people (mostly women) were tried and executed for witchcraft.
After walking about the village, I needed a bite to eat from the cafe next door - Bessie's Cafe.
Hopetoun
Next stop, Hopetoun House. Queensferry is located 30 minutes from Culross village or 30 minutes from Edinburgh.This property is less of a 'house' and more of a mansion or palace. This gorgeous sprawling estate features an incredibly long private drive, farm shop, estate house, forests, and views. This grand 17th century estate is still a residence for Lord Hopetoun and his family to this day. You can pay an admission to tour the house and grounds. With its quite impressive Georgian architecture, it has been featured as a filming location for many period piece television and movie productions. Most recently, it served as a filming location for several Outlander episodes mainly as Sandringham's estate in season 1. If you are an Outlander fan, nearby on the broader Hopetoun estate is the Midhope Castle which is iconically known as Lallybroch from the Outlander series.
Inside Hopetoun House you will find impeccable woodwork and craftsmanship. The wood paneling and lighting on the spiraled staircase is breathtaking. There is a warmth and coziness to the home wrapped in granduer. Absolutely gorgeous. After walking through the property and before heading to my next stop, I needed to grab a bite to eat. I highly recommend grabbing afternoon tea, snack or lunch from the Stables Kitchen. The banger and salad was scrumptious! And of course I had to top it off with a hot cuppa and scone with cream and jam for dessert. Fueled for my next leg, I quickly stopped by the beautiful gift shop and enjoyed my walk back to the car through the forest. Here is my TikTok video of my time at Hopetoun.
Falkirk - The Kelpies
This next stop is sentimental to me, so much so that my tattoo I just got while in Edinburgh was inspired by The Kelpies. Falkirk is located very near to Stirling. There are 2 key sights to check out in Falkrik, one being The Kelpies, the other is the Falkirk Wheel. On this trip, I didn't have time to also stop by the Falkirk Wheel, but I do recommend adding it to your list if you haven't been to it before - it is an exquisite example of modern engineering. When I made my very first trip to Scotland back in 2015, The Kelpies were just completed and the interpretation center hadn't been built yet (it was just a small temporary trailer). So, when I cam back almost 10 years later, I had to come by and visit these beauties and to see the finished interpretive center. It did not disappoint! They are just as impressive as always but with the infrastructure. The Kelpies were erected as a tribute to the work horses that shaped the country to what it is today. You can simply visit them and enjoy their presence, or you can book a tour and go inside of The Kelpies to get a behind-the-scenes on their architecture. The surrounding park and canal are also beautiful and lush - so take a few minutes and enjoy the crisp Scottish air and beautiful scenery to stretch your legs!
Luss/Loch Lomond
My next stop was my next Airbnb tucked in the darling village of Luss on the banks of Loch Lomond. From Falkirk it ended up being about an hour's drive. My next stay features two individual ADUs on a small farm that sits on a hillside. It is still an active Airbnb to this day (Sep 2026). Allison was a wonderful host. We had a lovely chat soon after I self-checked into my unit. The Darroch Garden unit itself had everything I needed for a 2-night stay - full bath, spacious studio bedroom, private hot tub on the deck, tea pot and an assortment of snacks and essentials to enjoy. The unit doesn't include a kitchenette to make food, but between the snacks and nearby eateries, I wasn't about to starve. Minutes after I checked in, I found my way to the private hot tub and enjoyed the opportunity to relax and take in the gorgeous hillside scenery even with a few rain drops. Here is my TikTok video of the Airbnb.
The next day was all about venturing around Loch Lomond and surrounding areas. Inverary Castle was on my list of places to visit for quite some time so being not too far away, I enjoyed a beautiful morning drive along the banks of Loch Lomond for about 40 minutes to my next destination.
Inverary Castle
Inveraray Castle is still home to the Duke and Duchess of Argyll and the seat of the clan Campbell. The Duke and Duchess are very active and present within their community. It isn't beyond them to help work at the cafe or estate gift shop, host events or participate in local gatherings. An original castle stood on the banks of Loch Fyne and was built in the 1400s but long gone to ruin over the years. For the modern castle, the foundation stone was laid in 1746 and the castle we know today was shaped as a result of a fire in 1877. The castle grounds are beautiful and sprawling as it hugs the curves of Loch Fyne. The rounded corners of the home and the beautiful iron and glass cover at the entrance are it's key exterior features. There are acres of manicured gardens and wild forests. And of course it is a chosen film location for various films and television series, including Downton Abbey (as Duneagle Castle), A very British Scandal, and more. It is definitely worth the visit.
If you aren't interested in touring the inside of the castle, you can opt for just paying admission to visit the beautiful gardens. They do have a lovely gift shop and small cafe to enjoy as well. I nibbled on a delicious ham & cheese sandwich, salad and a piece of carrot cake.
Loch Awe & St. Conan's Kirk
From Inveraray, I took a scenic drive around Loch Fyne and then worked my way up to Loch Awe. Not planned, I discovered St. Conan's Kirk. This stone church sits on a hill with breathtaking views of Loch Awe in Argyll. It was build in the early 1880s the Duke wanted to build a church for his mother that was less cumbersome to get to as she aged. He built it in a way to not conform to any specific rules of architecture - and in this case, the church features a wide range of architecture styles. What it does provide is a beautiful resting place for contemplation while you look across the loch. I recommend stopping! There is a darling tea room in the gate house next door. It was the perfect place to grab a hot cuppa before hitting the road again. Check out my TikTok video of my visit to St Cuthbert's Kirk.
The rest of my day was spent take a scenic drive back around Loch Lomond, stopping by rest areas along the way to just take in the scenery and fresh air. Pictures cannot do it justice.
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