National Parks
Cairngorms National Park
The UK's largest national park in the Scottish Highlands with arctic-alpine landscapes and ancient Caledonian pine forests.
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Road trip route · United Kingdom
Edinburgh to Inverness drive time, distance, costs & the best stops
- Drive time
- 3 hr 24 min
- Distance
- 157 mi
- Fuel (est.)
- £26
- Tolls (est.)
- None
The Edinburgh to Inverness drive
The drive from Edinburgh to Inverness covers 157 miles (252 km) and takes about 3 hr 24 min without stops. That makes it a comfortable one-day drive. Leave in the morning and you'll arrive with the day ahead of you.
Most of it is one road: the A9 carries 67% of the distance. You pass Dunfermline and Perth on the way.
Expect gentle hills rather than climbs. The high point is around 449 m.
Expect fuel for a typical petrol car (~40 mpg) to cost around £26 one-way with no significant motorway tolls on the way. Prices shift monthly, so treat these as ballpark figures.
At 157 miles this is longer than 36% of the 144 routes covered here.
The road, mile by mile
Towns within a few miles of the fastest route, with the time it takes to reach them without stopping.
- StartEdinburgh
- 17 miDunfermline23 min in
- 42 miPerth55 min in
- 157 miInverness
How high it goes
Roads you'll be on
- A9104 mi · 67%
- M9034 mi · 22%
- A907 mi · 5%
Best stops between Edinburgh and Inverness
Within ~30 km of the driving route, worth the detour.
Natural Wonders
Loch Morlich
Beautiful freshwater loch in the Cairngorms with a sandy beach backed by ancient pine forest and views to the Cairngorm mountains.
Museums
Highland Folk Museum
Open-air museum in Newtonmore recreating Highland life from the 1700s to the 1960s, with an authentic township used in the Outlander TV series.
Racetracks
Knockhill Racing Circuit
Scotland's national motorsport centre, a compact but thrilling circuit with sharp elevation changes near Dunfermline.
Scenic Viewpoints
Cairngorm Mountain Funicular
A funicular railway climbing high into the Cairngorms near Aviemore for panoramic alpine views and winter snowsports.
Ancient Ruins
Ruthven Barracks
Stark Hanoverian infantry barracks on a green mound near Kingussie, a free and evocative Jacobite-era ruin.
Waterfalls
Falls of Foyers
A thundering 30m waterfall plunging through wooded gorge above Loch Ness, immortalised by Robert Burns.
Landmarks
The Kelpies
Two 30-metre steel horse-head sculptures towering over the canal at Falkirk, a striking modern landmark off the M9.
Famous Roads
Glen Lyon
Scotland's longest enclosed glen: 34 miles of single-track road along the River Lyon past Fortingall's 3,000-year-old yew, Bridge of Balgie tearoom and the Ben Lawers dam. Sir Walter Scott called it the longest, loneliest, loveliest glen.
What you need for this drive
Rules for each country on the route, in the order you meet them.
United Kingdom
- Motorway
- 112 km/h · 48 in town
- Tolls
- Individual tolled crossings (Dart Charge, M6 Toll)
- Drives on
- the left
Low-emission zones: London ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone).
Checked against national road authorities and the ECB reference rates. Rules change — confirm before you travel.
Famous drives in United Kingdom
Legendary routes you could bolt onto this trip, with real distances and stop counts.
Snake Pass + Peak District
Cobblestone villages, Bronte-novel moors, and the moodiest 14 miles of road in England
104 km · 2h driving · 7 stops · 3 days
Atlantic Highway A39: North Cornwall
Cornish surf beaches, smuggler's coves, and the Westcountry pasty trail
139 km · 2.5h driving · 7 stops · 4 days
Causeway Coastal Route
Belfast to Derry along Northern Ireland's cliff-edge coast, via Game of Thrones country
200 km · 3.3h driving · 7 stops · 3 days
NC500: North Coast 500
Scotland's answer to Route 66: 516 miles of mountains, single-track roads, and empty beaches
755 km · 11.4h driving · 9 stops · 7 days
Edinburgh to Inverness FAQs
How long is the drive from Edinburgh to Inverness?
Driving from Edinburgh to Inverness takes about 3 hr 24 min nonstop, covering 157 miles (252 km). Add time for breaks: most drivers stop every 2 hours.
How much does it cost to drive from Edinburgh to Inverness?
Fuel for a typical petrol car (~40 mpg) costs roughly £26 one-way. There are no significant motorway tolls on this route. Estimates are indicative: prices change monthly.
Can I drive from Edinburgh to Inverness in one day?
Yes, at about 3 hr 24 min of driving, Edinburgh to Inverness is a comfortable one-day drive with a couple of breaks.
Which roads do you take from Edinburgh to Inverness?
The fastest route uses the A9 (about 104 mi), the M90 (about 34 mi), the A90 (about 7 mi). It passes Dunfermline, Perth.
What other drives can I plan on Plan Your Road Trips?
We publish drive times, distances and fuel estimates for 144 routes across Europe and beyond, including 57 other drives in the same country. Browse them all on the routes index.
What are the best stops between Edinburgh and Inverness?
Top-rated stops in the drive corridor include Cairngorms National Park, Loch Morlich, Highland Folk Museum: see the full list of 9 stops on this page.
More drives from Edinburgh & Inverness
Birmingham → EdinburghEdinburgh → AberdeenEdinburgh → Fort WilliamEdinburgh → GlasgowEdinburgh → NewcastleEdinburgh → YorkGlasgow → InvernessLeeds → EdinburghLiverpool → EdinburghLondon → Edinburgh
Planning a bigger trip? Try the free United Kingdom road trip planner, browse every destination we cover, take it with you on the road, or read the driving in United Kingdom guide.