Scotland Road Trip Style Diary
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Amazing coasts, the breathtaking highlands, cows with cool fringes, interesting cities, and spooky stories – a tour through Scotland has been a dream of mine for many years now (and not only since the series Outlander started ;-)). This year, my dream came true and together with my boyfriend Martin, I travelled through Scotland for one week. Uncountable impressions, and more than 2,000 photos are the result of our trip. I’m definitely going to tell you more about our tour. For now, though, I at least want to show you my outfits. I ended up creating my favourite style diary ever. Not because of the outfit (you maybe already know some of them if you have been following RetroCat.de for a bit longer), no, it is due to the amazing locations.
Going through our photos immediately made me smile. And while I’m writing those words, I drink tea from my “Highland Cow Cup”, wear comfortable tartan slippers, while my Nessie plushie is watching me. Nessie, of course, got a very special place at my desk and a promise: One day, I will bring Nessie back to Scotland!
My Scotland Packing List for Outfits: Weather and what else to keep in Mind
The Scotish weather is as changeable as everyone says. All in all, the west is said to be a bit warmer than the east. However, Scotland usually has rather low temperatures, even in summer and especially during the night. During the day, the average temperatures in July and August are normally between 18 and 19 °C, during the night, the average temperatures are even lower and between 10 to 11 °C. Of course it can also be warmer. However, we were in Scotland in August and almost never had more than 20 degrees. We did had wind (especially in western Scotland), rain, and also sunshine. All in all, we were quite lucky and only had one really rainy day. The weather on the other days was quite good with some sunshine, clouds and a just a short rainshower every now and then.
For a road trip through Scotland, I would definitely recommend the layering look. This is quite a challenge if you like to dress very elegant, it is possible to stay warm, dry, and stylish at the same time, though. So in this blogpost, I’m going to show you all my comfortable, but still pretty retro outfits I wore during our tour.
My Scotland Packing List for Outfits
Due to the changeable Scotisch weather, I decided to invest in some basics before my trip, and those things were really worth their money!
What Clothes to pack for Scotland – the Basics:
- A weatherproof and reasonably rainproof jacket is definitely a good idea. I invested in a black parka with a lovely pink flower print by Ted Baker. This is not a real raincoat, a short rainshower, however, is no problem, and the hood is definitely practical. Furthermore, it is a wonderful jacket for the upcoming autumn weather here in Germany.
- Comfortable shoes in which you can walk on swampy grounds are a must for a Scotland road trip. As I usually almost only wear pumps, booties with heels, or ballet flats, I had to invest in some more practical shoes before my trip. In the end, I went for two pairs of derbys (quite classy flat shoes with laces), one in black and one in beige. In the end, I can say the black ones were definitely the ones I wore more, as they are more insensitive than the beige ones. I also packed a pair of Timberlands, which I only wore once, though, as the weather was better than expected. If the weather would have been worse, however, they definitely would have been my shoes of choice.
- I also packed a pair of black pumps for my evening outfits, which was no problem, as I had some space left in my suitcase.
- We didn’t have time for hiking or something like this, so we didn’t need real outdoor-chlothing.
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Most of the things I wore in Scotland are things I already owned. I mainly packed my autumn garments, which was a good idea, by the way.
The Clothes I wore in Scotland:
- Warm dresses with sleeves.
- Flared skirts in combination with sleeved tops. I chose flared skirts, as I personally think they look better in combination with flat shoes than pencil skirts. Futhermore, they offer more freedom of movement and are therefore more comfortable.
- Tights; depending on the temperatures, I either chose thin and sheer ones* when it was quite warm (most of the time), or opaque ones* for colder days and nights (I only needed them on one day and one evening).
- Cardigans and light jackets. As soon as it stopped raining, it was actually quite warm. So cardigans* are a good choice as you can put them on quickly when you feel cold. Furthermore, I was happy to have a cardigan with me, when temperature got pretty low. Then I just wore my cardigan underneath the parka.
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A few more Clothes and Accessories to pack for Scotland:
- A long-sleeved pyjama. It wasn’t really cold in the hotels we stayed. However, I like to wear something with long sleeves and trousers when I sleep in a bed that isn’t mine. Furthermore, if you are not so lucky with the temperatures of your hotel room, a long pyjama can be a real game changer. 😉
- One or two scarves for the airplane and/or when it gets cold during your trip.
- A backpack definitely is much more comfortable and practical than a classy handbag. So you always can use both of your arms to caress highland cows and quickly take a photo, as we all know Nessie is fleet. 😉 I’m not a big fan of huge outdoor backpacks; I simply don’t like how bulky they look. So I went for a small leather backpack I borrowed from my mum.
- A small umbrella, that easily can be put into your bag or backpack makes definitely sense in Scotland.
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Style Diary: Scotland Road Trip
And now, I finally show you all the outfits I wore during our Scotland trip.
Scotland Outfit No 1: A pink Dress for Stirling Castle & Glen Coe
We landed in Glasgow, where we also spent our first few hours in Scotland. Our real first stage, though, was Stirling Castle; an amazing old castle on top of the old town Stirling. Due to its strategic location, it played a huge role in Scotland’s history. Afterwards, we actually wanted to drive to Loch Lomond, but the weather on that day was too bad, so sadly we had to change our route. A short stopover to caress highland cows raised our spirits, and we went on with our trip through Glen Coe to Fort William, were we spend the night.
The weather on that day was by far the worst during our whole trip. So I went for a quite warm pink dress by Miss Candyfloss, which I already showed you here, and teamed it with my black parka by Ted Baker. Flat shoes, a backpack, as well as a huge bun (definitely makes sense when it is rainy) finish this relaxed and comfy outfit.
Outfit Details:
Dress: Miss Victory Violet for Miss Candyfloss, similar here
Parka: Ted Baker*
Earrings: Glitter Paradise*
Backpack: similar here*
Tights: similar here*
Shoes: Beyond Skin
Scotland Outfit No 2: A checked retro Dress for Glenfinnan, Isle of Skye & Eilean Donan Castle
From Fort William, we went on to a short photo stop at the Glenfinnan Viaduct, a popular film location in Harry Potter, for example. Afterwards, we headed on to the amazingly beautiful Isle of Skye, where we inter alia visited the capital city of the island, Portree. Skye was one of the places, where I really wished we could have stayed longer. Unfortunately, our time was limited, so we went back over the Skye Bridge and on to Eilean Donan Castle – one of the most photographed places in Scotland.
My outfit for this exciting day consisted of a warm checkered dress by Miss Candyfloss (I already showed it here), a black cardigan, flat shoes, as well as a backpack.
Outfit Details:
Dress: Idda van Munster for Miss Candyfloss, similar here* and here*
Cardigan: Fornarina, similar here*
Earrings: Glitter Paradise*
Backpack: similar here*
Tights: similar here*
Shoes: Beyond Skin
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Scotland Outfit No 3: A red 1940s inspired Dress for Inverness
After our photo stop at Eilean Donan Castle, we went on to Inverness, where we stayed in an amazingly beautiful hotel. This was the perfect occasion to wear some of my more elegant outfits.
I chose a lovely red 1940s inspired dress by The Seamstress of Bloomsbury, which you migh already know from this blogpost. Furthermore, I wore my pumps, a sparkly headband, as well as sheer tights.
Outfit Details:
Dress: c/o The Seamstress of Bloomsbury, similar here*
Pumps: Deichmann, similar here*
Tights: similar here*
Headband: Vintage, similar here*
Earrings: Vintage, similar here*
Scotland Outfit No 4: A beige Dress for Loch Ness, Urquhart Castle & Aviemore
I was a bit sad that we already had to leave Inverness in the morning, but then I thought, I always can come back. So we drove to the huge Fort George. This actually wasn’t my favourite place in Scotland, Martin really enjoyed this trip, though. We unfortunately also didn’t spot dolphines, (a lot of locals told us, that they are often seen at this place). So I wasn’t too sad to go back to Loch Ness and the Urquhart Castle. We didn’t saw Nessie, by the way, but the castle was pretty nice. 😉
My outfit inspiration for this day definitely was Clair Beauchamp Randall Fraser. I mean, we were in Inverness and I’ve always loved the beige shift dress she wore during her travel back in time. 😉 So the base of my outfit is a beige dress as well (I tell you more about it here). Then I added flat shoes, as well as a black jacket, as it was quite chilly. When it got warmer, I was able to replace the jacket by a tartan scarf, to finish the Clair outfit. I stayed away from standing stones, by the way. I really liked the series (especially the episodes playing in Scotland), I prefer living in the 21st century, though. 😉
Outfit-Details:
Dress: c/o BlackButterfly*
Jacket: Fornarina, similar here*
Scarf: similar here*
Earrings: Glitter Paradise*
Backpack: similar here*
Tights: similar here*
Shoes: Beyond Skin
Scotland Outfit No 5: A beige Dress & matching Cardigan for Aviemore
Our next destination after Urquhart Castle originally was Aviemore. As it was still afternoon when we arrived there, though, we decided to visit the nearby Highland Folk Museum before checking in our hotel. This is an open air museum which I absolutely recommend if you are in the region. There are no entrace fees, they only ask for a voluntary donation, and it perfectly shows how the Highlanders lived in past few hundred years. And if you are an Outlander fan, you will even recognize a film location: The small village from season 1, episode 5 “Rent”. Afterwards, we went back to Aviemore, where we really got enchanted by the pretty train station.
My outfit for the evening was almost the same as for the day. I only replaced the black jacket by a beige knitted cardigan and my flat shoes by pretty pumps – that’s it. 😉
Outfit Details:
Dress: c/o BlackButterfly*
Cardigan: Vintage, similar here*
Earrings: Glitter Paradise*
Backpack: similar here*
Tights: similar here*
Pumps: Deichmann, similar here*
Scotland Outfit No 6: A tartan Skirt & Timberlands for Elgin and Aberdeen
Since the first few days of our Scotland tour were quite busy, we really enjoyed this more relaxed day starting with a trip to Elgin Cathedral. After that, we visited a Whisky distillery and went on to Aberdeen. After Inverness, this was one of my favourite cities in Scotland, and I definitely could have stayed longer, there.
My outfit for this day was a bit warmer, as it was quite rainy and cold in the morning. I picked a tartan skirt, a simple black top, and my black jacket, as well as opaque tights, and Timberlands. In the end, the weather was quite well, it wasn’t too warm though, so my outfit was apporpriate. 😉
Outfit Details:
Skirt: c/o The Seamstress of Bloomsbury, similar here*
Top: c/o Vivien of Holloway
Shoes: Timberland*
Earrings: Glitter Paradise*
Backpack: similar here*
Tights: similar here*
Shoes: Beyond Skin
Scotland Outfit No 7: Blouse, Wool Skirt & Waistcoat for Edinburgh
From Aberdeen, we went via Dundee and Dunfermline to Edinburgh. Edinburgh really is a breathtaking city. However, the city was completely overcrowded, which mainly was due to the many festivals as well as the Royal Military Tattoo that took place during the time we were there. So I guess we have to come back in another month next time. 😉
Furthermore, Edinburgh was extremly windy, so the circle skirt I wore was definitely not the best choice; I’m pretty sure half of the population of Edinburgh now knows what kind of underpants I wear. 😛 I still really like the outfit I chose, though. It consisted of a wool skirt, a matching waistcoat with a beige blouse underneath, and beige shoes. It actually pretty much resembles the look I wore for this photo shoot.
Outfit-Details:
Skirt: Wiener Kreation, similar here*
Waistcoat: Wiener Kreation, similar here*
Blouse: c/o The Seamstress of Bloomsbury* similar here*
Shoes: ähnliche here*
Tights: similar here*
Scotland Outfit No 8: Skirt, Jacket & Hat for Melrose and Glasgow
After spending the night in Edinburgh, our next destination was Melrose. Afterwards, we drove back to Glasgow, were everything started exactly a week before. Unbelievable how time flies!
My outfit for our last full day in Scotland therefore was especially beautiful. I went for a combination of a mustard coloured circle skirt together with a matching jacket and a black top. Pumps as well as a small hat for the evening finish this look.
Outfit Details:
Skirt: Gracy Q, similar here*
Jacket: Gracy Q, similar here*
Top: c/o Vivien of Holloway
Earrings: Glitter Paradise*
Pumps: Deichmann, similar here*
Hat: very similar here
And this was our Route:
As I already mentioned in the beginning of this blogpost, I’m going to tell you a bit more about our Scotland trip in the future. However, I would like to show you our entire route. We really saw a lot in only one week. Of course, I would have loved to spend a bit more time in this beautiful country, especially in the Highlands, and I also would have loved to visit the Outer Hebrides, but we are definitely going to come back one day, to do all this. This, by the way, was our route (my personal highlights are underlined):
- Glasgow
- Stirling Castle
- Glen Coe
- Fort William
- Glenfinnan
- Isle of Skye with Portree
- Eiliean Donan Castle
- Inverness
- Fort George
- Loch Ness with Urquhart Castle
- Highland Folk Museum
- Aviemore
- Elgin
- Whisky Distillery Glen Garioch
- Aberdeen
- Dundee and Dunfermline
- Edinburgh
- Melrose
- Glasgow
And know I would like to know: Which of these outfits from my Scotland road trip is your favourite one?
