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.
← All routes
Road trip route · United Kingdom
London to Inverness drive time, distance, costs & the best stops
- Drive time
- 10 hr 44 min
- Distance
- 560 mi
- Fuel (est.)
- £93
- Tolls (est.)
- None
The London to Inverness drive
The drive from London to Inverness covers 560 miles (902 km) and takes about 10 hr 44 min without stops. That's a long haul for one day, most drivers split it over two days, stopping overnight near The Kelpies, which turns a slog into a proper road trip.
Expect fuel for a typical petrol car (~40 mpg) to cost around £93 one-way with no significant motorway tolls on the way. Prices shift monthly, so treat these as ballpark figures.
At 560 miles this is longer than 96% of the 144 routes covered here, so it is worth treating as a trip in itself rather than a transfer. Split across 2 days it works out at about 5.4 hours behind the wheel each day, which leaves most of the daylight for the places in between.
Best stops between London and Inverness
Within ~30 km of the driving route, worth the detour.
Museums
Brooklands Museum
The birthplace of British motorsport and aviation, featuring the world's first purpose-built motor racing circuit from 1907.
Museums
Coventry Transport Museum
Houses the world's largest publicly owned collection of British road transport, including land speed record holders.
Landmarks
Thorpe Park
Thrill-focused theme park near London catering to older children and adults with intense roller coasters.
Ancient Ruins
Ruthven Barracks
Stark Hanoverian infantry barracks on a green mound near Kingussie, a free and evocative Jacobite-era ruin.
Waterfalls
Rogie Falls
A series of waterfalls crossed by a bouncy suspension bridge where salmon leap, an easy forest stop near Contin.
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.
Racetracks
Mallory Park
Compact lakeside circuit at Kirkby Mallory known as the 'friendly circuit', racing since 1956. Its Gerard's Bend is one of the longest, fastest corners in British motorsport.
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
London to Inverness FAQs
How long is the drive from London to Inverness?
Driving from London to Inverness takes about 10 hr 44 min nonstop, covering 560 miles (902 km). Add time for breaks: most drivers stop every 2 hours.
How much does it cost to drive from London to Inverness?
Fuel for a typical petrol car (~40 mpg) costs roughly £93 one-way. There are no significant motorway tolls on this route. Estimates are indicative: prices change monthly.
Can I drive from London to Inverness in one day?
It's possible but long: 10 hr 44 min of driving. Most people split it over two days, with an overnight stop near The Kelpies, which turns the drive into a proper road trip.
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 London and Inverness?
Top-rated stops in the drive corridor include Highland Folk Museum, Brooklands Museum, Coventry Transport Museum: see the full list of 9 stops on this page.
More drives from London & Inverness
Edinburgh → InvernessGlasgow → InvernessLondon → AberdeenLondon → AmsterdamLondon → BarcelonaLondon → BathLondon → BirminghamLondon → BrightonLondon → BristolLondon → Bruges
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.