Starting in Inverness, a short drive along the south shore of the Beauly Firth (keep an eye open for dolphins) then north through Dornoch, will take you to Dunrobin Castle, seat of the Earls of Sutherland and one of the north’s great fairytale stately homes. Stop at the Golspie Inn for a light lunch before continuing north to John O’Groats, then on to windswept Dunnet Head. From there, Scrabster is just 35 minutes away. Catch the 7pm ferry to Stromness, then dine at the Merkister Hotel’s Skerries Restaurant, which specializes in Orkney beef and fresh seafood.

Explore the wonders of Neolithic Orkney, including the ancient tomb at Maeshowe and the stone megaliths at Stenness and the Ring of Brodgar. In the afternoon, visit Kirkwall to admire St Magnus Cathedral, a 12th-century masterpiece in red and yellow stone.

The next morning, return by ferry to the mainland, and begin the winding route along the A836 across the windswept, rugged expanse of Scotland’s northern coast, stopping to admire stunning viewpoints and sheer clifftop vistas as you go. Veer off to the aptly named Côte du Nord (open Mar–Sep only) for a lunch that fuses the finest local Scottish produce with French cuisine. A mile before you hit Durness, venture into the eerie caverns of Smoo Cave.

As a welcome break from driving, park up and join a ferry and minibus tour from Durness to Cape Wrath, where waves crash beneath savage grey cliffs and hundreds of aquaking seabirds perch on sea stacks just offshore. Stop here for a snap of the white stone lighthouse on the very northwest tip of mainland Britain, with views that seem to stretch to the edge of the world.

The route down the West Coast, heading south from Durness, is where the magic really kicks in. First, head to Tarbet, where you can hop on a ferry to the tiny Handa Island where the air is filled with the cries of tens of thousands of seabirds. On your return to the mainland, head south to Eddrachillis Bay, a mirror-calm natural anchorage dotted with heather-tufted islets where seals bask and yachts anchor in summer. Then follow the road that passes through an undulating series of peaks known as the Quinag, and the impressive Ben More Assynt and Conival munros. This wild expanse of mountain and moorland, sliced up by long narrow lochs, is only 18 miles (30 km) from Ullapool, where you can enjoy a night of foot-tapping fiddle music at the Ceilidh Place.

Follow the shore of long, narrow Loch Broom, then double back west on a remote road overlooked by the breath-takingly wild summits of Sgurr Mor and An Teallach. Visit the meticulously preened Inverewe Garden on Loch Ewe, where vivid red and purple rhododendrons bloom spectacularly in their very own unique microclimate.

Continue on this road alongside the beautifully serene Loch Maree, then fork left at Kinlochewe to drive inland through the desolate but stunningly beautiful moorland of Torridon in Wester Ross to Achnasheen, then return by way of Strathpeffer. Stop en route for a view of the foaming cascades of thundering white water at Rogie Falls, 2 miles (3 km) west of Contin on the A835. Continue along this road to return to Inverness, where a warm welcome in one of the lively Highland capital’s many cosy pubs and restaurants awaits.