Thank you for your responses. I was looking for something from someone here who might have actually visited these places, not just reviews. Finding someone who is from Scotland is great. Since I plan to rent a car upon leaving Edinburgh, the Caledonian sounds like a good choice to be on foot. We will travel around the Highlands by car, staying in different places a night or two. I plan on 10 days in Scotland, and although never enough time, we should be able to enjoy our visit. One of our best vacations ever was a week in Wales taking day trips out to visit castles and villages, and I'm hoping for something similar in Scotland. We won't be missing the whiskey distilleries, and I've been drinking the single malts as training!!!
As for the rain--if you notice I live in Washington state, so rain is nothing new to me, and I know how it can create beautiful scenery too.