Aberdeen is a good alternative to flying in and out of Scotland. And unlike in the US, you're not penalized for picking up a rental car at one airport and dropping off at another. When I was last in Scotland in 2011, I landed in Glasgow and took off from Aberdeen--with no extra charge for dropping off my rental at another airport. Aberdeen has a number of flights into LHR and is a reasonable alternative if you're having difficulties booking flights, especially BA award flights, to LHR.

As you're going in July, keep in mind that the days are extremely long. Sunrise will be 4 a.m. or earlier and sunset will be well past 10 p.m. Great for sightseeing but if you're a light sleeper, maybe an issue that will prompt you to bring a sleep mask and close the curtains in your bedroom. Also keep in mind that even in July, you're unlikely to encounter warm weather. 65 degrees will be a warm day, and you're likely to notice the scent of coal fires if you walk around later in the evening. You'll want at least one sweater and a jacket.

I have done a couple of trips to Dornoch, which is about 90 minutes north of Inverness, and then taken day trips north from there. I really liked the B&B I stayed in there in 2011, The Bank House. Comfortable accommodations, friendly owners, reasonably priced. Dornoch is a very small town with a very old cathedral (consecrated in the 13th century, it was nevertheless the church where Madonna married Guy Ritchie) and several bookshops and several more very good restaurants. Although it's small, it is a bit of a tourist magnet (the Royal Dornoch Golf Club in town and the Carnegie Club inland attract a number of Americans).

I also stayed in the The Sutherland Inn in nearby Brora and although I wouldn't rank it as highly as The Bank House, I still enjoyed my two nights there. Brora is much less touristy than Dornoch, and you're likely to find the dinners at The Sutherland as good as any other food in town.

One of my favorite days of my trip to this area in 2011 came when I drove up to Thurso, a town along the northern mainland. After following the coast for awhile along the A9, I ended up turning left, going inland, and taking a small, mostly one-lane road from Helmsdale north and west, eventually returning to the A9 which had looped up the east coast and then wrapped around the northern coast. While inland, I must have stopped my car at least 10 times to snap pictures of abandoned but nevertheless picturesque houses, spectacularly desolate scenery, and even a small waterfall.

When I got to Thurso, I played a small golf course there. I don't mention this part of the story to talk about golf but instead the people in the area. When I arrived at the course, I discovered they took no credit cards. I had no cash. The club manager told me to go out and play the course and send him the money later in the post. I did that and sent along a card thanking him and his club for their hospitality and their faith that a total stranger would pay rather than shorting him for a day on the links. We exchanged Christmas cards later that year. Those are the kinds of experiences you'll be happy but not surprised to find up in the Highlands.

I then drove the coast road back down from Thurso, where there were dramatic stretches as well--in fact, so much so, that I was concerned that I could not keep my car on the road while looking at the cliffs stunningly unfolding below me. I passed Wick, where I had visited on my first trip to Scotland in 2008, and where puffins mass in the cliff sides--it's really a spectacular sight!

Dunrobin Castle (immaculate gardens and a falconry show!), the Clynelish (Brora) and Glenmorangie (Tain) distilleries, and a Saturday evening bagpipe parade and Highland dancing demonstration in the town square in Dornoch all rounded out a memorable four days in and around Dornoch.

My younger sister went to the Isle of Skye last summer and told me it was spectacular, especially the hiking. Inverness is probably worth a day and night. There are a number of reasonable B&Bs there. And driving from Inverness through the spine of the country to Edinburgh will again leave you pulling your car over on a number of occasions to take pictures and marvel at the scenery.

I'm going back next year, although I'll probably be there in May and June. I can't wait. Scotland is one of my favorite places on earth.