Travelling in Scotland

Scotland Travel Information > Travelling In Scotland

 A lot of the information you need for getting around is  here, with links to airports, rail, bus and ferry services,  and some information you might find helpful about  driving in Scotland.

 There are lots of organised coach tours available and  these are a good way to guarantee you won't miss  anything worth seeing, however many people prefer doing their own thing, so hopefully this information will be helpful.

Outdoor types may prefer to do their own thing with a self guided tour, and I would have to suggest that walking and cycling are probably the best way to explore the mountains, lochs and beautiful countryside.

Scotland consists of three main regions : The Highlands, The Central Lowlands, and The Southern Uplands. The busiest of these is the Central Lowlands, or the central belt, which is home to about two thirds of the population, and includes Glasgow in the west and Edinburgh in the east.

OK, enough of the geography (I never was very good at it, so you may get lost) let's talk about modes of transport for travelling in Scotland.


Travelling in Scotland by plane :

• There are five major airports, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Inverness and Prestwick. You can find links to all of the Scottish airports on the Scotland Worldweb site.

• You would most probably only fly if you were here on business, or going to the likes of the Orkney or Shetland Islands, or any of the other islands that are not easy to get to by other means.

• Have a look at the British Airways timetable where you will find all the domestic flight information you will need, including UK shuttle services.

• As you'd expect, Scotland's rail network is busier in the central belt, not so busy in the Highlands, and almost nonexistent in the Islands.

• First Scotrail cover most of the routes, and tickets can be bought at rail stations, travel agents, online and on the phone. It is possible to buy tickets on board the train, but you would probably not be able to get any discounted passes that may be on offer.

• A couple of good discount passes worth looking at are the Freedom of Scotland Travelpass, and the Highland Rover. The freedom of Scotland pass offers good value with unlimited train travel, it includes Calmac ferry services, and some remote bus routes. The Highland Rover gives you unlimited train travel in the Highland region, the West Highland Line, train travel between Aviemore and Aberdeen plus a few bus routes.

• The normal day tickets offer so many options, you've probably missed the train by the time they are all explained to you, so a good option is to consider Buying Train Tickets in advance, and save up to 65%.

• Like the rail network but a lot simpler - and cheaper. You can even admire the beautiful countryside through the window of the coach without your eyes spinning around in your head.

• Oh yes, our long distance buses are called coaches, and there are services between all our major towns and cities. You can guarantee a seat by buying a reserved journey ticket with Scottish Citylink who operate most of the services, which are quite frequent and good value.

• There are some discount fares on offer so it would be worth looking at Scottish Citylink for all the fares, routes and timetables.

• If you're travelling in some rural areas, especially the Highlands, the only service available is the Royal Mail Postbus, which collects the mail and YOU, so it can be quite slow. (Car hire is a better option here). You'd be advised to check the Postbus Website for the routes and timetables.
• Guided bus tours are an excellent way of experiencing the best of Scottish culture by exploring our castles, lochs and whisky distilleries. There are Discover Scotland Tours from one day to six days, departing from Edinburgh or Glasgow, and they represent good value.

• The first thing you need to know is that non-UK citizens need to have an international driving permit, as well as your national driving licence. These permits are available from your national motoring organisations, and there is a small charge for them.

• If bringing your own car, you will need to have adequate insurance and your ownership documents with you. We drive on the left side of the road, and our speed limits are 70 mph on motorways and dual carriageways, 30mph in built up areas, and 60mph in other areas.

• Roundabouts are common here, and I know that the priority rules for roundabouts can differ greatly from country to country. In Scotland priority is given to traffic already ON the roundabout, and you go left on entering. Wearing a seatbelt is compulsary, and it's illegal to use a mobile phone while driving.

• I'm glad all that's out of the way, because what a pleasure it is driving around Scotland, where the only real traffic congestion you will come across will be between our major towns and cities during rush hour. The other great news is that there are no longer any toll bridges here.

• Driving around Scotland will allow you the freedom and time to enjoy the beautiful landscapes, and the magnificent scenic views around the mountains and lochs. Less than one hour driving can take you from any city to glorious countryside, and one drive I definitely do recommend is to Loch Lomond, less than an hour from Glasgow. Just follow the A82,    go round the loch (if you can resist stopping, which I doubt) and head north for the Highlands up through Glencoe. It's absolutely breathtaking!

• Plan your journey in advance with the AA Route Planner

• With lots of islands, and over sixty that are inhabited, ferry travel is vital in Scotland. The biggest operator is Caledonian MacBrayne, or CalMac for short, who serve most of the islands off the west coast.

• They offer a couple of discounted travel passes. The Island Hopscotch will save you money if you're going to be using more than one ferry, and the Island Rover, ideal if you plan to use a lot of ferries over the course of a week or two. The Caledonian MacBrayne website has information on all the routes, timetables and fares.

• The Orkney and Shetland Islands are serviced by Northlink Ferries, from Aberdeen and Scrabster, while travel between the various Orkney Isles are served by Orkney Ferries. Oh, and they are all car ferries.

If you are planning to drive, see the page on Scotland Car Hire and arrange your car rental with no fuss. Good rates are available along with quick search, easy booking, and extras including satellite navigation hire.

Still looking for accommodation? Search the comrehensive database of towns and cities to Find A Hotel In Scotland at the lowest rates.

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