Getting to Scotland

Air

There are five main airports in Scotland - Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Inverness and Prestwick which are served by an ever-increasing number of UK, European and Long-haul destinations. No matter which airport you arrive at it’s easy to make the onward journey to your Scottish destination by public transport.

EDINBURGH
Airlink service 100 serves Edinburgh City Centre
Operates 24/7 up to every 10 minutes

Edinburgh Tram also serves Edinburgh City Centre and:
Edinburgh Gateway Station for trains to Aberdeen, Dundee, Fife, Inverness, Perth and Northern Scotland
Edinburgh Park Station for trains to Dunblane, Falkirk, Glasgow, Stirling and Central Scotland

CitylinkAir Express Coach offers a direct service to Glasgow City Centre
Operates 24/7 up to every 30 minutes

GLASGOW         
Service 500 links the airport to Glasgow City Centre, Glasgow Central and Queen Street Railway Stations and Buchanan Bus Station.
Operates 24/7 up to every 10 minutes

ABERDEEN         
Stagecoach service 727 links the airport to Aberdeen City Centre.
Operates 24/7 up to every 10 minutes

INVERNESS        
Stagecoach service 11 provides a frequent service to Inverness and Nairn
Up to every 30 minutes

PRESTWICK       
The airport’s own railway station is served by 4 trains per hour (Monday to Saturday) and 2 trains per hour (Sunday). Check with Scotrail for train times.

Taxis, pre-booked car hire and other ground transportation options are also available. 

If you are travelling on an escorted tour and you have booked airport transfers please meet the tour representative in the arrivals area of the airport once you have collected your luggage. If you have arrived on an international flight you may have to complete immigration and customs first. Please refer to your tour documentation for details.

Reaching Scotland from within the UK and Europe

It’s easy to reach Scotland by air. Low-cost carriers such as Easyjet and Ryanair offer a wide number of direct flights from the UK and European airports. 

By connecting through London, Amsterdam, Dublin, Frankfurt, Keflavik or Paris it’s possible to fly to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Inverness with carriers such as:

British Airways (BA)

Aer Lingus (EI)

Air France (AF)

Brussels Airlines (SN)

Finnair (AY)

Iberia (IB)

Icelandair (TF)

KLM (KL)

Lufthansa (LH)   

Flying from the USA and Canada

There are non-stop flights to Edinburgh from Boston (DL), Chicago (UA), New York - JFK (DL), New York - Newark (UA), Philadelphia (AA), Toronto (RV) and Washington - Dulles (UA). If you are travelling to Glasgow, there are direct flights from Halifax (WS), New York - JFK (DL), New York - Newark (UA), Orlando (VS), Toronto (RV, TS & WS), Vancouver (TS).

Air Canada Rouge (RV)

Air Transat (TS)

American Airlines (AA)

Delta (DL)

United (UA)

Virgin Atlantic (VS)

Westjet (WS

Flying from Australasia and the Middle East

Using connecting flights via hubs in Doha or Dubai Scotland is connected to the World with routes served by Qatar (Edinburgh) and Emirates (Edinburgh and Glasgow). Using its Helsinki hub, Finnair offers connecting flights from many Far East destinations to Edinburgh.

Qatar (QR)

Emirates (EK)

Train

Scotland is well served by train routes which, as well as offering relaxed travel, provide some of the most beautiful views in Europe. Trains within Scotland are operated by Scotrail which links over 350 stations including Scotland’s seven cities as well as the iconic West and North Highland lines.

The train services in the United Kingdom operate on a franchise basis. The fares charged between any two stations can vary by the train operator so it’s advisable to check if there are any restrictions on the use of your ticket before making any purchase.

If you are planning to use trains extensively during your time in the United Kingdom, you may find it worthwhile to purchase a BritRail Pass.

ScotRail

From London and the South East

There are three ways to travel from London to Scotland by train. Taking the east coast route, LNER links London with York, Durham and Newcastle-upon-Tyne with Edinburgh. LNER also offers through trains towards Glasgow, Aberdeen and Inverness. The fastest train on the route is the famous Flying Scotsman which links Edinburgh with London in just 4 hours.

Using the west coast route, Avanti West Coast links London to Birmingham, Warrington, Preston, Lancaster, Carlisle and Glasgow.

The overnight sleeper train links London with Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Inverness and Fort William six days a week (there is no service each way on a Saturday night). The train offers seated accommodation as well as sleeping berths, some with en-suite showers.     

LNER

Avanti West Coast

Caledonian Sleeper

From Manchester and the North West

Trans-Pennine Express provides direct trains linking Liverpool, Manchester Airport, Manchester and Preston with Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Trans-Pennine Express

From Birmingham and the West Midlands

Avanti West Coast provides a frequent service linking Birmingham and Wolverhampton to Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Avanti West Coast

Cross Country Services

The longest train journey in the United Kingdom is between Aberdeen and Penzance (722 miles). Amongst the many destinations serviced by Cross Country Trains are Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, York, Leeds, Oxford, Reading, Cheltenham Spa, Bristol, Exeter and Plymouth.

Cross Country Trains

Coach

Although journey times are longer than flying or taking a train, coach travel to and from Scotland can offer convenience and great value. Within Scotland, services are, generally, operated by Scottish Citylink Coaches. National Express and Megabus provide links to London, Manchester and Birmingham including some overnight routes which may suit some travellers who are short of time.

Scottish Citylink

National Express

Megabus