Travelling To Scotland

Scotland is located on the eastern edge of the Atlantic Ocean and the western edge of Europe. As such, it has long served as a natural bridge between North America and both Europe and the Middle East.

Travelling to Scotland couldn't be simpler with a growing choice of routes and modes of transport.

By Air

Scotland has four main international airports - Aberdeen; Edinburgh; Glasgow; and Glasgow Prestwick. It also has an extensive network of regional airports that link into England, Ireland and some parts of Europe.

Edinburgh and Glasgow both have regular year-round scheduled and low-cost flights from North America and many parts of Europe. Glasgow also has regular services from the Middle East and Asia that link into flights from Australia and the Far East.

Aberdeen has regular services from Scandinavia and Western Europe, while Glasgow Prestwick is a major hub for low-cost flights from all parts of Europe from Poland to Portugal.

All four airports - and many of the regional airports - have regular daily services from all parts of the UK. There are literally hundreds of flights a day from London to Scottish airports, including the regional airport at Dundee, the largest city in Great Scotland. A flight from London to Scotland takes around one hour.

The international airports at Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow are all within an hour or so of Great Scotland with express train and coach services as well as a fast main road network. Glasgow Prestwick is around 90 minutes from Great Scotland and also has express rail links to all parts of the country.

By Ferry

Scotland has a year-round direct ferry service from Zeebrugge in Belgium, which docks at Edinburgh Rosyth - no more than a 30 minute drive from Great Scotland. This is an overnight service operated by Superfast Ferries. Each crossing takes around 18 hours. The ferries are equipped like cruise ships and are a relaxing way to begin a trip to Scotland.

On the west coast, there are regular ferry services between Scotland and Ireland with a choice of operators offering round the clock crossings to Stranraer and Cairnryan in south west Scotland. A crossing from Ireland can take under 2 hours.

Scotland is also a short drive from the northern English ferry ports of Hull and Newcastle which have year-round sailings from Belgium, Netherlands and Scandinavia. Newcastle to Scotland is little more than an hour's drive. Even the Channel ports on the south coast of England are within a day's drive of Scotland.

By Rail

The UK has a fast and efficient rail network with regular express services to Scotland from all parts of England and Wales and onwards from Europe through the Channel Tunnel.

Within Great Scotland, the cities of Dundee and Perth have regular daily express services from London and other major English cities, while smaller stations such as Arbroath, Gleneagles, Leuchars and Pitlochry also have direct links from English stations.

Rail ticketing can be something of a dark art in the UK, but advance booking generally enables you to access greatly discounted fares, especially if you travel at off-peak times. Advance booking is also advisable to reserve seats on the more popular and busier services.

By Coach

The UK has a well-developed and well-used express coach network. Dundee, Perth and many of the smaller towns in Great Scotland are served by regular services from London and other English and Welsh cities.

The recent introduction of low-cost coach services, which are bookable on-line, has made coaching much more competitive and it is possible to travel from London to Great Scotland for under £2.

By Road

If you prefer to travel by car, Scotland is linked to the rest of the UK by a fast modern road system. The main trunk roads north into Scotland are the M1/A1 from London to Edinburgh, which runs up the east side of the city passing by York and Newcastle, and the M6/M74 from London to Glasgow, which runs up the west side of the country passing by Birmingham and Manchester.

Both Edinburgh and Glasgow are just over 400 miles from London by road, bringing them within a comfortable days drive.

Of course, there are many other slower, but more picturesque routes north from England into Scotland. Particularly popular ones include the A7 from Carlisle to Edinburgh and the A68 from Teeside and Northumberland to Edinburgh, both of which run through the scenic Scottish Borders.

By Cycle

The UK has a network of National Cycle Routes that cover the whole country from Lands End in the south to John o'Groats in the north. These routes can run on dedicated cycleways or on quiet back roads with minimal traffic.

The main cycle routes into Scotland run from Berwick upon Tweed on the east coast and Carlisle in the west. These routes run to Edinburgh and Glasgow respectively and, from there, you have a choice of routes into Great Scotland.

Cycling is a great relaxing way to see the best of Scotland. After all, it is a country to be savoured rather than rushed.