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Getting Around by Air
There are several small airports in the north of Scotland that are served by flights from Glasgow and, in some cases, from Aberdeen, Inverness and Edinburgh as well. These include Barra, Benbecula, Kirkwall (Orkney), Sumburgh (Shetland), Stornoway and Tiree. For further information, contact Glasgow Airport (see Getting There).
Getting Around by Water
Ferry services operate between the mainland and all the Scottish islands. Caledonian MacBrayne (tel: 0870 565 0000; website: www.calmac.co.uk) operates the largest network of ferries on the River Clyde and west coast, serving many islands, including the Inner and Outer Hebrides. Northlink Ferries (tel: 0845 600 0449; website: www.northlinkferries.co.uk) operates services to Orkney and Shetland; from Aberdeen to Lerwick; and from Scrabster to Stromness (journey time - 1 hour 30 minutes).
Getting Around by Rail
There are good services connecting all the main towns, particularly in the Edinburgh-Glasgow area. Many of the routes that pass through the Highlands (such as: Perth-Inverness; Inverness-Kyle of Lochalsh; Glasgow-Fort William-Mallaig) are spectacular. The network extends right up to Thurso and Wick in the extreme north of the country. Overnight services are available on First Scotrail's Caledonian Sleeper connecting London Euston with Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Inverness and Fort William (tel: 0845 601 5929; website: www.firstscotrail.com).
Getting Around by Road
The main motorways within Scotland connect Edinburgh with Glasgow (M8), Edinburgh with Stirling (M9) and the Forth Bridge, near Edinburgh, with Perth (M90).
In general, the internal trunk road network is better and more direct on the east coast, and roads north of Inverness tend to be slower and often single track. Snow is common in winter, especially in the Highlands, and motorists are advised to follow local advice concerning weather conditions. The main cross-country road, the A9, connects Perth with Inverness and Thurso.
Car hire: Self-drive cars are widely available in the major centres.
For information on regulations, documentation and emergency breakdown services, see Getting Around in the main United Kingdom section.
In general, the internal trunk road network is better and more direct on the east coast, and roads north of Inverness tend to be slower and often single track. Snow is common in winter, especially in the Highlands, and motorists are advised to follow local advice concerning weather conditions. The main cross-country road, the A9, connects Perth with Inverness and Thurso.
Car hire: Self-drive cars are widely available in the major centres.
For information on regulations, documentation and emergency breakdown services, see Getting Around in the main United Kingdom section.
Getting Around Towns and Cities
All the major towns and cities have bus services. Glasgow also has an underground and a suburban train network.