Continental Airlines (website: www.continental.com) flies to Edinburgh and Glasgow from the USA. Delta Airlines flies from the USA to Edinburgh (website: www.delta.com). British Airways (website: www.britishairways.com) flies from England to Edinburgh and Glasgow; other airlines flying between Scotland and European cities include easyJet (website: www.easyjet.com) and bmi (website: www.flybmi.com).

From New York to Edinburgh is 7 hours 45 minutes, and to Glasgow is 7 hours 40 minutes.

Edinburgh (EDI) (website: www.edinburghairport.com) is 12km (8 miles) west of the city centre. To/from the airport: Lothian Buses (tel: (0131) 555 6363; website: www.lothianbuses.co.uk) runs a bus between the airport and the city centre, and there is a night bus. Taxis are available (journey time - 25 minutes).

Glasgow (GLA) (website: www.glasgowairport.com) is 14km (9 miles) west of the city centre. To/from the airport: Paisley's Gilmour Street station is 3km (2 miles) from the airport. It is easily reached by taxi or bus. All buses depart from outside the main airport terminal. Scottish Citylink (tel: 0870 550 5050; website: www.citylink.co.uk) runs regular services to the city centre and other destinations in Scotland. Taxis are available (journey time - to city centre 20 minutes; to Paisley station 5 minutes).

Facilities: Edinburgh and Glasgow airports are both of a high international standard and include bank/bureaux de change, duty-free shops, car hire, restaurants and bars. 

Aberdeen (ABZ) (website: www.aberdeenairport.com) is 11km (7 miles) northwest of the city centre. To/from the airport: Aberdeen and Inverness trains stop at Dyce station, which is a short taxi ride from the airport. There are frequent bus services from the city centre to the airport. For details, contact First (tel: (01224) 602 200; website: www.firstgroup.com). Stagecoach Bluebird services also run to the airport (tel: (01224) 591 381; website: www.stagecoachbus.com/bluebird). Taxis are available (journey time - to city centre 20 minutes).

Inverness (INV) (website: www.invernessairport.com) is the major airport serving the Highlands, with transfer connections available to airports in the north of Scotland. It is 14km (9 miles) east of the city centre. To/from the airport: Taxis and buses run. Facilities: ATM, bar/restaurant and bookshop.

None.

Main ports: Aberdeen (website: www.aberdeen-harbour.co.uk), Cairnryan (website: www.cairnryanportdevelopment.co.uk), Lerwick (website: www.lerwick-harbour.co.uk), Oban, Rosyth and Stranraer (website: http://stranraer.ports-guides.com).

Routes include P&O Irish Sea ferry service between Cairnryan and Larne (journey time – 1 hour) (tel: 0871 1664 4999; website: www.poirishsea.com); and Stena Line’s service between Stranraer and Belfast (journey time – 1 hour 45 minutes) (tel: 01776 802 165; website: www.stenaline.com).

Smyril Lines (website: www.smyril-line.com) runs a service between Hanstholm (Denmark) and Lerwick, continuing to the Faroe Islands and Iceland. The ferry goes via Bergen (Norway) in the summer. Superfast Ferries (website: www.superfast.com) operates services between Rosyth (just outside Edinburgh) and Zeebrugge (Belgium).

There are two mainline routes into Scotland from England: from London Euston up the west coast to Glasgow Central and beyond to Perth and Inverness; and from London Kings Cross up the east coast to Edinburgh and beyond to Dundee and Aberdeen. For details, contact National Rail Enquiries (tel: 0845 748 4950; website: www.nationalrail.co.uk).

Scotland is connected to the main UK road network by good trunk roads, and has several internal motorways. Main access from England is via the A74/M74 (Carlisle to Glasgow), the A696/A68 (Newcastle to Edinburgh via the Cheviots) and the A1 (Newcastle to Edinburgh via the coast).