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Flower of Scotland

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Getting Around Scotland

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.

Side of road: 
N/A
Road quality: 

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.

Road classification: 

The main motorways within Scotland connect Edinburgh with Glasgow (M8), Edinburgh with Stirling (M9) and the Forth Bridge, near Edinburgh, with Perth (M90).

Car hire: 

Self-drive cars are widely available in the major centres.

Regulations: 

Speed limits are 48kph (30mph) in urban areas, 113kph (70mph) on motorways and dual carriageways, elsewhere 80kph (50mph) or 97kph (60mph) as marked. Seat belts must be worn by the driver and front seat passenger. Where rear seat belts have been fitted, they must also be worn. It is illegal to use a hand-held mobile phone while driving. The minimum driving age is 17.

Breakdown service: 

The AA (www.theaa.com) and RAC (www.rac.co.uk) are able to provide a full range of services to UK members touring the UK. These organisations can also assist people who are travelling from abroad with maps, tourist information and specially marked routes to major events or places of interest.

Documentation: 

National driving licences are valid for one year. Drivers must have Third Party insurance and vehicle registration documents.

Getting around towns and cities: 

All the major towns and cities have bus services. Glasgow also has an underground and a suburban train network.

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 (www.firstscotrail.com).

By water: 

Ferry services operate between the mainland and all the Scottish islands. Caledonian MacBrayne (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 (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).

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