A transport guide to Scotland

Scotland has a well-developed road and public transport network. Most Scots live in the central region of the country, in or between the two main cities: Glasgow and Edinburgh. In the northern and under-populated regions, public transport becomes less frequent and visitors are advised to check timetables in advance and to plan a route. The article is a transport guide to Scotland.

Bus and rail

Bus All of Scotland's main towns and cities are linked by regular Citylink coach services. Local bus services operate within cities and in remote areas. The fares for many city routes are fixed and the drivers require exact tending of the fare - they will not give change. Bus information is provided at all main tourist information centres. Rail First Scotrail operates most rail services in Scotland. Journeys from Scotland to London are operated by Virgin Trains along the West Coast rail line, and by East Coast from Edinburgh down the East coast. All train operators offer a choice of discounted tickets for advance bookings and for travelling at Off Peak times. The rail companies also provide a variety of railcards that give cheaper rates for families, students and pensioners. Railcards cannot usually be used for Peak Time travel.

Air and ferry

Air Scotland’s two main airports, Glasgow and Edinburgh, operate scheduled and charter flights within the UK and worldwide. These airports become very busy in the summer months and during school holidays. There are also a large number of smaller airports scattered around the country, particularly on the islands.These have limited services and the flights are expensive. Ferry You can visit most of Scotland’s islands by ferry. Most of the ferries carry cars in addition to passengers. Caledonian MacBrayne operates many of the routes leading to the Western Islands. Northlink Ferries run a service to the Orkney and Shetland islands. The ferry companies offer discounted tickets for frequent travellers.

Road

Scotland’s roads tend to be far less busy than those in England and as long as you avoid peak times, the traffic is light and most journeys are relatively speedy. Glasgow and Edinburgh are connected by the M8 motorway and a network of dual carriageways. In Scotland's under-populated regions, many of the roads become single track and drivers have to use passing places to allow oncoming vehicles to pass. Sheep are often a hazard on the Highland roads.