Travel - International
AIR: International airports: Scotland’s main international airports are Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Edinburgh (EDI): Located 11km (7 miles) west of the city centre. Airport information: (tel: (0131) 333 1000; website: www.baa.co.uk/main/airports/edinburgh). Facilities: These include duty-free shop, general and specialist shops, tourist information, hotel reservations service, two bureaux de change, ATMs, emergency first-aid facilities, parent and baby room, buffet, several coffee and snack bars (both landside and airside); and facilities for the disabled – toilets, wheelchairs, induction loops, telephones and swivel seats in some taxis. Train/bus: Lothian Buses operate services between the airport and Waverley Bridge (in the city centre, opposite the main railway station), Mon-Sat 0420-0020, every 8-10 minutes (peak time) and every 15-20 minutes (off-peak). Sunday services run 0500-0000 every 15-30 minutes. For more information, contact Lothian Buses (tel: (0131) 554 4494; e-mail: mail@lothianbuses.co.uk; website: www.lothianbuses.co.uk). Taxi: Available from the rank outside the airport (travel time to city centre – 20 minutes). Car hire: Alamo, Avis, Budget, Europcar and Hertz self-drive and chauffeur-driven cars can be hired from desks within the terminal. Private car: The A8 runs direct to the airport from the city centre. If coming from the west or north, follow the signs on the M9, M8 and A90.
Glasgow (GLA): Located 14km (9 miles) west of the city centre. Airport information: (tel: (0141) 887 1111; website: www.baa.co.uk/main/airports/glasgow). Facilities: These include 24-hour emergency medical services, bureau de change, ATMs, left luggage, general shops, post office (Mon-Sat 0900-1730), 24-hour buffet, bar, cafes, restaurants, duty-free shop, hotel reservation service and facilities for the disabled – wheelchairs, toilets and telephones. Train: Paisley’s Gilmour Street station is 3km (2 miles) from the airport. It is easily reached by taxi or bus and offers connections to Glasgow Central and other regional stations. For further information, contact National Rail Enquiries: (tel: (08457) 484 950, UK only). Bus/Coach: All buses depart from outside the main airport terminal. Scottish Citylink runs regular services to the city centre via Queen Street railway station and Buchanan bus station (bus no. 905), Mon-Fri and Sun 0630-0000, Sat 0600-0000. For more information, contact Scottish City Link (tel: (08705) 505 050; website: www.citylink.co.uk). Scottish Citylink’s coach services also operate between the airport, Greenoch and Gouroch. Taxi: To the city centre is 20 minutes; to Paisley BR station is 5 minutes. Taxis are available from the rank on the terminal forecourt. Car hire: Alamo, Avis, Europcar and Hertz have desks in International Arrivals. Budget and National have desks in Domestic Arrivals. Private car: The M8 runs direct to the airport from the city centre. Car-parking space is available for 2000 cars.
Other airports: Aberdeen (ABZ): Located 11km (7 miles) northwest of the city centre. Airport information: (tel: (01224) 722 331; website: www.baa.co.uk/main/airports/aberdeen). Facilities: These include bureau de change, tax-free shopping, restaurants and bars, left luggage, parent and baby room, facilities for the disabled and two airport hotels. Train: Aberdeen and Inverness trains stop at Dyce station which is a short taxi ride from the airport. Bus: There are frequent bus services from the city centre to the airport. For details, contact First Aberdeen (tel: (01224) 650 065). Coach: Stagecoach Bluebird services also run to the airport (tel: (01224) 212 266). Taxi: Available from the airport (travel time to city centre – 20 minutes). Car hire: Avis, Budget, Europcar and Hertz all have desks at the airport. Private car: Signs for the airport should be followed from the A96 Aberdeen to Inverness road.
Inverness (INV): The major airport serving the Highlands, with transfer connections available to airports in the north of Scotland.
There are several smaller airports in the north of Scotland which are served by flights from Glasgow and, in some cases, from Aberdeen, Inverness and Edinburgh as well. These include Kirkwall (Orkney), Lerwick (Shetland), Tiree, Stornoway, Benbecula and Barra. For further information, contact Glasgow Airport (see telephone number above).
SEA: Ferry services operate between the mainland and all the Scottish islands but some of these may be infrequent. Caledonian MacBrayne operates the largest network of ferries on the river Clyde and west coast, serving many islands including the Inner and Outer Hebrides. During the summer, services often operate hourly or half-hourly but in the winter they are less frequent. For details of fares, routes and timetables, contact Caledonian MacBrayne (tel: (01475) 650 100 (enquiries) or (08705) 650 000 (reservations); fax: (01475) 637 607; website: www.calmac.co.uk). Northlink Ferries (tel: (0845) 600 0449; fax: (01856) 851 155; website: www.northlinkferries.co.uk) operates services to the Orkneys and Shetlands; from Aberdeen to Lerwick, daily, more often in summer (travel time – 12 hours); and from Scrabster to Stromness daily, more often in summer (travel time – 90 minutes).
Other routes include P&O Irish Sea ferry service between Cairnryan and Larne up to 12 times a day (travel time – 1 hour 45 minutes; tel: (0870) 242 4777); and Stena Line’s service between Stranraer and Belfast eight times a day (travel time – 1 hour 45 minutes; tel: (02890) 747 747; fax: (02890) 884 031; website: www.stenaline.com). The Seacat (tel: (01624) 661 661, UK only; website: www.seacat.co.uk) operates between Troon and Belfast Harbour two to three times a day (travel time – 2 hours 30 minutes). P&O Irish Sea and Stena Line offer jet boat services from Stanraer to Belfast which take approximately 1 hour.
RAIL: There are two main-line routes into Scotland from England: from London Euston up the west coast to Glasgow Central and beyond to Perth and Inverness; and from London King’s Cross up the east coast to Edinburgh and beyond to Dundee and Aberdeen. For details, contact National Rail Enquiries (tel: (08457) 484 950, UK only). Particularly in the Edinburgh–Glasgow area, there are good services connecting all the main towns. Many of the routes which pass through the Highlands (such as the Perth to Inverness, Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh and the Glasgow to Mallaig via Fort William) are very spectacular. The network extends right up to Thurso and Wick in the extreme north of the country. Sleeper services are available on Scotrail’s Caledonian Sleeper (which connects London Euston, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Inverness and Fort William nightly; tel: (08457) 550 033).
ROAD: 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 M74 (Carlisle to Glasgow), the A696/A68 (Newcastle to Edinburgh via the Cheviots) and the A1 (Newcastle to Edinburgh via the coast). 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.
Distances: From London: Edinburgh 663km (412 miles), Glasgow 654km (406 miles), Aberdeen 884km (549 miles), Inverness 923km (573 miles), Fort William 828km (514 miles), Perth 696km (433 miles) and Thurso 1066km (663 miles).
From Edinburgh: Glasgow 72km (45 miles), Aberdeen 211km (131 miles), Inverness 261km (162 miles), Fort William 231km (138 miles), Perth 69km (43 miles) and Thurso 439km (273 miles).
URBAN: All the major towns and cities have bus services. Glasgow also has an underground and a suburban train network.
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