Travelling in Scotland

Public transport in Scotland offers an extensive network of buses, trains and ferries, which is reliable and safe to use. Combining trains, buses and ferries you can travel the entire country – you might just need a bit more time and flexibility to reach every destination on my itineraries.

Journeys by train or bus through the Highlands can be super scenic, as they often travel down remote routes. Many of Scotland’s most popular destinations,

like Loch Ness, the Isle of Skye, Oban or Fort William can be easily reached from Glasgow or Edinburgh by public transport – but it will take longer than by car and you can’t stop along the way.

If you choose to travel around Scotland by public transport, I highly recommend reducing the number of destinations you’d like to cover and taking your time to explore slowly.

Most trains are operated by Scotrail – although there are other companies operating between England and Scotland. I always buy tickets in advance to ensure I get the best deals on Trainline.

There are many different bus operators in Scotland. Local buses are often operated by First or Stagecoach, but there are also cheap intercity bus connections with Megabus or Citylink. It’s best to bok popular routes in advance! I usually use Google Maps to look up public transport connections, but it does not always list all local buses in remote areas. In those cases, I use Traveline Scotland instead.