Scotland: Getting there & around

There are direct air services from Europe to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee, Aberdeen, Inverness or Kirkwall, and from the States to Glasgow or Edinburgh.

Long-distance buses are the cheapest way of getting to Scotland; alternatively you can take a train from London which will get you into Edinburgh in four hours and Glasgow in five - it's comfy but it's not cheap.

Coming from Ireland, you also have the option of taking a ferry. In summer there is a weekly ferry between Aberdeen, the Shetlands and Norway, and a twice-weekly ferry from Aberdeen to the Faroes.

For those with their own transport, main roads are busy but flow quite well - a drive from London to Edinburgh will take about eight hours.

There are domestic flights within Scotland, but it's hardly worth the price unless there's no other option. Buses are thick on the ground.

Scotland's train routes are picturesque but somewhat limited and expensive. Driving around Scotland is generally easy and far less busy than in England, although petrol stations may be few and far between (as well as pricey).

If you want to hit the water, boats run to most of the islands or you can get a ferry from Aberdeen to Orkney or Shetland.