Scotland is well served by airports, and air links. Indeed, flying can be the best way of getting to and from some of the more remote regions of the country, with their rugged terrain. Flying is also one of the best ways to appreciate the spectacular scenery and incredible natural beauty of the country.
Glasgow International Airport (IATA: GLA) is located just eight miles from Glasgow City Centre, and is Scotland's premier long-haul airport, with year-round flights from Canada, the United States and the Gulf. More than 7.5 million passengers use the airport every year, flying to and from over 90 destinations around the world.
The nearest rail station to the airport, Paisley Gilmour Street, is situated just one mile from the terminal, and can be easily reached by taxi or bus (services 66 and 300). There are eight trains an hour (five on Sundays) from Paisley Gilmour Street to Glasgow Central - Scotland's busiest railway station and the foremost terminus for inter-city services between Glasgow and destinations in throughout Scotland and the UK.
A fast and frequent bus service runs from Glasgow International Airport and the City Centre, providing easy access to the Hilton Glasgow hotel and the Hilton Glasgow Grosvenor.
Glasgow Prestwick (IATA: PIK), Scotland’s fastest growing airport, is situated in South Ayrshire, and acts as a hub for the Irish Airline Ryanair, operating flights to and from over 30 destinations in the UK and Europe.
Despite being situated 32 miles from Glasgow City Centre, Glasgow Prestwick boasts its own railway station, and arguably enjoys better and more convenient public transport links than Glasgow International Airport.
The journey between Glasgow Prestwick International Airport and Glasgow Central Railway Station takes around 40 minutes, and passengers are entitled to a 50% discount on the standard fare when they show their official flight confirmation and photo ID to the train conductor.
Address: Glasgow Prestwick Airport, Aviation House, Prestwick, KA9 2PL
Tel: + 44 (0)1292 511000
Website: http://www.gpia.co.uk/default.asp
Edinburgh International Airport (IATA: EDI) is situated approximately five miles west of Scotland’s capital city, just off the M8 motorway and within easy reach of the Hilton Edinburgh Airport hotel, Hilton Edinburgh Grosvenor and the Caledonian Hilton Edinburgh Grosvenor hotel.
Edinburgh Airport operates flights to and from over 100 destinations around the world, and acts as a base for budget airlines such as Easyjet and Ryanair. A fast and efficient bus service connects Edinburgh Airport with the historic city, with both private hire and city Black Cab taxi ranks situated outside the east (UK Arrivals) end of the terminal building.
Address: Edinburgh Airport, Scotland, United Kingdom, EH12 9DN
Tel: +44 (0)844 481 8989
Website: http://www.edinburghairport.com
Aberdeen International Airport (IATA: ABZ) is situated at Dyce in the City of Aberdeen, approximately five miles northwest of Aberdeen city centre and within convenient reach of the A96 Aberdeen-Inverness road.
The nearest railway station is Dyce, which is two miles away and easily reachable by taxi from outside the front of the terminal. Dyce railway station is on the Aberdeen-Elgin-Inverness line, offering easy access to the Highlands. Trains to Aberdeen run at least once an hour Monday to Saturday, with a limited service on Sundays, and the station is also served by through trains to and from Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Address: Aberdeen Airport, Dyce, Aberdeen, Scotland, AB21 7DU
Tel: +44 (0)844 481 6666
Website: http://www.aberdeenairport.com
Inverness International Airport (IATA: INV) is situated at Dalcross, approximately eight miles northeast of the city of Inverness. The airport is the main gateway for travellers to the north of Scotland and operates a wide range of scheduled services throughout the UK and Ireland as well as a limited number of charter flights to and from destinations in Europe.
Bus services operate half hourly between Inverness airport and the City of Inverness, and there’s an hourly service to Nairn, Forres and Elgin. Inverness Train Station is a fifteen minute taxi ride away, and onward links are available to destinations throughout the Highlands and to Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Address: Inverness Airport, Inverness, Scotland, IV2 7JB.
Tel: 01667 462 445
Website: http://www.hial.co.uk/inverness-airport
Dundee Airport is only five minutes' drive from Dundee city centre, as well as being the nearest airport to St Andrews. The airport has an adjacent car park, and taxi rank, with public transport also easily available.
The Airport boasts the Fresh Jet Caf&ecute;, selling food, beverages and alcohol while you wait to board. And the Departure Lounge has a range of periodicals, as well as wi-fi access.
Address: Dundee Airport (DDE),
Riverside, Dundee DD2 1UH
Tel: 01382 662200
Website: http://www.hial.co.uk/dundeeairport
East Midlands is one of England's most successful airlines, operating three airports in Derby, Nottingham and Leicester. All are conveniently near to Scotland, if you are travelling through Britain, or just happen to live in the Midlands.
East Midlands Airports can boast an Executive Lounge, open to all travelers, a Prayer Room, open to all faiths, and Wi-Fi hotspots all around the airport.
Little wonder they have become one of the UK's favourite airlines.
Address: East Midlands Airport, Castle Donington, Derby, DE74 2SA
Tel: 0871 919 9000
Website: http://eastmidlandsairport.com
Waverley Station is Edinburgh’s main train station, and the largest mainline train station outside of London. It is centrally located at the base of Princes Street, beside the Waverley shopping centre. There is a taxi rank directly outside, to take you to your destination. Waverley Station itself has many cafes and fast food outlets where you can relax with a newspaper or magazine bought from the newsagent, while you wait for your train. The station is now operated by Network Rail.
Address: Edinburgh Waverley Station, Edinburgh, EH1 1BB
Tel: 08457 11 41 41
Website: http://www.networkrail.co.uk
Haymarket Station is Edinburgh's second mainline railway station. As well as a stopping point for London-bound trains, Haymarket station is also on lines running to the West of Scotland and North of Edinburgh to the neighbouring region of Fife, making it Scotland's fourth busiest railway station.
Haymarket is at the heart of Edinburgh's West End, close to Murrayfield Stadium, the Caledonian Hilton and Edinburgh Grosvenor hotel. The distance between the Haymarket and Waverley stations is under 1 and a half miles, or about 5 minutes by rail.
Address: Haymarket Terrace, Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh, EH12 5EY
Tel: 08471 9090547
Website: http://www.scotrail.co.uk
Glasgow Central is Glasgow’s main train station, and may well be Scotland’s busiest. As the name suggests, the station is conveniently located in Glasgow’s city centre, just a block down from Buchanan Street and Princes Square. The station itself is well equipped with shops, cafes, fast food outlets and bars. It has recently won the National Rail Awards Station of the year.
Glasgow Central is operated by Network Rail.
Address: Glasgow Central Station, Gordon Street, Glasgow, G1 3SL
Tel: 08457 11 41 41
Website: http://www.networkrail.co.uk
Queen Street Station is Glasgow's second largest train station, and the third busiest in Scotland. It is situated on two levels, a High Level and a Low level. The High Level of the station is the larger of the two levels, and serves all Edinburgh trains and all shuttles north of the Central Belt.
The Lower level serves nearer, more local services. Either way, with the aid of the adjacent underground station, you'll easily be able to visit many great Scottish attractions.
Address: North Hanover Street, Glasgow, Glasgow City, G1 2AF
Dunblane Railway Station is a charming small station with three platforms, one which serves as a terminus for trains from Glasgow (Queen Street) and Edinburgh, one which serves trains heading north to Perth, Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness. The last serves trains heading to Glasgow and Edinburgh, including those that terminate at Dunblane.
Address: Station Road, Dunblane, Stirling, FK15 9ET
Tel: 0871 9090547
Website: http://www.scotrail.co.uk
Dundee Railway Station is the major railway station for the city of Dundee. It has direct connections to London, Newcastle and Edinburgh.
The station houses a Travel Office, a newsagent, and a bar and café. However, they are not open late into the evening. The station is served by a taxi rank to take you to your destination.
Dundee Station is maintained by Scotrail.
Address: Dundee Railway Station, South Union Street, Dundee, DD1 4BY
Website: http://www.scotrail.co.uk
Aberdeen Railway Station is the main railway station serving Aberdeen. It is conveniently located next to the Union Square shopping and leisure complex.
The Railway Station has a Travel Office, a newsagent, a bar and restaurant; however, these do not stay open late. There is a taxi rank immediately outside the station, and the regional bus station is just across the car park.
Aberdeen Railway Station is operated by Scotrail.
Address: Aberdeen Railway Station, Guild Street, Aberdeen, AB1 2LX
Website: http://www.scotrail.co.uk
First Bus are Scotland’s largest bus company, operating bus services all over Glasgow and the surrounding area.
The 747 Airlink service operates every 20 minutes from early morning to late evening from the city to Glasgow Airport, offering cheap accessible transport to and from the airport. The 747 Airlink’s route is also perfect for visitors wishing to travel to the city’s fashionable West End, or Glasgow’s top shopping destinations.
If you plan to spend time travelling around Glasgow during your stay you may want to consider a FirstWeek ticket - starting from £16.00 this ticket allows unlimited travel in the City, Local or Network zones for 7 consecutive days.
Address: 197 Victoria Road, Glasgow, G42 7AD
Website: http://www.firstgroup.com
Lothian Buses are the largest municipal bus fleet in Scotland, operating routes all over Edinburgh and the Lothians. Whether you want to go to Edinburgh Zoo or Rosslyn Chapel, Lothian Buses can take you directly there. As well as regular bus routes, they operate open double deck tour bus services, taking you round the most interesting and historic parts of the city.
Lothian Buses also operate a dedicated limited stop service to Edinburgh Airport, Airlink 100.
You can visit one of Lothian Buses’ Travelshops for more information.
Address: Waverley Bridge Travelshop, 31 Waverley Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1BQ
Address: Hanover Street Travelshop, Hanover Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2DL
Address: Shandwick Place Travelshop, 7 Shandwick Place, Edinburgh, EH2 4RG
Tel: 0131 5554 4494
Website: http://www.lothianbuses.com
Scottish Citylink operates bus services to all the major cities in Scotland…and beyond! Whether you want to go to Belfast or Blackpool, Citylink can get you there.
Citylink Gold is a new express service, offering passengers a luxury express coach service which aims to match standards and journey times by train, but at economy prices. The 14-metre luxury coaches are equipped with leather seats, mahogany table trays, a servery and toilet. The services operate between Glasgow and Aberdeen, and Glasgow and Inverness.
Address: Scottish Citylink Coaches Ltd, Buchanan Bus Station, Killermont Street, Glasgow G2 3NW
Tel: 0871 266 33 33
Website: http://www.citylink.co.uk
Avis are one of the largest and most trusted car hire firms in the world, as popular in Scotland as elsewhere. With over 140 rental locations in the UK and 4,000 worldwide, not to mention over 30 years in the car rental business, thy are sure to meet your needs. Avis offers a wide range of cars, from over 40 models, with a choice of sizes and styles to suit your requirements. All Avis vehicles are under 6 months old on average, and undergo regular maintenance and service checks prior to every rental.
Glasgow Address: 70 Lancefield Street, Glasgow, G3 8JD
Edinburgh Address: 5 West Park Place, Edinburgh, EH11 2DP
Tel: 0844 581 0147
Website: http://www.avis.co.uk
If you are looking to hire a car or hire a van Arnold Clark Car & Van Rental has the solution. They provide cheap rental deals on cars and vans from manufacturers such as Ford, Renault, Vauxhall, Peugeot, Citroen, Toyota, Volkswagen and Mercedes.
Arnold Clark rental locations in Scotland providing car hire and van hire include Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen, Inverness and every other major Scottish town. Although based in Scotland, Arnold Clark also cover the North of England.
Address: Arnold Clark Car and Van Rental, Renault Complex, Kerse Rd, Stirling, FK7 7RU
Tel: 0141 237 4374
Website: http://www.arnoldclarkrental.com
Caledonian MacBrayne are the leading Scottish ferry company. They sail to twenty-four destinations on Scotland's West Coast. From Arran in the south to Lewis in the north, Caledonian MacBrayne’s network covers some of the most beautiful and dramatic places in Scotland.
Onboard is a vacation in itself. Unwind in the comfortable lounges, enjoy a meal in the cafeteria or take in the fresh sea air out on deck. You will arrive at your destination relaxed and refreshed. Get away from it all by ferry with Caledonian MacBrayne and discover a different world.
Address: Caledonian MacBrayne, Ferry Terminal, Gourock, PA19 1QP
Tel: 01475 650100
Website: http://www.calmac.co.uk
NorthLink Ferries operate daily ferry services from Aberdeen to the islands archipelagos of the Orkneys and Shetlands. These are some of the most isolated and elemental parts of Scotland, but you can get there in comfort and style with NorthLink. The fleet of three purpose built ships offer the highest standards of safety and comfort. Whether you are in a public area or a cabin, as you set to sea in one of Northlink’s ships, you’ll feel like you’re on a cruise. Take advantage of the onboard facilities such as restaurants and bars, cinema or shop selling the finest Shetland and Orkney produce.
Address: NorthLink Ferries, Ferry Terminal, Gourock, PA19 1QP
Tel: 0845 6000 449
Website: http://www.northlinkferries.com
You can get to Scotland from Europe by ferry, by travelling from the Dutch town of Zeebrugge to Rosyth. The ferry takes you overnight to the port, which is only twelve miles away from Edinburgh. Travel across the iconic Forth Bridge to the capital, or venture further north through the Kingdom of Fife, and go golfing at St Andrews.
Address: DFDS Seaways
