Travelling in Scotland without a car
You can see a great deal of Scotland without driving. The scenic railways are a highlight in their own right, coaches reach most of the main towns, and foot passengers rarely have trouble getting on ferries. The trade-off is fewer services, especially on Sundays, and some places you simply cannot reach.
What works well
- The cities: Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling, Perth, Aberdeen and Inverness are all linked by frequent trains.
- The West Highland Line: Glasgow to Fort William and on to Mallaig for the Skye ferry, or Glasgow to Oban for Mull.
- The Highland Main Line: Edinburgh or Glasgow to Pitlochry, Aviemore and Inverness.
- The Kyle Line: Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh, a short bus ride from Skye.
- Islands as a foot passenger: Mull and Iona from Oban, Skye from Mallaig, Lewis from Ullapool. Iona and the Small Isles are car-free for visitors anyway.
- Orkney: train to Thurso, bus to Scrabster, ferry to Stromness, then local buses and tours.
A sample car-free route (10 days)
- Days 1–2: Edinburgh. Walk the city.
- Day 3: Train to Pitlochry (about 1 hr 50 min). Walk to Killiecrankie or the Edradour distillery.
- Day 4: Train to Inverness (about 1 hr 45 min). Bus to Culloden in the afternoon.
- Day 5: Loch Ness by bus to Drumnadrochit and Urquhart Castle, or on a cruise.
- Day 6: Train to Kyle of Lochalsh (about 2 hr 30 min), bus to Portree.
- Day 7: Skye by local bus or a small-group day tour of Trotternish.
- Day 8: Bus to Armadale, ferry to Mallaig, train to Fort William. Check connections carefully.
- Day 9: Glen Nevis by local bus, or the Nevis Range gondola.
- Day 10: Train to Glasgow (about 3 hr 45 min) across Rannoch Moor.
Where it gets hard
- Glencoe: Citylink coaches between Glasgow and Fort William stop at Glencoe village and the junction for the Glencoe Mountain Resort, but getting to the trailheads and viewpoints along the glen means walking or a taxi.
- The NC500 and Sutherland: very limited buses. Not practical without a car or tour.
- The far end of Skye (Neist Point, the Fairy Pools) and much of Mull have few or no buses.
- Sundays in rural areas and on Lewis and Harris have very limited or no public transport.
Tips
- Use Traveline Scotland to plan journeys; it covers all operators.
- Book Citylink coaches ahead in summer, as popular routes such as Glasgow to Skye fill.
- ScotRail sells rover tickets for unlimited travel over set days; check its website for current options.
- Small-group day tours from Inverness, Portree, Oban and Fort William fill the gaps where buses do not go.
- Pack light. You will be carrying your bags on and off trains, buses and boats.
Or let someone else drive: a private driver-guide gives the freedom of a car without the driving.