UK and European Travel
The beauty of Scotland is only an hour from London by air, or a few hours by
train or car, and central Scotland has improving direct air links with many
European cities.
Scotland’s main airports are Edinburgh,
Glasgow and Aberdeen, with direct flights
from all five London airports (Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton and City) as
well as many regional airports in the UK and Ireland.
The main airlines serving BAA Scottish airports include:
- Aer Lingus 0645 737 747, 0845 973 7747 (Eire 01 844 4777)
- Air UK 0345 666 777
- British
Airways 0845 77 333 77
- British Midland 0345 554 554 or 0131 344 5600
- Business Air 0500 340 146
- Easyjet 0990 29 29 29
- Gill Airways 0191 286 2222
- Icelandair 020 7388 5599
- Ryanair 0870 873 0000, 08707 280280 (Eire 01 677 4422)
- Sabena 0345 125 254
There are three operators of train services to Scotland:
- GNER, on the East Coast line from London King’s Cross to Edinburgh
- Virgin, on the West Coast line from London Euston to Glasgow
- ScotRail, most
rail services within Scotland and some overnight and sleeper services to
London.
Information for all rail services in the UK can be obtained through:
- National Rail Enquiries 03457 48 49 50 (textphone 08456 05 06 00)
- http://www.rail.co.uk/
- International Rail Enquiries: 0990 848 848
- National Traveline — bus, coach, ferry, ferry, tram, train,
underground and metro services around the country 0870608 2608 (textphone 0870
241 2216)
- Edinburgh Traveline 0800 23 23 23
Channel Tunnel Services
- Le Shuttle 0990 353535 (Calais 03 21.00.60.00)
- Eurostar 08705 186
186 (Paris/Lille 01 45.82.50.50, Brussels 02 224 8856)
- National Express 0990 808080
- Scottish Citylink 0990 505050
- Argyll & Bute Council Public Transport 01546 604695
- Strathclyde (Glasgow) Passenger Transport 0141 333 3211
Mainland Europe to the UK
- Brittany Ferries St Malo, Caen, Cherbourg, Roscoff, Santander 08705
360 360
- DFDS Seaways 08705 333 000 Netherlands, Norwas, Sweden, Denmark,
Germany
- Fjord Line 0191 296 1313 Norway
- Hoverspeed 08705 240 241 Calais, Ostend, Dieppe
- P & O Portsmouth 0870 2424 999 Le Havre, Cherbourg, Bilbao
- P & O Stena 0870 600 0600 Calais
- Seafrance Ferries 08705 711 711 Calais
- Superfast Ferries Zeebrugge to Rosyth. Scotland will
now be connected to the main markets in Continental Europe with daily overnight
crossings of a journey time of approximately 17·5 hours. The proposed
service, which is due to begin in May 2002, will offer daily sailings between
Rosyth in Scotland and Zeebrugge in Belgium. The service will carry passengers,
leisure vehicles and freight on state-of-the-art roll- on roll-off ferries.
Ireland
- Irish Ferries 08705 17 17 17 Dublin, Rosslare
- Norse Irish Ferries Belfast 028 9077 9090 or Liverpool 0151 944 1010
Belfast
- P & O Irish Sea 0870 242 4777 Larne, Dublin
- Sea Containers SeaCat 0870 552 3523 Belfast, Isle of Man, Dublin
- Stena Line 0870 70 70 70 Rosslare, Dublin, Dun Laoghaire, Belfast
- Swansea Cork Ferries 01792 456116 Cork
Scottish Islands
- Caledonian MacBrayne Gourock 01475 650100
- Orkney Ferries Kirkwall 07865 872044
- P & O Scottish Aberdeen 01224 572615, Stronmess 01856 850655
- Tripscope 0845 758 5641 (textphone same number)
- Edinburgh Shopmobility 0131 225 9559
- Edinburgh Dial-a-ride and Handicabs 0131 447 9949
- Glasgow Dial-a-bus 0141 333 3252
- Glasgow Shopmobility 0141 354 0416
- Both Historic
Scotland and the National Trust for
Scotland can advise on accessibility of visitor attractions.
The Scottish Tourist
Board can be contacted at:
23 Ravelston Terrace
Edinburgh EH4 3EU
0131 332 2433
19 Cockspur Street London SW15BL
020 7930 8661 or 8662 or 8663
Regional Tourist Boards
Not tourist boards as such, but many visitor attractions are owned or
managed by one of the following two organisations.
Purchasing an annual membership of either will save you money if you are
visiting many of their properties.
A “clickable” map of local government areas in Scotland can be
found in About Scotland: |
Government and Legislature |
Local Government