Getting here by Air
Flying to Scotland couldn't be simpler with regular flights into Scotland's main airports, and co-ordinated airport to city centre transportation, making the journey quick and easy.
Prices and Availability
Many low cost airlines offer promotional prices at certain times of the year / days of the week. There are often special fares by booking well in advance, and this also ensures availability.
FLIGHTS TO INVERNESS;
From Edinburgh: British Airways (franchise partner Loganair)
From London Gatwick: EasyJet, Flybe
From London Luton: Easyjet
From Birmingham, Manchester, Exeter & Southampton: Flybe
From Bristol: Easyjet
From Nottingham East Midlands: Ryanair
FLIGHTS TO ABERDEEN
From London Gatwick: British Airways, Flybe
From London Heathrow: British Airways, BMI
From London Luton: Easyjet
From Birmingham: Flybe, BMI
From Bristol, Durham Tess Valley, East Midlands & Humberside: Eastern Airways
From Exeter: Flybe
From Leeds Bradford: Flybe, Eastern Airways
From Newcastle: Flybe, Eastern Airways
From Southampton: Flybe, Eastern Airways
From Manchester: BMI
From Norwich: BMI, Eastern Airways
British Airways: www.ba.com
Eastern Airways: www.easternairways.com
Flybe: www.flybe.com
Ryanair: www.ryanair.com
Easyjet: www.easyjet.com
BMI: www.flybmi.com
Airport Information
Aberdeen: 7 miles from city centre, public transport available, taxi's approximately £15. Airport facilities include car hire, banking, catering and shops. www.baa.com/aberdeen Tel 0870 040 0006
Inverness: 8 miles to city centre, regular bus service, limited Sunday service, taxis approx £12. Airport facilities include car hire, catering and shops. www.hial.co.uk/inverness-airport.html Tel 01667 464000
Getting here by train
A fast, efficient cross border railway service from England and Wales to Scotland. Regular services throughout the day run from London, with direct services from London Kings Cross to Aberdeen and Inverness, and links from other English cities such as Birmingham and Manchester.
Sleeper Services
ScotRail's Caledonian Sleepers are overnight trains running between London Euston and Aberdeen and Inverness, every night Sunday-Friday. Single and twin berth sleeping cabins are available and offer a relaxing and convenient way to travel. Sleeper reservations can be made at any mainline station in the UK, rail appointed travel agents, online www.firstscotrail.com or by phone 08457 550033.
Lower fares are available on seated coaches which have reclining seats, footrests, tray table, individual reading lights and air conditioning. ScotRail has a Bargain Berth facility with prices starting from £19 one way, travel and berth included - these can only be booked online.
Railway Station Information
Aberdeen Station: Situated in the city centre on Guild Street. Facilities include a coffee bar, luggage trolleys and taxi rank.
Inverness Station: Situated in the city centre on Academy Street. Facilities include coffee bar, luggage trolleys and taxi rank.
Car Hire
There are many companies offering competitive car hire rates. Branches for these companies in the Aberdeen / Inverness area are listed below, and you can obtain details of their location and rental conditions by contacting them direct. Conditions vary, but most require the driver to be between 23 and 75 years old, with a current driving licence. The rental charge is due when you collect the vehicle and usually covers passenger liability, third party fire and theft insurance. You will also be required to leave a deposit which is refundable on return of the vehicle if no damage has occurred. There are also some companies who can deliver to airports by prior arrangement.
Arnold Clark
www.arnoldclark.com Tel: 0845 607 4500
Avis Rent A Car
www.avis.co.uk Tel: 0870 606 0100
Budget
www.budget.co.uk Tel: 0870 156 5656
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
www.enterprise.com Tel: 0870 350 3000
Europcar
www.europcarscotland.co.uk Tel: 0870 607 5000
Hertz
www.hertz.co.uk Tel: 0870 400 4560
National Car Rental
www.nationalcar.co.uk Tel: 0870 400 4560
Getting here by road
From South via A9: Leave A9 at Aviemore, take A95 to Grantown on Spey, then A939 to Tomintoul.
From South via Braemar and Deeside: Leave A93 at Crathie, take B976 to Bridge of Gairn then A939 over the Lecht pass to Tomintoul.
From the north via Elgin: take the A95 to 1 mile S of Marypark then branch left on to the B9008 to Tomintoul.
Driving in Scotland
Scotland has an excellent road network with motorways and dual carriageway roads linking cities and major towns. The primary road network extends over most of the country except for the remoter areas. In the Highlands there are single track roads with passing places where you have to draw in to let others pass or overtake. Getting away from traffic jams on these quiet roads can put the fun back into driving and makes it a much more pleasurable experience.
Many fuel stations in cities are open 24 hours a day. In rural areas the distance between stations is greater and opening hours may be shorter, so care should be taken not to run fuel tanks too low unless you know you the whereabouts of the next filling station on your journey.
Public Transport
Public transport is very limited in the area. For details of what is available contact the local Tourist Information Centres:
Tomintoul ( Open Easter to mid October) - 01807 580285
Elgin (Open all year) - 01343 542666 or 543388
Getting around the Cairngorms National Park
The Heather Hopper bus service links different parts of the Park, providing visitors with a more economic and environmentally friendly means of getting around and seeing different areas of the Park. . The 501 services runs twice a day going right through the centre of the Park, stopping at Tomintoul on its way to Ballater and Grantown on Spey. This connects with the 502 service to Aberdeen, Pitlochry and Blairgowrie which runs from 30th June to 11th August 2007.
This is a Hail & Ride bus service – on certain sections of route there aren’t recognised bus stops outside of the 30mph limit, therefore buses on these route sections will stop and pick up and set down on request at a safe location. The benefits being that passengers can select their most convenient boarding/alighting point.
Timetable information for the Heather Hopper is available from the Cairngorms Explorer booklet, available from Glenlivet Estate Information Centre and local tourist information centres. Information also online at:
www.cairngorms.co.uk/park/visitors/explorer/index.php
or from Highland County buses on 01479 811211 and Stagecoach 01224 212266.
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