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 direct air services from London and other European cities to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee, Aberdeen, Inverness or Kirkwall, and from North America to Glasgow or Edinburgh. All UK domestic flights and those from Scotland to places in the EU attract a 15.00 departure tax and to other destinations it's 30.00, a cost that's usually factored into the ticket price. From Europe it's often cheaper to fly to London then catch a train or bus north. It's a one-hour flight from London to Edinburgh, but once you add on the trip to and from the airport you're getting close to the four-hour rail trip.
A train from London can get you to Edinburgh in four hours, Glasgow in five, but tickets are fairly pricey.
Long-distance buses are usually the cheapest method of getting to Scotland, with a range of private operators undercutting the state operator. The budget Slow Coach, which runs between youth hostels all over Britain, goes as far as Edinburgh.
For those with their own transport, main roads are busy and quick - Edinburgh is 600km (373mi) from London and it will take you about eight hours to drive it.
Scotland has ferry links to Larne, near Belfast, and to Belfast itself. In summer there is also a weekly ferry between Aberdeen, the Shetlands and Norway, and a twice-weekly ferry from Aberdeen to the Faroes.
