Getting there

The cities sit on the railway. The west has a train that ends at the pier. Skye has a bridge, and Mull has a ferry. After that it is usually a bus, and sometimes a taxi for the last few miles.

Services change with the season. ScotRail, Scottish Citylink, CalMac and Traveline Scotland have the day’s times.

The railways

Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling, Perth, Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness are all on ScotRail, and they connect with one another. An overnight sleeper from London reaches Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Inverness and Fort William.

From Perth the Highland line climbs through Pitlochry, Blair Atholl, Dalwhinnie, Aviemore and Carrbridge on its way to Inverness. Some trains pass Blair Atholl, Dalwhinnie and Carrbridge, so check that yours calls.

The West Highland line leaves Glasgow Queen Street and divides at Crianlarich. One train goes to Oban. The other goes to Fort William and on to Mallaig.

From Inverness, three lines head out. North to Tain and on towards Wick and Thurso. West to Kyle of Lochalsh, for Skye. East through Elgin and Keith to Aberdeen.

Speyside

Keith and Elgin are the stations, on those Aberdeen to Inverness trains. Dufftown, Aberlour and Craigellachie are a Stagecoach bus on from Elgin, calling in the villages on the way. Glenlivet is further up the glen, so that visit is a taxi or a tour from Dufftown or Aberlour.

There is also a heritage railway between Keith and Dufftown. It is a ride out and back, rather than the train you use to arrive.

Inverness, Tain and the Cairngorms

Inverness station is in the town, with the bus station beside it. Coaches to Skye, Fort William and the Cairngorms leave from there.

Tain, for Glenmorangie, is on the line north. The station is in the town. Dornoch, for the chocolate shop and Royal Dornoch, sits round the firth, so that last bit is a bus or a taxi from Tain. Cabot Highlands is at Dalcross, by Inverness airport, not in the town. 8 Doors, at John o’ Groats, is the far end of the same line: Wick or Thurso, then a bus or a taxi to the signpost.

Dalwhinnie, Aviemore and Carrbridge are stations on the line south. Dalwhinnie is in the village with the station. Landmark at Carrbridge, and the walk round Loch an Eilein, are a short local hop from Aviemore or Carrbridge.

Oban and Fort William

The Oban train from Glasgow finishes beside the ferry, which is the useful part. Citylink coaches from Glasgow Buchanan Street come into the same town. Two nights in Oban assumes you are sleeping there.

Fort William is a stop on the train to Mallaig. Ben Nevis distillery is at Lochy Bridge, on the edge of town, so the station gets you to Fort William and a local bus or a taxi finishes it. Glen Nevis is the same idea: town first, then the glen. Ardnamurchan is the road west to Glenbeg. Nc’nean is at Drimnin, on the Morvern side of the Sound of Mull. Each of those is a day.

Skye

No railway runs onto Skye. ScotRail stops at Kyle of Lochalsh, and the bridge is right there.

Citylink coaches run to Portree from Inverness, and from Glasgow and Edinburgh. They cross at Kyle and follow the main road through Broadford and Sligachan. Portree Square is where you get off.

The other door is the CalMac ferry from Mallaig to Armadale, in the south of the island. It sails for part of the year, so ask CalMac before you build a day around it. Mallaig is the end of the Fort William train, which makes a fine way to arrive when the boat is running. Torabhaig is on that Sleat side, at Teangue. Raasay is the short CalMac hop from Sconser, once you are already on Skye.

The coaches stay on that main road. Carbost, where Talisker is, has a local bus from Portree and Sligachan on weekdays, and a taxi the rest of the time. The hamlet of Talisker, and the bay, are a walk on from the village. The roads take longer than the map suggests. Skye, slowly gives the island its own nights.

Mull

The usual ferry is CalMac from Oban to Craignure, about three quarters of an hour. Leave a gap between the train or the coach and the sailing. If you are taking a car, book it. On foot, the terminal can usually sell you a ticket on the day.

West Coast Motors runs from the Craignure pier to Tobermory. Match the bus to the sailing, because the two do not always line up. Tobermory is the harbour, and the distillery is on it.

Two shorter ferries land elsewhere on the island. Kilchoan to Tobermory, from Ardnamurchan, brings you straight to the village. Lochaline to Fishnish, from Morvern, lands in the middle, and Tobermory is a bus from there.

Mull needs its own night is the unhurried version.

Royal Deeside

Ballater’s handsome station belongs to the old line. ScotRail stops at Aberdeen. From Union Square, Stagecoach buses follow the Dee through Banchory and Aboyne to Ballater, and on to Crathie and Braemar. Crathie is the stop for Royal Lochnagar. Braemar is the town for the Linn of Dee, which is still a little way west of the square.

Cities, Perthshire, Fife and the Borders

Edinburgh and Glasgow are walking cities once you are off the train. Waverley, Queen Street and Central all land you in the middle. Holyrood, the Old Town bars and the gin rooms are on foot or a city bus from there. Johnnie Walker Princes Street is a walk from Waverley or Haymarket. Port of Leith is the bus or a longer walk down to the shore. In Glasgow, the Clydeside is on the river at Stobcross. The Glasgow Distillery is out at Hillington, so that visit is a booked trip from the centre. The Pot Still is in town.

Stirling and Dundee both have stations in the middle. Stirling’s distillery is up by the castle. Dundee’s whisky room is on Union Street, and 71 Brewing is the taproom on Ure Street. Aberdeen’s station is in the city too. Ellon, for the BrewDog tour, and Cruden Bay, for the links, are both north of it. Each is a day out of town.

Pitlochry and Blair Atholl are stations on the Highland line. The Falls of Bruar are near Blair Atholl. Aberfeldy is a bus from Pitlochry, and Grandtully and the chocolatier are on that road. Gleneagles has a station between Perth and Stirling. The hotel is a short taxi from it. The spa and the golf are different bookings, and both ask you to phone ahead.

For St Andrews, leave the train at Leuchars and take the bus into town. Coaches also run from Edinburgh and Dundee. The Old Course is the ballot in town. Kingsbarns is just east of it, and Kingsbarns Golf Links is the round in the same village, not the same afternoon. Lindores Abbey is at Newburgh, on the Tay, and that is a separate morning.

Loch Lomond’s south end is Balloch, a train from Glasgow. Cameron House is a short taxi or local bus from the station. Further up the loch, Arrochar and Tarbet is a stop on the Oban and Fort William trains. Fyne Ales is further on again, at Cairndow, at the head of Loch Fyne. There is no station at the brewery.

The Borders railway from Edinburgh ends at Galashiels and Tweedbank. Tempest is at Tweedside Park in Tweedbank. Stobo is a bus or a taxi on from there. The Borders Distillery is in Hawick, further south again.

Ardnahoe, on Islay, is the new still this map has checked. The ferry leaves from Kennacraig, for Port Askaig or Port Ellen. The Machrie is the links on Laggan Bay, and it is not the same morning as the distillery. The island’s older distilleries are not listed here yet. Stay on the road past Kennacraig, toward Campbeltown, and you are going to Machrihanish, which is not the ferry.

North Berwick and Dunbar both have stations east of Edinburgh. Gullane, and Muirfield in that village, sit between the two. Carnoustie, Arbroath and Montrose have stations on the line between Dundee and Aberdeen. Troon, Prestwick and Ayr have stations from Glasgow. Turnberry is further south than Ayr.

Nairn is a station east of Inverness. Brora is a station north of Tain. Arran is the ferry from Ardrossan. Jura is a ferry on from Islay. Askernish is on South Uist, and the ferry is the way on. The Isle of Harris Distillery is the CalMac ferry from Uig on Skye, and the pier is beside the door.