Scottish Borders travel tips

By road

The Scottish Borders are easily accessible by road from many areas including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle and Carlisle, which are all about an hour’s drive away.
For a picturesque trip, why not travel along the National Tourist Route which runs between Edinburgh and Carlisle? This well signposted route meanders through beautiful countryside and offers a range of things to see and do along the way.

To gain a better sense of the area, drive down the Borders Historic Route, which stretches for 95 miles (152 km). This romantic route allows you to see historic homes, market towns and royal burghs.

If you plan on travelling by bicycle, take a look at our information on cycling in Scotland.

Once in the Scottish Borders, you can travel around the area by car or bike on quiet and scenic roads. You can find out up-to-date traffic information from Traffic Scotland, and plan your route with Transport Direct.

Public Transport

For information about all public transport in Scotland, the best place to check for information and timetables is with Traveline; you can also download their handy mobile app or call them on 0871 200 22 33.

By air

If you arrive in Edinburgh, Glasgow or Newcastle airports, there are ongoing road links to take you to the Scottish Borders, the drive taking under two hours from each. The best way to find the most competitive fares for flying  around Scotland is to search on comparison sites such as SkyScanner, Travel Supermarket and Cheapflights.

By train

Although there are no direct trains to the Scottish Borders, if you travel by rail to Edinburgh, Newcastle, Carlisle or Berwick-upon-Tweed, there are good road connections to take you to your destination. Timetables are available from ScotRail and National Rail.

By bus

If you are coming to the Scottish Borders by bus, there are a number of options. If arriving from the south, you can travel from Berwick-upon-Tweed with Perryman’s Buses, from Carlisle with First Group and Newcastle with Munro’s of Jedburgh or National Express.

If you are coming from Edinburgh, First Group and Munro’s of Jedburgh both run services. In the Scottish Borders area, First Group and Munro’s of Jedburgh also run local buses between the towns.

By ferry

Regular ferry services from Europe come into the ports of Newcastle and Hull – check with DFDS Seaways and P&O ferries for further details. If you are coming from Northern Ireland, there is also a service from Belfast to Cairnryan with Stena Line, as well as P&O ferries between Larne and Cairnryan or Troon. After arriving at these ports, you can travel on to the Scottish Borders by road, with the journey time being around four hours from Hull, three hours from Cairnryan and about an hour and a half from Newcastle. 

Find out more about travelling to and around Scotland