HOW DO I GET TO THE ISLANDS DURING AUTUMN AND WINTER?
ORKNEY
BY PLANE
Fly to Orkney with Loganair. Flights are direct to Kirkwall Airport from Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen, with flights lasting up to one hour and includes connections from Belfast City, Bristol, Cardiff, Dublin, Exeter, Isle of Man, Manchester, Newcastle, Newquay, Norwich, Southampton and Teeside.
BY FERRY
There are four sailing routes to Orkney where you'll be able to take your car onboard:
- John O' Groats Ferry - from John O' Groats to Burwick, operating from May until late September (40 minutes).
- Pentland Ferries - from Gill's Bay to St Margaret's Hope (1 hour).
- NorthLink Ferries - from Scrabster to Stromness (90 minutes) or Aberdeen to Kirkwall (6 hours).
If you plan to do a bit of island hopping, Orkney Ferries operate 9 Inter-Island ferries between Orkney's mainland and 13 other beautiful island destinations.
BY TRAIN
ScotRail operate trains to Aberdeen for the ferry to Kirkwall.
There are also services which run from Edinburgh and Glasgow to help you catch a connecting train from Aberdeen and Thurso:
- Edinburgh to Aberdeen (2 hours 35 minutes)
- Edinburgh to Thurso (8 hours 20 minutes)
- Glasgow to Aberdeen (2 hours 30 minutes)
- Glasgow to Thurso (7 hours 40 minutes)
BY BUS
Citylink run bus services to Aberdeen, Gills Bay and Scrabster so you can catch your ferry to the islands. If you're flying here, jump on the Stagecoach JET (service 4) which will take you from Kirkwall Airport to Kirkwall in just 15 minutes!
ARRAN
BY FERRY
Two car ferry services, operated by Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac), serve the island:
- The Ardrossan to Brodick service runs from early spring to late October. The journey time is approximately 1 hour, with vehicle reservations recommended.
- Claonaig in Kintyre to Lochranza which is situated at the north end of Arran. The journey takes around 30 minutes with no advance booking required. In winter, the ferry from Kintyre leaves from Tarbert (Loch Fyne), not Claonaig.
BY TRAIN
ScotRail operate regular services from Glasgow Central Station to Brodick and takes around 45 minutes. Step off the train at Ardrossan Harbour and you're just a few minutes' walk to the ferry terminal where you can enjoy a leisurely sail across the Firth of Forth to Brodick on Arran. The journey time is approximately 1 hour and it's a great time to soak in the views.
BY BUS
Stagecoach operates services from Glasgow to Ardrossan and operates across the Isle of Arran, connecting Lochranza in the north and Brodick in the south of the island.
BY CAR
The drive from Glasgow to Ardrossan Harbour is approximately 1 hour where you will reach the ferry terminal.
SHETLAND
BY PLANE
Book a direct flight to Sumburgh Airport with Loganair from Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness, Kirkwall and Manchester. There are also plenty of connections from Birmingham, Belfast City, Bristol, Exeter, Newcastle, Norwich and Teeside.
BY FERRY
Take the overnight ferry from Aberdeen or Kirkwall with NorthLink Ferries. You'll be able to take cars, motorhomes and bikes onboard. There are also pet-friendly cabins available to book if you wish to bring your four-legged friends along.
BY TRAIN
ScotRail operate trains to Aberdeen for the ferry to Lerwick. There are services which run from Edinburgh and Glasgow to help you catch a connecting train from Aberdeen:
- Edinburgh to Aberdeen (2 hours 35 minutes)
- Glasgow to Aberdeen (2 hours 30 minutes)
BY CAR
From Edinburgh, drive to Aberdeen and catch the overnight ferry to Lerwick.