How to get to Inverness by air, rail and road
By Gordon Pearson on 16th January 2023
If you are wondering how to travel to Inverness by air, rail or road then this handy guide is for you! We hope that you have a great trip to Inverness!
If you are wondering how to travel to Inverness by air, rail or road then this handy guide is for you. We hope that you have a great trip to Inverness!
Inverness Airport is just 20 minutes drive from Inverness city centre, and has good links with a number of key destinations. There are regular flights from London to Inverness with easyJet (London Gatwick and Luton), and with BA (London Heathrow). You can fly into Inverness with KLM from the international hub of Amsterdam Schiphol, and Loganair also has regular flights from Belfast to Inverness. BA, Loganair and KLM all offer flights to Inverness from Dublin.
(Note that Dublin Airport offers a pre-clearance facility for US-bound customers, allowing you to pass all customs and immigration inspections prior to departure from Dublin – this is a popular choice for many of our US customers!)
Once you arrive in Inverness Airport there is an airport bus (Stagecoach 11) which runs approximately every 30 minutes, and will take you into Inverness Bus Station. There is also a new airport train station, which is a short walk from the terminal – trains are expected to start running into Inverness in 2023. If you wish to take a taxi we’d recommend pre-booking.
| Amsterdam |
| Belfast |
| Birmingham |
| Bristol |
| Dublin |
| London Heathrow |
| London Luton |
| London Gatwick |
| Manchester |
For more information on available routes please go to the HIAL website.
Taking the train to Inverness is our favourite way of travelling to the Highlands (and it’s environmentally friendly too!). Inverness train station is located in the heart of Inverness city centre, making it an excellent base – have a look at The
Trainline for details of tickets.
Edinburgh to Inverness by train – travelling from Edinburgh to Inverness takes around 3 1/2 hours and trains depart (from Edinburgh Waverley or Haymarket) approximately every 1 – 2 hours. The current price of a single ticket is £57 if booking at short notice. However, we’d recommend booking in advance as cheaper tickets can often be available, particularly if you are flexible with your timings. They are generally more expensive if you book last minute or on the train. This applies to most routes in Scotland, so it is definitely worth booking in advance!
Glasgow to Inverness by train – travelling from Glasgow to Inverness also takes around 3 1/2 hours and trains depart from Glasgow Queen St approximately every 1 – 2 hours. As stated above, if you book your ticket in advance you are much more likely to secure a good price, with this route generally costing around £55 for a single ticket (but you can get return tickets for about this price too).
London to Inverness by train – The Caledonian Sleeper train from London to Inverness is a fantastic way to travel – you can go to sleep in England and wake up in the Highlands! The Caledonian Sleeper leaves London Euston at 2115 Monday to Friday, and 2030 on a Sunday. The train arrives in Inverness at 0840 the next morning (including Sunday departures). The Caledonian Sleeper does not operate on a Saturday evening.
Since 2023 there have been frequent train strikes. We’d recommend checking ahead regarding this, prior to booking your train travel.
This is often the most cost effective way of travelling to Inverness, but will generally take longer than by train or by plane, and the standard of the service can vary greatly.
Megabus is a budget operator which offers some great deals from London Victoria (14 hours – single tickets can be purchased for around £24), Edinburgh (3.5 – 4.5 hours, £14 single) and Glasgow (3.5 – 4.5 hours, £19 single). You can also book on the Citylink website – they were previously more of a premium operator but the routes are now shared between the two operators.
FlixBus started operating routes from Glasgow and Edinburgh to Inverness in 2024. Buses run from both Edinburgh and Glasgow approximately 3 – 4 times daily, and cost from around £15 for a single ticket. You can also book tickets from cities in England, but you will need to change buses a few times.
Another option when travelling from England is the National Express coach service.
Inverness bus station is located next to the train station in Inverness city centre.
Inverness can be reached from the South of Scotland/ Glasgow/ Edinburgh by the A9, from the West/Fort William on the A82 or from the East/Aberdeen on the A96.
Please be aware that all of these roads are busy in the summer, and can be very tricky to drive, particularly if you are unused to driving on the left-hand side. On the A9 particularly the driving can be difficult for tourists, as the road switches between single and dual-carriageway, with lots of unsafe junctions, which can be disorientating. If you do decide to drive, please leave plenty of time for your journey.
From there you can enjoy all the sights on offer in the wonderful Scottish Highlands. Don’t forget that WOW Scotland provides tours from Inverness to Skye!
