Basics - The Rough Guide to Scottish Highlands and Islands - page 26

You can buy train tickets at most stations, but
if the ticket o ce at the station is closed, or the
automatic machine isn't working, you may buy your
ticket on board from the inspector using cash or a
credit card. Those eligible for a national rail pass
(£30) can obtain discounted tickets, with up to
a third off most fares. These include the 16-25
Railcard , for full-time students and those aged
between 16 and 25, and the Senior Railcard for
people over 60. Alternatively, a Family & Friends
Railcard entitles up to four adults and up to four
children to a reduction.
In addition, ScotRail offers several regional passes.
The most flexible is the Freedom of Scotland
Travelpass , which gives unlimited train travel within
Scotland. It's also valid on all CalMac ferries and on
various buses in the remoter regions. The pass costs
£134 for four days' travel in an eight-day period, or
£179.70 for eight days' travel in a fifteen-day period.
The Highland Rover allows unlimited train travel
within the Highlands; it costs £81.50 for four out of
eight consecutive days.
BritRail passes ( W britrail.com) are only available
to visitors not resident in the UK and must be
purchased before you leave your home country.
The pass is available in a wide variety of types;
for example the Adult pass allows unlimited train
travel for eight days and costs €249. If you've
been resident in a European country other than
the UK for at least six months, an InterRail pass,
allowing unlimited train travel within Britain, might
be worth it if Scotland is part of a longer European
trip. For more details, visit W interrail.eu. Note that
Eurail passes are not valid in the UK.
On most ScotRail routes bicycles are carried free,
but since there are only between two and six bike
spaces available, it's a good idea to reserve ahead
and a requirement on longer journeys.

By coach and bus

The main centres of the Highlands are served by
a few long-distance bus services, known across
Britain as coaches . Scotland's national operator is
Scottish Citylink ( T 08712 663333, W citylink.co
.uk). On the whole, coaches are cheaper than trains
and, as a result, are very popular, so for longer
journeys it's advisable to book ahead.
There are various discounts on offer for those
with children, those under 26 or over 60, and
full-time students (contact Scottish Citylink for
more details), as well as an Explorer Pass , which
gives unlimited travel throughout Scotland; the
£93 pass gives you eight days' travel over a
sixteen-day period. Overseas passport holders
can buy a Brit Xplorer pass (in 7-, 14- or 28-day
versions) in the UK, from National Express
( W nationalexpress.com), or at major ports and
airports; the seven-day pass costs £79, though
you'd have to do a lot of bus travelling to make
it worthwhile.
Local bus services are run by a bewildering
array of companies, many of which change routes
and timetables frequently. Local tourist o ces
can provide free timetables or you can contact
Traveline Scotland ( T 0871 200 2233, W traveline
scotland.com), which provides a reliable service
both online and by phone. There is also a free app
available for download.
Some remote areas of the Highlands and Islands
are only served by postbuses , which are vehicles
carrying mail and a handful of fare-paying passen-
gers. They set off early in the morning, usually
around 8am and, though sociable, can be excrucia-
tingly slow. You can view routes and timetables on
the Royal Mail website ( T 08457 740740, W royal
mail.com/postbus).

MINIBUS TOURS
Minibus tours that operate out of Edinburgh (and Glasgow) and head off into the Highlands
are popular with backpackers who want a quick taste of Scotland. Aimed at the youth market,
they adopt an upbeat and irreverent approach to sightseeing, as well as offering a good
opportunity to get to know fellow travellers.
The current leading operator, Haggis ( T 01315 579393, W haggisadventures.com), has bright
yellow minibuses setting off daily on whistle-stop tours lasting between one and ten days, in
the company of a live-wire guide. A three-day trip from Edinburgh to Skye via Loch Ness costs
£119 (food and accommodation not included).
Several other companies offer similar packages, including Macbackpackers ( T 01315
589900, W macbackpackers.com), which runs tours linking up their own hostels round the
country. The popular Rabbie's tours ( T 01312 263133, W rabbies.com) don't aim squarely at
the backpacker market and have a mellower outlook.