Coming up: railcards, cheap tickets, not riding a bicycle, underwhelming food, one of the world’s best road trips, and the 3 best ways to get from Edinburgh to Inverness.
Edinburgh is Scotland’s capital.
Inverness is the nation’s most northern city (so: it’s the best city-base for exploring the Scottish Highlands—especially its most remote and rural parts).
… so, inevitably, traveling between the two places is a pretty popular trip.
And since you’re here, we can only assume you want to tackle it. So in this guide, we’ve covered exactly how. Expect prices, places, perks, pitstops, and plenty more.
Grab your kilt and come join the party!
Your 3 Different Options for Getting From Edinburgh to Inverness
If you ride the quickest route, the distance between Edinburgh and Inverness measures in at 160 miles (260 km). The coastal route – which some people like to drive – measures in at 300 miles (480 km), but we’ll come to all the details on that soon.
There are 3 main ways to take the trip between the two cities:
(some people cycle it, but that’s NOT an option for most people).
Next, we’ve covered all options in depth:
Getting From Edinburgh to Inverness by Bus:
Overall: the most affordable option, less uncomfortable than you’d expect, but not as luxurious or enjoyable (or as fast!) as taking the train.
Pros:
Cons:
To book a bus from Edinburgh to Inverness, your best option is Megabus. They offer up to 12 departures per day, they’re very reliable, and they have the cheapest tickets. CityLink Scotland also run the route, but I’ve never used any of their buses—and their buses are less frequent than the Megabus ones.
Buses, of course, leave from Edinburgh bus station, which is right in the center of the city. And they arrive at Inverness bus station, which is right in the center of Inverness.
Getting From Edinburgh to Inverness by Train:
Overall: the most comfortable option, the quickest public transport option, and not as expensive as you’d think (if – and it’s a big IF – you book in advance).
Pros:
Cons:
To book your Edinburgh to Inverness train tickets (or any other train tickets!), use the Trainline. It’s easy to use, you can find cheap tickets, and it compares trains by all providers (so it makes things fast and simple). It’s basically like SkyScanner, but for train-riding instead of flying.
If you want to save even more money, try to travel during the UK’s ‘off-peak’ period, when tickets are at their cheapest. In the UK, ‘off-peak’ usually means after 9:30 am (but outside the busy travel hours between 3:30 pm and 6:15 pm).
… and because the UK has 9(!) different types of railcards, you’ll probably be able to find one you can use.
You can get railcards for young people, old people, military personnel, couples, and basically any other category of person you can imagine.
You can buy it at the link I gave you two sentences ago, and it can be issued either as a paper ticket or as a digital on-your-phone ticket.
Getting from Edinburgh to Inverness by Car:
Overall: the most flexible option, the most freedom, much cheaper than you’re probably expecting, and you can make whichever en-route stops you want to!
Pros:
Cons:
If you do road trip, you should stop at:
- Aberdeen: possibly Scotland’s most underrated city, Aberdeen serves up cobbled streets, a surprisingly artsy vibe, lots of maritime history, and some excellent coastal walks.
- Bullers of Buchan: a mysterious craggy cavey area, the best way to really explore the place is on a seaside wander all the way from the pretty village of Cruden Bay. Here’s more.
- Montrose Basin Visitor Centre and Wildlife Reserve: one of the best wildlife areas in Scotland, this place is home to a huge number of both local and migrating birds.
- Stonehaven Beach: one of the best beaches on the east coast of Scotland, and close to the dramatic ruins of the iconic Dunnottar Castle. For more, here are the 19 best beaches on the east coast of Scotland.
- Lossiemouth: a cute little coastal town, you’ll fall in love with the lazy charm of the place. Eat some fish and chips, eat some ice cream.
… but if you decide to go the quicker inland way (through Cairngorms National Park, the biggest national park in the UK), you should stop at:
- Aviemore and Pitlochry: the two best and most famous towns inside Cairngorms National Park, they’re both pretty little charmfests you’ll fall in love with. Don’t be surprised when you decide you want to move to both of them.
- Hikes and hills: with the biggest national park in the UK comes LOTS of hikes and hills. The most famous ascent is up Cairn Gorm (which of course gives the area its name), but here’s a big fat list of all your other options.
- Head to the Cairngorm Reindeer Herd, where you’ll find around 150 free-roaming reindeer. They’ve been here since the 1950s—and spotting them is one of Scotland’s most magical experiences.
(… and whichever way you drive, end your ride at Inverness Castle. It’s not the most impressive castle in the world, but it’s a decent place to visit before you head to your Inverness accommodation).
Again, to hire a car, you should use discovercars.com. It searches through more than 500 car rental suppliers to give you the best possible prices. Renting cars is usually pretty expensive, but with these legendary heroes, you can sometimes find cars for as little as £10 per day. And because UK roads are well-maintained, even one of their basic cars will get you to all the places you need to reach.
For more riding and revving around the UK, drive on over to our guides on:
Is It Possible to Ride a Bicycle From Edinburgh to Inverness?
It’s possible, but it’s definitely not convenient.
Edinburgh and Inverness are further from each other than most people expect. If you ride the shortest route between the two cities, your adventure—as we’ve mentioned—will clock in at 160 miles (260 km) And because this route runs through Cairngorms National Park, it’s a pretty hilly ride.
… and, again, if you ride the coastal route, it’s much longer, measuring in at 300 miles (480 km).
So, riding a bike is a great way to have a good adventure. And if you like long-distance cycling and big physical challenges, you’ll love it. But it’s NOT a quick convenient travel option for swiftly hopping between two places (like the Edinburgh to Glasgow route is).
For UK bike rides, I *do* recommend you cycle on over to our guides on:
My Recommendation for Getting From Edinburgh to Inverness
Again, to sum up, I recommend taking the train from Edinburgh to Inverness. It’s the quickest and most comfortable option, you don’t have to do any driving, and you can get cheap tickets if you book in advance.
… but if you plan to explore areas outside of Inverness after you arrive, you should drive from Edinburgh to Inverness: cos public transport is sparse once you get north of the city. And in some of the most remote and rural places, public transport is basically non-existent.
Tips and Advice for Taking the Train From Edinburgh to Inverness
- Take some snacks with you: yep, the trains you ride will serve food—and you’ll find food in Edinburgh’s train stations. But what you do find is usually unhealthy and unimaginative (and expensive). I pretty much always pack my own food for UK train trips.
- Again, as I’ve mentioned: use the Trainline to book your tickets. Book your tickets around 6-8 weeks before your intended travel date to get the best prices, and consider buying a railcard if you’ll be taking several UK train trips.
- Get yourself a window seat, so you can enjoy the views. When you book your tickets, you can specify where you want to sit.
Tips and Advice for Driving From Edinburgh to Inverness
If you decide to drive from Edinburgh to Inverness, here are my tips:
- As I mentioned, take your car from discovercars.com. They’re the cheapest place by far to hire a car. And the website is super easy to use.
- If you plan on driving north of Inverness after you arrive in Inverness, fill up on gas whenever you get the chance. The area north of Inverness is very rural, and you won’t see many gas stations.
- Remember that, in the UK, people drive on the left-hand side of the road. So you should do that too. Cos, you know, you don’t want to crash.
Getting From Edinburgh to Inverness: Final Thoughts
Alright, that’s us done—and that’s everything you need to know about tackling the trip from Edinburgh to Inverness!
To sum up, the best choice for most people to go from Edinburgh to Inverness is taking the train. It’s comfortable, quick, and convenient, and you can get some surprisingly cheap tickets (if you follow our advice above).
… but if you want to explore areas north of Inverness after you arrive in Inverness, you should definitely take a car from Edinburgh to Inverness (rent your car here for good prices). And if you have access to a car, you should absolutely tackle the North Coast 500 if you have time.
For more destinations, here’s my guide on how to go from Edinburgh to the Isle of Skye.
For more on Edinburgh, get yourself over to our guides on how to go from London to Edinburgh by train, the 15 best day trips from Edinburgh and the ultimate 2-days-in-Edinburgh itinerary.
… and for more on Inverness, explore our guides on the 15 best hikes in and around Inverness, and the 11 best road trips from Inverness.
IMPORTANT: Feel free to explore our other travel guides while you’re here – you might discover some delightful surprises! Plus, every visit helps support our small business. We truly appreciate it.
