There are 8 ways to get from Scotland to Mainland by plane, train, ferry, or bus
Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner.
Fly from Aberdeen Airport
best- Fly from Aberdeen Airport (ABZ) to Kirkwall (KOI)plane ABZ - KOI
2h 14m£155–337Bus, ferry via Aberdeen
cheapest- Take the bus from Buchanan Bus Station to Seagate Bus Stationbus M9 / ...
- Take the bus from Seagate Bus Station to Union Square Bus Stationbus M9 / ...
- Take the ferry from Aberdeen Ferry Terminal to Kirkwall Orkney Hatston Ferry Terminalferry Nl2
10h 58m£42–91Train, ferry
- Take the train from Glasgow Queen Street to Aberdeentrain Glasgow Queen Street - Aberdeen / ...
- Take the ferry from Aberdeen Ferry Terminal to Kirkwall Orkney Hatston Ferry Terminalferry Nl2
10h 22m£79–136Bus, ferry
- Take the bus from Buchanan Bus Station to Bus Station Stance 3bus
- Take the bus from Inverness Union Street to Scrabster Ferry Terminalbus
- Take the ferry from Scrabster Ferry Terminal to Stromness Orkney Ferry Terminalferry Nl1
11h 16m£59–99Train, bus, ferry
- Take the train from Glasgow Queen Street to Perthtrain
- Take the train from Perth to Invernesstrain
- Take the train from Inverness to Wicktrain
- Take the bus from Caithness General Hospital to Scrabster Ferry Terminalbus
- Take the ferry from Scrabster Ferry Terminal to Stromness Orkney Ferry Terminalferry Nl1
14h 5m£134–252Fly from Edinburgh Airport
- Fly from Edinburgh Airport (EDI) to Kirkwall (KOI)plane EDI - KOI
2h 47m£180–420Fly from Glasgow Airport
- Fly from Glasgow Airport (GLA) to Kirkwall (KOI)plane GLA - KOI
2h 32m£213–465Fly from Inverness Dalcross Airport
- Fly from Inverness Dalcross Airport (INV) to Kirkwall (KOI)plane INV - KOI
2h 18m£145–557
Scotland to Mainland by train, foot, and ferry
Comparing Your Travel Options
The cheapest way to get from Scotland to Mainland is to bus and ferry via Aberdeen which costs £40 - £95 and takes 10h 58m.
The fastest way to get from Scotland to Mainland is to fly which takes 2h 14m and costs £150 - £340.
The distance between Scotland and Mainland is 132 miles.
The best way to get from Scotland to Mainland without a car is to train and ferry which takes 10h 22m and costs £75 - £140.
It takes approximately 2h 14m to get from Scotland to Mainland, including transfers.
There are 210+ hotels available in Mainland.
What companies run services between Scotland and Mainland, Orkney Islands, Scotland?
Loganair flies from Aberdeen Airport (ABZ) to Kirkwall (KOI) twice daily.
- Website
- loganair.co.uk
Flights from Aberdeen Airport to Kirkwall
- Ave. Duration
- 55 min
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- £150–330
Flights from Aberdeen Airport to Kirkwall via Lerwick
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 50m
- When
- Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday
- Estimated price
- £150–330
Flights from Edinburgh Airport to Kirkwall
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 15m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- £160–410
Flights from Edinburgh Airport to Kirkwall via Lerwick
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 37m
- When
- Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday
- Estimated price
- £160–410
Flights from Glasgow Airport to Kirkwall
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 15m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- £240–450
Flights from Inverness Dalcross Airport to Kirkwall
- Ave. Duration
- 45 min
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- £140–550
- Phone
- +44 (0)344 811 0141
- Website
- ScotRail
Train from Glasgow Queen Street to Aberdeen
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 43m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £55–100
- Website
- ScotRail
Train from Glasgow Queen Street to Perth
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 8m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £24–40
- Website
- ScotRail
Train from Perth to Inverness
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 23m
- Frequency
- Every 3 hours
- Estimated price
- £45–75
- Website
- ScotRail
Train from Inverness to Wick
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 22m
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- £65–110
- Website
- ScotRail
Train from Perth to Inverness
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 12m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- £35–55
- Website
- London North Eastern Railway Limited (LNER)
- Phone
- +44 330 060 0500
- Website
- Caledonian Sleeper
Train from Perth to Inverness
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 52m
- Frequency
- 6 times a week
- Estimated price
- £26–40
- Website
- Caledonian Sleeper
Rome2Rio's guide to FlixBus
Contact Details
- Phone
- +49 30 300 137 300
- service@flixbus.com
- Website
- Flixbus
Bus from Buchanan Bus Station to Bus Station Stance 3
- Ave. Duration
- 4h 5m
- Frequency
- Every 20 minutes
- Estimated price
- £20–30
- Website
- Flixbus
- Phone
- 0141 352 4444
- info@citylink.co.uk
- Website
- Scottish Citylink Coaches Ltd
Bus from Buchanan Bus Station to Bus Station Stance 3
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 57m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £30–60
- Website
- Scottish Citylink Coaches Ltd
- Single
- £30–60
Bus from Buchanan Bus Station to Seagate Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 50m
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Estimated price
- £15–29
- Website
- Scottish Citylink Coaches Ltd
- Single
- £15–29
Bus from Seagate Bus Station to Union Square Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 23m
- Frequency
- Every 20 minutes
- Estimated price
- £12–23
- Website
- Scottish Citylink Coaches Ltd
- Single
- £12–23
- Phone
- +44 (0)131 510 4007
- ride@ember.to
- Website
- Ember
Bus from Inverness Union Street to Scrabster Ferry Terminal
- Ave. Duration
- 3h 41m
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- £14–20
- Website
- Ember
Bus from Caithness General Hospital to Scrabster Ferry Terminal
- Ave. Duration
- 44 min
- Frequency
- Twice daily
- Estimated price
- £6–9
- Website
- Ember
- Phone
- 01698 653164
- enquiries@parksofhamilton.co.uk
- Website
- Park's of Hamilton
Bus from Buchanan Bus Station to Seagate Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 27m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £12–18
- Website
- Park's of Hamilton
Bus from Seagate Bus Station to Union Square Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 23m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- £9–13
- Website
- Park's of Hamilton
Bus from Seagate Bus Station to Union Square Bus Station
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 52m
- Frequency
- 5 times a week
- Estimated price
- £11–16
- Website
- Stagecoach East Scotland
- Phone
- +44 845 600 0449
- info@northlinkferries.co.uk
- Website
- NorthLink Ferries
Ferry from Aberdeen Ferry Terminal to Kirkwall Orkney Hatston Ferry Terminal
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 30m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- £20–36
- Website
- NorthLink Ferries
- Low
- £20–25
- Peak
- £31–36
Ferry from Scrabster Ferry Terminal to Stromness Orkney Ferry Terminal
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 30m
- Frequency
- 4 times a day
- Estimated price
- £13–19
- Website
- NorthLink Ferries
- Low
- £13–17
- Peak
- £16–19
Ferry from Scrabster Ferry Terminal to Stromness Orkney Ferry Terminal
- Ave. Duration
- 1h 30m
- Frequency
- 4 times a day
- Estimated price
- £13–19
- Website
- NorthLink Ferries
- Low
- £13–17
- Peak
- £16–19
Ferry from Aberdeen Ferry Terminal to Kirkwall Orkney Hatston Ferry Terminal
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 30m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- £20–36
- Website
- NorthLink Ferries
- Low
- £20–25
- Peak
- £31–36
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