The Scottish Highlands by public transport

By the Viamo editorial team · Editor Terje Moy · Last updated July 2026 · 6 min read

Most visitors assume the Highlands demand a hire car, and for routes like the North Coast 500 that's broadly true. But a week built around ScotRail's two great scenic lines and the Citylink coach network that fills the gaps between them covers a genuinely satisfying loop — Fort William, the Isle of Skye and Inverness — without ever needing to drive, and without missing much that a car would have shown you.

The shape of the week

This route runs Glasgow → Fort William → Mallaig → (ferry) Skye → Inverness → Edinburgh or Glasgow, combining the West Highland Line, a CalMac ferry crossing and Scottish Citylink's coach network into a loop rather than an out-and-back. It assumes you start and finish in Scotland's central belt, both well connected by rail and air to the rest of the UK and Europe. Every leg runs on Scotland's ordinary public transport network — nothing here requires a private tour or transfer, though summer demand on the most popular sections rewards booking ahead.

Days 1–2: Glasgow to Fort William

The West Highland Line from Glasgow Queen Street to Fort William is one of the great railway journeys of the British Isles, crossing Rannoch Moor's wide, empty wilderness in around three hours forty-five minutes. Fort William itself, at the foot of Ben Nevis, is a workable size for a day: the town centre is compact, and the surrounding glens are reachable by local bus for anyone not planning to walk Ben Nevis itself. Give it a full second day if Glen Coe is on your list — Citylink's Glasgow–Fort William–Skye coach service passes directly through Glen Coe and can be used for a there-and-back day trip from Fort William, or simply admired through the window on the way in. See our full West Highland Line guide for the journey in detail.

Day 3: Fort William to Mallaig, then the ferry to Skye

The West Highland Line's extension to Mallaig continues past Fort William, crossing the Glenfinnan Viaduct en route — around eighty minutes further, and worth doing even if you've already seen photos of the viaduct a hundred times. From Mallaig, a CalMac ferry crosses to Armadale on Skye in well under an hour, timed to meet the train on most sailings. This combination — scenic train to Mallaig, short ferry to Skye — is a genuinely better way to arrive on the island than the road bridge from the mainland, both for the views and for avoiding the traffic that builds up on Skye's single-track roads in peak summer. If you're travelling in the warmer months, the seasonal Jacobite steam train covers the same Fort William–Mallaig stretch at a slower, more ceremonial pace and is worth booking well ahead if you want to add it in place of the regular ScotRail service.

Days 4–5: Skye

Skye rewards two full days if your schedule allows it. Public transport on the island runs on local Stagecoach buses supplemented by Citylink's through-services, connecting Armadale, Broadford, Portree (the island's main town) and, on some routes, up toward Trotternish and the Old Man of Storr. Frequencies thin out considerably compared with the mainland, and Sunday services in particular can be sparse or non-existent on some routes — check current timetables before committing to a tight single-day loop. Portree is the natural base: compact, well served by buses in most directions, and with enough restaurants and a harbour view to make an evening there worthwhile in its own right.

Day 6: Skye to Inverness by Citylink

Scottish Citylink runs a direct coach from Skye to Inverness via the Skye Bridge and the A87, taking around three to three and a half hours depending on the specific departure and stops. This is the connective leg that makes the whole loop work without a car: there's no direct rail link across this stretch of the northwest Highlands, and the coach is faster and simpler than piecing together local buses and a change at Kyle of Lochalsh. Book Citylink seats a little ahead in peak summer, when this route can sell out on the most popular midday departures.

Day 7: Inverness and the journey home

Inverness, the unofficial capital of the Highlands, deserves at least a half-day of its own — Loch Ness and the Culloden battlefield are both reachable by local bus or a short organised excursion if you don't want to arrange your own transfers. From Inverness, ScotRail's Highland Main Line runs south to Edinburgh (around three hours fifteen minutes) or Glasgow (around three hours via Perth), closing the loop back to the central belt. See our Scotland by train guide for the wider ScotRail network if you're extending the trip, or our Great Britain by rail itinerary if you want to fold this loop into a longer British trip.

Citylink: the connective tissue rail doesn't provide

ScotRail's scenic lines are the highlight of this route, but Scotland's rail network has real gaps in the northwest Highlands — Skye's road-bridge connection to the mainland has no parallel rail line, and neither does the coastal stretch between Fort William and Oban's ferry links to the southern isles. Scottish Citylink fills exactly these gaps, running coach routes that connect rail termini to places the railway simply doesn't reach, and it's worth thinking of the two networks as complementary rather than choosing one over the other for a Highlands trip. Citylink tickets are bought separately from ScotRail's — there's no single combined pass covering both — but timetables are coordinated well enough at the main interchange points (Fort William, Inverness) that connections are generally straightforward to plan.

Booking and passes

ScotRail does not require seat reservations on most services, including the West Highland Line, though booking a seat assignment online costs nothing extra and gives peace of mind in peak summer. Citylink coaches, by contrast, do benefit from advance booking on popular routes, since a full coach means a genuinely full coach with no standing room. Interrail and Eurail passes cover ScotRail services but not Citylink's coach network, so factor coach fares into your budget separately if travelling on a rail pass.

When to go

Late spring and early autumn (May, September) offer the best balance for this route: long daylight hours without the peak-July crowding on Skye's roads and ferries, and a real chance of clear weather on Rannoch Moor and the West Highland Line's open sections. Summer gives the longest days and the liveliest atmosphere in Portree and Fort William, but also the tightest ferry and coach capacity — book ahead if travelling June to August. Midges, Scotland's notorious biting insects, are at their worst from June, so pack repellent regardless of season if you plan to linger outdoors in the glens.

Frequently asked questions

Can you really do the Scottish Highlands without a car?

Yes, for a loop like this one — the West Highland Line, a CalMac ferry and Citylink's coach network between them cover Fort William, Skye and Inverness comfortably. Routes further from these corridors, particularly the North Coast 500's more remote stretches, are considerably harder without a car.

Do I need to book ScotRail or Citylink in advance?

ScotRail rarely requires it, though booking a seat online is free and sensible in summer. Citylink coaches benefit more from advance booking on popular routes like Skye–Inverness, since a full coach has no extra capacity.

Is Skye reachable without a car in winter?

Yes, but services thin out — check current Stagecoach and Citylink timetables carefully, as some routes reduce or drop weekend services outside the main season, and short winter daylight hours affect how much you can realistically see in a day.

How does the ferry to Skye from Mallaig work with the train?

CalMac's Mallaig–Armadale crossing is timed to connect with West Highland Line arrivals on most sailings, making train-to-ferry a smooth, walk-on connection rather than requiring a long wait. Check the current timetable when booking, since sailing frequency drops outside peak season.