We are flying in and out of London because that's where our free tickets took us. I know we have to take the train at least one way to save time, but what do people think about tryign to use the train the whole time? Do we absolutely need a car to get outside of Edinburgh, or is it better somehow? Train would be easiest but we don't want to miss important sites because we lack the transport. Any thoughts? Thanks.

Sorry but I can't imagine getting around Scotland without a car.
I'd also fly from London... much quicker and likely cheaper as well.

What 'important sights' do you think you'll miss?

If you're mainly in cities then a car is a burden rather than a help.

It might also be quicker to fly especially as then you won't need to make the trip into central London to get the train.

You might think about using a local tour company to do day trips (or longer excursions) out of Edinburgh.

See

http://www.rabbies.com/scottish_1_day_tours.asp

I've done both. Traveling by train does limit your options, but there are still plenty of options for seeing Scotland if you choose to use the trains. Those that say it can't be done simply haven't done it.

If already at the airport,then flying is probably your best bet. If in London, taking the train is easier, likely to be faster and can be cheaper if you buy your tickets early enough.

All good points, especially the ones about flying up to Scotland to save time and effort. Thank you.

Car, Train, Coach. The final one may well be an option to extend your thoughts. These are not true greyhound, more like your local bus and you can get into some great conversations.

I think most of us who have traveled around Scotland will say yes, you should get a car.

Mu husband and I are going to Scotland at the end of June. We are flying into London and then to Glasgow. We will stay there three nights and take the train to Edinburgh. Since we wanted to see more of Scotland, we are going to take a five-day tour with Rabbies which goes to the Outer Hebrides. Then we will spend four days in Edinburgh before flying back to London and to the US.

I looked at the train, bus, and flights from London to Glasgow, and flying was much more convenient (we didn't have to go into London) and in the same price range. Since we knew we didn't want to drive, we are hoping the Rabbies tour will give us the opportunity to explore Scotland without renting a car. By spending our last four days in Edinburgh, we will have the opportunity to take day trips to see anything we feel we previously missed.