I have rented a house in St. Andrews for a month. Using this as my base, I need to know the best means of transportation for my excursions. I know that I need to bus it to Dundee if I want to use the train. Also, I would like to go down to London. What should be booked in advance and what can I arrange upon arrival?

Rent a car for Scotland. Train to London and use the tube. Driving in Scotland was no problem.

The nearest train station is Leuchars, which has regular bus services to it. Or you can get a taxi- it's not so far. <BR> <BR>Beyond that, there are divergent views. I have been collecting some of them over the last year or so and repeat verbatim as follows:- <BR>"You can take the train usefully up the west coast as far as Mallaig,- the rail trip on the West Highland line was described some years ago as one of the most beautiful train trips in the world -and up the East coast almost all the way to the top- the line splits just north of Inverness, and you can go back across to the west -to Kyle of Lochalsh, where you can cross to Skye, or carry on to the north as far as Wick or Thurso. There are huge chunks of Scotland which you can't get close to from the train; for example you can't get into the Borders; but you can see most of everything. Also, so long as you are not on your own, you can hitch-hike quite readily, and reasonably safely, using the rail heads as starting off points. <BR> <BR>Can I slightly disagree with all those so committed to car use. We have some of the most magnificent scenery through which our train lines run. The only problem is that public transport on the islands is a bit iffy. <BR> <BR>An option is to take the train from Glasgow to Fort William; along Loch Lomond to Crianlarich, across Rannoch Moor, through Glencoe to Fort William. Then take the train to Mallaig out on the remote west coast. Then take the ferry to Skye. <BR> <BR>Skye alone would be worth your trip, and if you are pressed for time, I suggest you stay there till you have to leave then come off at Kyleakin and catch the train from Kyle of Lochalsh on the mainland to Inverness. You could either do a quick diversion right up to the north coast or just come straight back down to Edinburgh. <BR> <BR>If you have a couple of days spare get the ferry from the north of Skye to North Uist, then go down through North Uist, Benbecula and South Uist and catch the ferry back to Oban, where the trains run. <BR> <BR>There's a great web site at www.hebrides.com, which I recommend <BR> <BR>We went from London to Edinburgh by train in under 4 hours - I've been told the drive is over 7. <BR>Depending on what part of London you are in and also possible roadworks and time of year (Mad March = all local authorities HAVE to spend their maintenance budget before end of financial year) it could take between 7 and 10 hours. The Stellarossa guide to London-Edinburgh is (it's ok , he is a transportation engineer) M1 - M6 - M74 - A74 - A702 - you're there! <BR> <BR>Don’t bother with non-motorway routes if you can help it or unless you have 4 weeks to spare. Take the train or go for one of the no-frills airlines. <BR> <BR>I strongly suggest driving. We didn't have any problems with the highways. <BR> <BR>Yes, the train is convenient but the sights and the opportunities to explore beautiful off the beaten track sites are plentiful. The Highlands were unforgettable and the Lake District, especially the Lake Lomond area and Fort William was very, very nice. <BR> <BR>You can easily do Glasgow, Edinburgh, Perth, Dundee, Inverness, Aberdeen and three west coast runs (Mallaig, west of Fort William; Oban, north of Glasgow; and Kyle of Lochalsh, west of Inverness) and one straight run to the north coast, all by train. <BR> <BR>But if you look at a map of Scotland, you'll see that there is a lot which is not served by the railway- the Borders, most of Tayside, all of the islands and most of the west coast, including everything north of Kyle. <BR> <BR>There's a lot that is beautiful that you can see from a train, but a lot that you can't." <BR> <BR>It's an easy train ride from edinburgh to London and you do not need to book in advance, tho, if you know when you're travelling, it's probably a good idea <BR> <BR> <BR>

I will join the chorus of those recommending renting a car for driving within Scotland. <BR> <BR>I would not, however, drive from Scotland to London. Take the train down the East side for that one. You will get a great view of Holy Island from the train. Sit on the left side and you will see it.

Take the bus!!! We had such good conversation with drivers and other travelers on coaches in Scotland! Even if you go by train or car to a place, try to take a local bus somewhere in the area. I hope you a great trip!

Sue, <BR>We just got back and rented a car to see some of the beautiful Scotland countryside. It was actually easier to get used to driving on the left than I though it would be and although it was a bit scary at first I was able to drive comfortably in both Glasgow and Edinburgh with my wife navigating. I vote for a car rental...as someone earlier just said, there's a lot of country that you can't see from the train. Just make sure you have a very good road atlas! <BR>Ron

There's nothing particularly scary about driving between London and Scotland. We drove from London to Edinburgh and back to Gatwick in the space of 7 days, with lots of stops along the way to see the sights (and sites). The M and A roads are excellent... just stay out of the inside lane on M roads unless you plan to maintain at least 80+ mph. We used the OS (Ordnance Survey) Motoring Atlas of Britain available in most stores as our guide, and it was invaluable. If you want to stay completely flexible, a car is the only way to go.