Scotland Arrival and Transport

How do you get to Scotland?

Air connections Great Britain’s largest airline is British Airways, which offers long-haul flights in all directions. Virgin Airlines is the second largest airline and also offers numerous long-haul flights. Other airlines are BMI and Easy-Jet.
There are 471 airports of various sizes in the UK. Britain’s “flagship airport” is London Heathrow Airport, one of the busiest airports in the world. London-Gatwick Airport and Manchester International Airport follow closely behind Heathrow Airport. Other airports of great importance for domestic and international flights are: London Stansted Airport (headquarters of the low-cost airline Ryanair), London Luton Airport (headquarters of Easy-Jet); and outside London: Birmingham International Airport, Cardiff International Airport, Glasgow International Airport, Belfast International Airport and Edinburgh Airport.

Travel within the country

Rail
The UK rail network is one of the oldest in the world and consists of two networks: that of Great Britain, linked to Europe by the Channel Tunnel opened in 1994, and the Northern Irish rail network. All in all, both networks cover 34,000 km, 40,000 bridges and 2,500 train stations. Like the British bus network, British rail transport is exclusively in the hands of private companies coordinated by the Network Rail organization. The largest railway companies are Virgin Trains, GNER, Connex and the First Group.

Bus
Britain’s bus network was largely privatized under the Transport Act of 1980. Northern Ireland is an exception, where the bus and train lines are still controlled by the state’s Translink.
Coach buses, mainly on the National Express line, provide long distance connections within the UK. Scottish Citylink/Megabus provide most of the coaches within Scotland. At the regional level there is a large number of bus providers that are also privately owned. With the urban buses in Scotland, make sure to have counted money ready for the ticket, as the bus drivers generally do not give change.

Roads
The road network in Great Britain comprised around 392,600 km in 2006, of which 3,510 km were motorways, often six lanes and marked with an M, from Motorway. The maximum speed on the UK and therefore Scotland’s motorways is 113 km/h (70 miles per hour). Tolls, as often found in Europe, are uncommon in Great Britain and therefore also in Scotland, with the exception of some bridges in England and e.g. B. the M76, which divides into the M76 (toll-free) and the M76 (toll-free) near Liverpool and comes together again after approx. 40 km.
The major highways are marked with an A and, in descending order, with one, two, three or four following digits.
Scotland also has an excellent road network.

Rental
cars Rental cars can be booked from all major car rental companies, on site or even from Germany.

Taxis
When driving a taxi, a distinction must be made between the official “Black Cabs” and the mostly smaller taxi companies “Minicabs”, which are completely normal private cars. Black Cabs are a lot more expensive compared to the minicabs. There is a surcharge at night. Be careful with the minicabs: you should always set the price beforehand and order the taxi directly from the company by telephone. Never intercept a minicab from the street as there are many illegal minicab drivers out and about without a license.

Ferry connections

Before the opening of the Channel Tunnel and the start of air traffic, entry into Great Britain and thus into Scotland was only possible via waterways. Great Britain’s main port cities are Aberdeen, Belfast, Bristol, Cardiff, Dover, Hull, Liverpool, Manchester, Plymouth, Portsmouth and Tyne and in Scotland Glasgow and Edinburgh. Passenger ferries operate internationally to nearby countries such as France, Ireland, Belgium and the Netherlands, but also to the Scandinavian countries. Within Great Britain, for example, ferry lines connect Scotland with Northern Ireland and Southhampton with the Isle of Wight.
A catamaran car ferry runs from Hook of Holland to Harwich in England. The ferry takes around 3 hours and 50 minutes for the 200 km, at a speed on the high seas of 40 nautical miles per hour (72 km/h). For example, there is a cinema, several restaurants or a casino on board. There is also a ferry connection to Harwich from Hamburg, but because of the length of the journey you have to book a cabin, which is quite expensive together with a car.

Traffic rules

Left-hand traffic is common in Scotland and across the UK. The high number of roundabouts, the roundabouts, which regulate traffic instead of traffic lights at many intersections, is astonishing. Despite left-hand traffic, “right before left” applies everywhere in Great Britain, which is why vehicles already in the roundabout have right of way over incoming vehicles. A double straight cross line at an intersection means “stop”, “give way” means an interrupted double cross line or the inscription “GIVE WAY”, “no stopping” shows a double white line along the middle of the street, “no parking” means a red one or yellow markings on the edge of the road, and pedestrians at crossings always have absolute priority.
The traffic situation in Edinburgh, as in all large cities, is not without problems, so it is advisable to take the buses; There are no underground or suburban trains in Edinburgh. Edinburgh has the unique Greenways system which includes some of the most radical bus priority measures ever introduced. The monitored, separate bus lanes allow buses and taxis to get through quickly, especially during rush hour. It should be noted that the penalties for exceeding the speed limit by more than 50 km/h can amount to € 5,600.

Top speeds

• Urban: 48 km/h (30 miles/hour)
• Outside urban areas: 96 km/h (60 miles/hour)
• Motorway: 112 km/h (70 miles/hour)
• Towing vehicle with trailer (motorway): 96 km/h (60 miles/hour)
• Motorcycle (motorway): 112 km/h (70 miles/hour)

Blood
alcohol limit There is a blood alcohol level limit of 0.8 per mille for drivers of motor vehicles.

Traffic rules

Left-hand traffic is common in Scotland and across the UK. The high number of roundabouts, the roundabouts, which regulate traffic instead of traffic lights at many intersections, is astonishing. Despite left-hand traffic, “right before left” applies everywhere in Great Britain, which is why vehicles already in the roundabout have right of way over incoming vehicles. A double straight cross line at an intersection means “stop”, “give way” means an interrupted double cross line or the inscription “GIVE WAY”, “no stopping” shows a double white line along the middle of the street, “no parking” means a red one or yellow markings on the edge of the road, and pedestrians at crossings always have absolute priority.
The traffic situation in Edinburgh, as in all large cities, is not without problems, so it is advisable to take the buses; There are no underground or suburban trains in Edinburgh. Edinburgh has the unique Greenways system which includes some of the most radical bus priority measures ever introduced. The monitored, separate bus lanes allow buses and taxis to get through quickly, especially during rush hour.

Top speeds

• Urban: 48 km/h (30 miles/hour)
• Outside urban areas: 96 km/h (60 miles/hour)
• Motorway: 112 km/h (70 miles/hour)
• Towing vehicle with trailer (motorway): 96 km/h (60 miles/hour)
• Motorcycle (motorway): 112 km/h (70 miles/hour)

Blood
alcohol limit There is a blood alcohol level limit of 0.8 per mille for drivers of motor vehicles.

Important note
A very detailed description of the traffic rules in Great Britain and therefore also in Scotland can be found at the following URL:
https://www.visitbritainshop.com/deutschland/artikel-und-news/sicherheit-autofahren-im-vereinigte-konigreich/

International license plate

The UK international license plate is: