Getting Here Rail Travel
Glasgow and Edinburgh are both served by frequent direct train services from London, and are easily reached from other main English towns and cities, though you may have to change trains en route.
National Express East Coast trains depart from London King's Cross and run up the east coast via Peterborough, York and Newcastle to Edinburgh, with some going on to Glasgow, Aberdeen or Inverness, including 'sleeper' services, while Virgin trains run up the west coast from London Euston via Crewe, Preston and Carlisle to Glasgow.
There are a number of long-distance direct services to Scotland that begin from outside London: Virgin runs services from Birmingham to Edinburgh or Glasgow while the CrossCountry service links Cardiff, Paignton, Penzance, Bournemouth and Brighton with Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen via Birmingham.
Journey times from London can be as little as 4½ hours to Edinburgh and 5 hours to Glasgow; from Manchester or York, knock off about 2 hours; from Bristol add about 2 hours. Beyond Edinburgh or Glasgow, allow another 2½ hours to reach Aberdeen, or 3½ hours to Inverness.
The following rail companies provide transport to Scotland and have daily trains travelling from major English towns and cities to the Scottish hub stations.
NEEC National Express East Coast - (previously GNER - The Great North Eastern Railway) has trains running every hour between Edinburgh and London, as well as offering services up to Aberdeen and Inverness.
www.nationalexpresseastcoast.com
National Express East Coast Group Travel
Tel: 08457 225 010
International Tel: +44 191 259 8089
Open Monday to Friday 09.00 - 18.00
National Rail Enquiries
www.nationalrail.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0) 8457 48 49 50
Virgin Trains - run between London and Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen
www.virgintrains.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0)8457 222 333
First Scotrail - You are most likely to be travelling on First Scotrail trains if you are just travelling within Scotland, especially if you are travelling to the more rural destinations in the Scottish Highlands. Edinburgh and Glasgow route departs every 15 minutes.
www.firstgroup.com/scotrail
Tel: +44 (0) 845 601 5929
Caledonian Sleeper
First ScotRail’s Caledonian Sleepers... overnight train services operating between London Euston & Scotland. Every night except Saturday night, Caledonian Sleeper trains leave central London for Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Aberdeen, Fort William, Perth, Dundee, Stirling, Gleneagles, Aviemore and many other places all over Scotland.
Caledonian Sleeper Service website
Scotland's Hub Train Stations
Many of the national trains will arrive in one of the hub train stations where you might be required to change train. The hub train stations are in the centre of the main cities and will be in travelling distance from the Conference Centres or Venues.
Train Station Information
Aberdeen
Guild Street
Aberdeen
AB11 6LX
Tel: 0845 601 5929
Aberdeen Train Station
Situated: City Centre
Closest Conference Centre: Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre (AECC)
Distance: 3.7 miles
Dundee
South Union Street
Dundee
Dundee City
DD1 4BY
Tel: 0845 601 5929
Dundee Train Station
Situated: City Centre
Closest Conference Centre: West Park Centre
Distance: 1.8 miles
Edinburgh
Room 255, North Block.
Edinburgh
City of Edinburgh
EH1 1BB
Tel: 0845 601 5929
Edinburgh Train Station
Situated: City Centre
Closest Conference Centre: Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC)
Distance: 1.4 miles
Glasgow Central Station
Gordon Street
Glasgow
G1 3SL
Tel: 0141 335 4352
Glasgow Central Station
Situated: City Centre
Closest Conference Centre: Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC)
Distance: 1.5 miles
Glasgow Queen Street Station
North Hanover Street
Glasgow
Glasgow City
G1 2AF
Tel: 0845 601 5929
Glasgow Queen Street Station
Situated: City Centre
Closest Conference Centre: Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC)
Distance: 2.2 miles
Inverness Train Station
Station Square
Academy Street, Inverness,
Highland,
IV2 3PY
Tel: 0845 601 5929
Inverness Train Station
Situated: City Centre
Cclosest Conference Centre: Aviemore Highland Resort
Distance: 30.4 miles
for more information on rail travel within Scotland please contact First Scotrail for more information.
