I'm wondering if anyone can offer their experience with Go Rail Travel company. If so, would you use them again? My sister and I want to travel via train for our Scotland trip. We want to travel to Skye, Orkney, Inverness, and arrive / depart from Glasgow or Edinburgh. This will be our second trip.
I'm also researching ScotRail.
Thanks.
I’m not familiar with them but I’ve been to Orkney twice. What are they telling you the arrangements will be for Orkney since there are no trains there?
Are they just a 3rd party travel agent who tries to book your rail tickets for you! Do they book hotels as well?
Scotrail is the national rail company. I typically book direct for trains. Now that Scotrail has fixed their website, it is quite easy to use. Sounds like you and your sister will be traveling together. Look into the Two Together Rail Pass.
There is a thread on Trip Advisor about them dated February 2026 which you may find interesting.
As already mentioned - there is no rail service on Skye or on Orkney. What arrangements do they make for you to get around either of these places?
Mr Crewe’s comment raised all sort of red flags to me.
I’ve just been looking at their website (not the easiest to use and that put me off) and itineraries. The one for Scottish Towns and Countryside has a stunning image of a train passing through a medieval castle.
It looks dramatic, but unfortunately it is AI generated and definitely nowhere in Scotland. That was enough to make me wonder just how much else of the website is computer generated...
To All: Thank you for your advice and taking time to do research on this company. I'll be doing our own research and bookings directly with bed and breakfasts and ScotRail. Many thanks!
for travel to Orkney: https://www.orkneyferries.co.uk
No, they are the inter island Orkney ferries, the other company from the mainland (at Gills Bay) is Pentland Ferries- https://pentlandferries.co.uk/
Gills Bay is pretty much equidistant between Thurso and Wick.
But Northlink are the better company to Orkney because both Scottish Citylink and Ember bus run direct to Scrabster Terminal from Inverness, rather than having to get from Thurso Rail Station to Scrabster,
The Citylink service is really run by Stagecoach North Scotland so the buses are not usually Citylink liveried- they are either Stagecoach yellow distance or Megabus livery.
Stagecoach won't get you to any mainland Skye ferry terminal- that is Shiel Buses from Fort William to Mallaig, or Scottish Citylink for services over the Skye Bridge (and soon Ember Bus as well).
Stagecoach just run services on Skye so to the three ferry terminals on Skye.
