Scotland early April by bus/train/ferry

I've been to Scotland numerous times including last week. I have used trains, buses, planes (Loganair) and one day tours with Rabbies.

The West Highland Line (train) from Glasgow to Fort William shouldn't be missed. From there you can get the Jacobite train, better known as the Harry Potter train, to Mallaig. The combination of these two offer one of the beautiful train experiences available anywhere.

A trip to the Isle of Skye should also be considered. Very little public transportation available and this is where Rabbies comes in.

Also plan a few days in both Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Consider doing a circle route to save time doing too much backtracking.

I agree with the above advice. In addition, know that Scotland has a robust network of bus routes (the Isle of Skye being an exception, though). Not all buses run every day or very frequently, so you'll need to check schedules. Also be aware that the weather may be pretty cold in early April, so pack warm layers and rain gear.

Following are a few places we really enjoyed.

Inveraray (on bus route, not train). An architecturally planned 18th-century town, picturesquely situated on Loch Fyne, beautiful castle, nice shops. Brambles for lodging and daytime food & drink. George Hotel for dinner & pub.

Cruise Loch Lomond out of Luss. I think our cruise was 1.5 hours. We lucked out with warm, dry weather.

Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness. A ruin with plenty of interpretive signboards, walking tour, reenactors.

Dornie Hotel on the mainland near Kyle of Lochalsh bridge (Isle of Skye). Clean, affordable, convenient. The pub serves good food and is popular with locals.

Hope this helps!

I’ve enjoyed this website about public transportation in Scotland: https://tourism.transform.scot/
I hope you find it helpful.

In addition to what has already been said, be aware that the first 2 weeks of April are Easter school holidays, so places will be busier and much more expensive. I found cafes etc on Skye to be more expensive than eating out in London. Skye is best with a car.

It’s not the best time to visit weather wise, so be prepared for cool, damp days. I would focus more on cities at that time of year.

Glasgow, Edinburgh, Stirling/Falkirk, Inverness and The Highlands would be my circuit for a 2 week trip.

As others have said, Skye is difficult by public transport but a Rabbie's tour would be a good way to see most of the main sites.

Just to respond to Jennifer's point about Skye cafe prices being as high as London ones, I must disagree. I lived in London (and elsewhere in England) before moving to Skye and can honestly say that prices (and quality and service) here on Skye compare favourably with London. I think it's just a question of avoiding obvious tourist traps (as you would in London). For example when in Portree we eat in the Red Brick Cafe - which is hidden away in a hardware store on the edge of the village. Yesterday I had lunch there and had a jacket potato with tuna, cheese and a large salad for £7.50, while my husband had a huge bowl of mac & cheese with a side of salad and some fries for the same price. A pot of tea was £2 and a latte £2.50. Not fine dining, but good, tasty food, served with a smile. In Broadford we opt for Deli Gasta or Cafe Sia and I would also highly recommend the excellent Amy's Place in Torrin. It's also worth saying that logistic costs to get ingredients etc up to Skye are very high, with additional postage/delivery charges for us being a 'remote' location. I don't know of any cafe owners making huge profits....

Early April is as good at time as any to visit Scotland as the weather is always somewhat unpredictable.

So please don't rule out Skye!

Best wishes
Skyegirl (Jacqui)

I wasn’t suggesting that cafe owners were ripping off tourists - I fully understand the logistics of getting stuff there, but I just spoke as we found it - particularly supermarket food prices rather than cafes.