Travel in Scotland - Britrail and beyond

I'm sure it's not common to buy both. The regular BritRail Pass already covers all the trains, but no buses and no ferry discounts. Since a daytime train between London and Glasgow only takes 5 hours, I'd probably go that way. Scottish passes do not cover anything outside the boundary of Scotland, so are primarily useful for visitors who fly there. Or if you know your travel dates across England and lock in those train tickets now at an Advance discount (day or night), then that could be another scenario in which you choose a Scotland pass over the full BritRail Pass. http://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/trains/britain-rail-passes

Firstly I'd say that a lot of that places you mention, particularly the Islands, have very sparse public transport and in some areas virtually none at all. There are also no train lines near many of these places. As a result, trying to see these areas without a car could be a very limiting or a major hassle, with a lot of time spent waiting around for infrequent busses/trains etc.

Whether to fly depends to some extent on where you're starting in London - If you're reasonably central and near Euston then train is probably best, especially given you intend to take the train onwards to Oban. A flight from London City could be as good though - and if hiring a car and heading to the Highlands then I would definitely fly as it's easier to drive from the airport.

The sleeper doesn't go to Oban, you can take the sleeper to Glasgow and change there (need to change from central to Queen St stn, 5-10mins walk or taxi). I believe you can also get the Ft William sleeper and then get off somewhere like Crianlarich and change there, but you may have to hang about at a small, deserted station with no facilities for quite a while waiting for the connection. At least if you change in Glasgow you can grab a coffee etc in the station. Tbh, the sleeper trains can be a bit shabby (they're coming up on a major upgrade in a couple of years) and clunk and rattle their way over the tracks - you probably won't get much sleep unless you're you're a deep sleeper. If you get a cabin it's not too bad, but the sleeper seats will not exactly help sleep and occasionally can be the spot where fellow pax look to drink the night away!;-) Having said all that, it is a good way to not use up time travelling during the day, although on many occasions a late evening/early morning flight may be as good an option.

If taking a day train to Glasgow, make sure to book an express (about 4h30-4h45 journey time) and not one of the trains that goes via Birmingham and take an hour or so longer.

Man at seat 61 is the bible for rail journeys and they state:

"Is it worth buying a BritRail pass? A pass is only worth it if you're going to make a number of long-distance train trips around Britain, so don't bother with a BritRail pass if all you're going to do is make one long-distance trip, or a number of relatively short trips. For longer distances, a BritRail pass typically works out about the same as a normal 'Off-Peak' flexible ticket bought on the day of travel, it's more expensive than the cheaper 'Advance' tickets, but is far cheaper than the 'Anytime' tickets needed to travel in the Monday-Friday business peaks, see the 30-second guide to UK rail fares. So if you want to make early starts on Monday-Fridays and have complete all-day flexibility, a BritRail pass is a great idea, but if you're prepared to avoid the Monday-Friday morning & afternoon business peaks, and especially if you book cheap tickets in advance at www.virgintrains.co.uk (no fee!) or www.thetrainline.com (small fee) on a no-refunds, no-changes-to-travel-plans basis, ordinary point-to-point tickets will be the same or cheaper than a pass. Before investing in a BritRail pass, check that normal tickets wouldn't be cheaper for what you plan to do, using www.virgintrains.co.uk or www.nationalrail.co.uk."

You should have bought your tickets 12 weeks out for the best prices, but check out operator websites before you buy a Britrail pass, as booking direct may still be cheaper.

I want to second the concern about not having a car in the Western Isles. Unless you plan on taking organized tours, you may find the public transportation a bit challenging. I would pick up a car in Glasgow and keep it through Findhorn. I would then lose the car in Inverness or possibly Aberdeen and take the train back to Edinburgh and on to Dunbar.

Pam

I wholeheartedly agree with what Pam says. You need a car for at least part of your trip. I was also wanting to use the train to get around Scotland until my research showed I was going to spend a whole lot of time waiting for trains and buses, and I was not going to get to some places I really wanted to see.

Yes, Anita nails the issue. It's not that it is impossible to do, but that the time it absorbs from our limited vacation days.

Thanks, Everyone! This forum has saved us a lot of time and money. You all are awesome!