The Highland Rover and other Scottish Rail Passes

Most of my time travelling Europe without a car has gone off without a hitch. France was an oasis of train travel and bus routes which left very little room to be stranded. However once I got out of the cities, Scotland proved to be a much more challenging endeavour, particularly during the offseason. I found myself hitchhiking, walking along highway shoulders, even wondering if I could kayak between cities! The truth is, unless you’re planning on wild-camping, getting to places where you can truly immerse yourself in nature without a car is a real challenge.

Trains are indispensable to the wandering pedestrian in Scotland. Besides the world-famous beauty of the West Highland Line, it offers the chance to go to some truly incredible spots all over the country! Scotsrail, the operator, also offers several discounted tickets perfect for those trying to explore the country. While these tickets offer lots of advantages, they are definitely not for everyone, so I advise reviewing the pros and cons carefully.

Scotland’s Rovers

Scottish Grand Tour

The Scottish Grand Tour takes you on a circular loop of Scotland: stopping in Glasgow, the Isle of Skye, Inverness, and Edinburgh, and of course you can hop on and off along the way! With four travel days over a period of eight consecutive days, you’re in for a jam packed holiday in some of Scotland’s most famous locations!

Keep in mind: This pass does NOT include ferries to the Isle of Skye.

The Highland Rover

The Highland Rover offers unlimited travel from Glasgow as far as Wick and Thurso. This includes the famous West Highland Line as well as trains to the cities of Fort William, Inverness, and Aberdeen as well as travel on the Isle of Skye and to Oban. Like the Scottish Grand Tour, this pass offers four travel days over a period of eight consecutive days. I would suggest this tour for people looking to experience Scotland’s high north and activities around Fort William and Skye, as well as for folks who want to spend less time in the city.

Keep in mind: This pass does NOT include any ferry routes.

Central Scotland Rover

The Central Scotland Rover offers three consecutive days of train travel between Edinburgh, Glasgow, and the surrounding countryside. I recommend this pass for people most interested in Scotland’s two major cities as well as her central belt. Keep in mind that if you just want to travel from Edinburgh to Glasgow (or vice-versa) the train is relatively cheap. This pass is for people looking to spend a few days hopping on and off at different stations around the countryside and cities of the central belt.

Spirit of Scotland

Go all the way and get access to Scotland in her entirety with the Spirit of Scotland pass! This pass offers unlimited rail travel over eight consecutive days (four travel days) OR fifteen consecutive days (eight travel days). There’s lots to see in Scotland, so I advise that Spirit of Scotland travellers opt for the fifteen day option. If you only have eight days in the country, I recommend choosing between the Highland Rover and the Scottish Grand Tour, because you will not be able to take full advantage of the Spirit of Scotland.

Keep in mind: This pass does NOT include any ferry routes.

The Pros

“Ma’m, your ticket!”

I startled out of the country music-induced stupor I had been in since Fort William as the ticket lady tapped impatiently on my stow tray, I had clearly been ignoring her for some time.

“Sorry!” I scramble for my phone.

“Where are you getting off?” She asks.

She nods and scans my pass while I answer, “If you’re getting off at Glenfinnan, you should move to an aisle seat on the other side of the train,” She informs me, “We’re going to cross the viaduct first and you’re going to miss the view.”

Both touched by her wonderful display of Scottish hospitality, and relieved that she bothered to say anything at all, I diligently move to the unoccupied space across the train. In fact, I think the whole train may have gone lop-sided and she continued giving her disclaimer all the way down the car. The Glenfinnan Viaduct was made famous in Harry Potter but holds its own even for those who never bothered with the wildly popular series. But Harry Potter didn’t bring me here, the Highland Rover did. I bought it the way I plan most of my travels, after a shamefully little amount of research.

If you are car-free and visiting Scotland for one to two weeks, I think that these rover passes are worth their weight in gold. There are so many posts online full of ideas on how to use them to their full potential! For the outdoorsman or woman, these passes offer great access to Corrur, Fort William, the Far North, and most of the way to Skye. If you want to stop in places like Glencoe, Glenfinnian, John O’Groats, or the Old Man of Storr then here is a budget friendly way to do so with unexpected and incredible sights along the way.

The Cons

No one wants to mention the cons, but when I did the Highland Rover in March 2024, I found quite a few. My first and biggest qualm was booking. You don’t have to reserve seats on trains or the included busses to use your pass, but if you want to there is no easy central way to book. You have to call or go in person to a Scotsrail or Citylink station. Plus, there seems to be some confusion among bus drivers as to whether the passes are even valid on the routes they claim to be valid on. For this reason, I definitely recommend booking ahead when it comes to bus tickets.

Additionally, especially in the winter, Scottish Rail is notoriously unreliable. Cancellations and technical issues are usually solved with replacement bus services, but don’t be surprised if you end up on a bus when you planned to be on a train.

Finally, the pass offers little in the way of flexibility. You might think that eight days is more than enough time to explore your route, but I found myself wishing I could stay in places like Fort William and Skye for much longer. If you have more that one to two weeks to explore Scotland I recommend opting for individual tickets.

My Route for the Highland Rover!

I’ve included my own reflections on my Highland Rover trip here!

Travel Day 1: Glasgow > Glenfinnan > Fort William

Lodging: Fort William Backpacker’s Hostel

Glenfinnan: See my Visitor’s Guide HERE!

Fort William: Ben Nevis, Glen Nevis, Steall Falls.

Glencoe: Glencoe Visitor’s Centre, Buachaille Etive Mor, The Lost Valley, The Three Sisters, Clachaig Inn. Leslie Wanders has a great visitor’s guide for Glencoe!

Transport: Citylink offers bus connection between Fort William Bus Station and Glencoe Visitor’s Centre several times a day. Shiel Buses also operates in the area providing most of the local routes.

Travel Day 2: Fort William > Mallaig > Portree (Isle of Skye)

Lodging: Portree Independant Hostel

Mallaig: Mallaig Heritage Centre, Wildlife Cruises, Mallaig Circular Walk, or enjoy some seafood! The lovely Katie Goes has an excellent guide to the town!

Isle of Skye: Old Man of Storr and the Storr, The Quiraing, the Fairy Pools, tour the Talisker Whisky Distillery!

Transport: You can get from Mallaig to Armadale (Isle of Skye) by ferry, once you are on the Isle of Skye there is a bus service operated by Stagecoach, however service can be spotty. The truth is, I found myself hitchhiking a lot on Skye, and it is widely done. Of course hitchhiking does come with some inherent risks, but I found most people trustworthy and welcoming. The next leg of my train journey starts from Kyle of Lockalsh. There is a connecting Citylink bus from Portree that I highly recommend booking in advance.

Travel Day 3: Eileen Donnan Castle (Kyle of Lockalsh) > Thurso

Lodging: Sandra’s Hostel

Eilean Donan Castle: Grab breakfast at the Castle cafe, explore the castle and learn the history, make sure you scan the QR codes for local stories and legends.

Thurso: Go for a Surf Lesson, Visit John o’Groats, go for a tour and tasting at Wolfburn Distillery.

Transport: Citylink offers bus service from Portree to directly in front of the castle, this should be included with your ticket. Stagecoach is also the bus service provider in Thurso so between bussing and walking you are well set up in the north!

Travel Day 4: > Aberdeen

Lodging: Aberdeen Youth Hostel

Aberdeen: The Maritime Museum, Explore the Old Town, Explore the Coastal Villages, Order a flight of Speyside Whiskies at The Tippling House.

Transport: Aberdeen is a very walkable city with public transport provided by the city.