Great savings with ScotRail travel passes

ScotRail are offering a variety of Scotland travel passes that can save a lot for those sojourning in Scotland this year. Four passes are on offer and are priced at between £57 to £196 and mostly offer 4 days of unlimited travel over 8 consecutive days or 8 days travel over 15 consecutive days and include specified bus and coach travel, one also includes the Glasgow Metro and Edinburgh trams.

Handily, one can buy the passes online before arrival and there is a window of 11 months to activate the pass, offering a lot of flexibility to the traveller.

Here at Munro & Glen we think the Grand Tour travel pass is the best deal, which for just £92 offers a circular route beginning in Glasgow and ending in Edinburgh - though you can begin a journey from anywhere where the station is included (curiously Dumfries is not one of them!). Pass holders can stop at any station on the route, which covers most of the Scotland rail network (including Wick) and includes some of the best train journeys in the world, passing through bucolic countryside, coastlines and dramatic mountain scenery.

There are two Rover passes which are useful options if a trip involves being in only one part of Scotland. The Highland Rover pass offers four days of unlimited travel over eight days for £99. The highland railways provide some really wonderful journeys, such as Fort William to Mallaig. If your travels are down in the lowlands then the Central Scotland Rover is the pass for you. The pass is only for three days, though only costs £57. Known as the Central Belt, the pass covers unlimited travel to and from Glasgow and Edinburgh, Stirling to name but a few.

The West Highland Line between Fort William and Mallaig provides many stunning coastal and mountain vistas like this at Loch Ailort - Photo by Jonathan Mitchell/Altitude

Last but not least, is the Spirit of Scotland pass, which is the most comprehensive of the four passes and is valid on not only trains, but also Edinburgh trams, the Glasgow Subway (Metro) buses and coaches (long distance buses). This pass also covers most of the Scottish rail network.

There are two options on this pass, which are four days out of eight days for £155 or eight days out of 15 days for £196. This pass provides a lot of flexibility and depending on your itinerary can save quite a lot of money on tickets. There is no need to book in advance, just rock up at the station and go!

A valid photo ID is required for travel and is is not possible to print out the pass. So it does require a smartphone to use and is delivered as a PDF (so no need to have a mobile data connection to use it.

In sum, the Spirit of Scotland pass is a great option for a short trip or a longer one of two weeks, used cleverly, aside from taxis and rental vehicles, it is likely you will not spend any additional money on transport during a visit to Scotland.