Transport

Rural areas do have stretches of single track road, although improvements to these are being made. A courteous attitude and giving way to oncoming and faster vehicles is always appreciated with a friendly wave.

Rail services run regularly from Inverness. Travelling north to Thurso/Wick, south to Edinburgh, Glasgow and London, east to Aberdeen and west to Kyle of Lochalsh, the rail network is comprehensive and well maintained. Improvements to railway commuter services in the Inverness 'travel to work area' have been made and a direct rail link from Fort William to Glasgow helps connect the west of the area with conurbations in the rest of the UK. Train sleeper services run from London to Inverness and Fort William.

There are regular bus services between major population centres in the Highlands and efficient connections with major UK towns and cities. Thanks to an extensive network of subsidised routes and post bus services, rural areas are also well served.

Inverness Airport - the major air hub - is situated at Dalcross, half way between Inverness and Nairn, and has recently been modernised with the addition of a light and spacious terminal building. With passenger numbers increasing each year, a wider and more varied range of flights is available within the rest of the UK and internationally, including outbound holiday charter flights.

Commuting from the Highlands to Gatwick, Heathrow and Luton as well as Manchester and Birmingham and, from the summer of 2024, to Belfast and Bristol allows the best of both worlds. The Highlands are a great place to live without losing the wider range of working opportunities available elsewhere in the UK.

Wick Airport in Caithness provides flights to and from Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Inverness and Sumburgh as well as acting as a helicopter base for oil related operations.