Scotland

When visiting Scotland there are a few ways of saving money that are worth looking at, like free entry attractions, and discount travel passes, and money saving passes to some top attractions.

Glencoe Valley, Scottish Highlands
Money Savers on Attractions

Historic Scotland's Explorer Pass. This pass covers properties in the care of Historic Scotland. There is a choice of a 3 day pass, which can be used over a 5 day period, a 7 day pass (to be used over 14 days) and a 10 day pass (to use over a 30 day period). For more information, visit the Historic Scotland website.

  • Free entry to Historic Scotland's 78 historic properties
  • Free entry to daytime events
  • Free souvenir wallet including Explorer Map and passport to record your visits
  • Bypasses the queues at Edinburgh & Stirling Castles
  • 20% discount on audio guides at Edinburgh Castle

  • The Edinburgh City Pass. Probably one of the best money savers if you are plannng to visit the capital. The Edinburgh Pass is a sightseeing city card providing entry to approximately 30 top attractions! It's the best way to see all that Edinburgh has to offer while saving both money and time! The Pass is a 'smart card' - like a credit card with a computer chip inside - which allows you completely cash FREE entry to your choice of over 30 top attractions as well as many special offers, and a free Airlink return from the airport.

    You can buy a 1, 2, or 3 day pass online at the Edinburgh City Pass website.

    Free Entry Attractions

    Glasgow Museums. All of Glasgow's museums have no entry charge, including the Transport Museum, the Burrell Collection, and Scotlands top attraction, Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum. There are 13 museums across the city, visit the Glasgow Museums website for a full list.

    Edinburgh Museums. Many museums in Edinburgh are also free, including the Museum of Scotland, the Museum of Edinburgh, the Royal Museum, and the National Galleries of Scotland. More information is available on Come To Scotland, the official Scottish tourism website.

    Discount Bus Travel Passes

    Scottish Citylink Explorer Pass. Offers unlimited bus travel on any service at any time during the validity of the pass. You can choose from 3 days travel out of 5, 5 days out of 10, and 8 days out of 15. Prices start from £35. More information is available on the Scottish Citylink website.

    Discount Rail Travel Passes

    First Scotrail Freedom of Scotland Pass. Valid for the Scottish rail network throughout the whole country and includes ferry services to and from the Islands. The pass covers any 4 out of 8 days consecutive travel or any 8 out of 15 consecutive days travel. The pass is also valid on all Caledonian MacBrayne scheduled ferry services within Scotland.

    First Scotrail Central Scotland Rover Pass. Gives you unlimited rail travel for any 3 days out of 7. Covers the whole Central Belt from Glasgow to North Berwick, and stops in between, including Edinburgh and Perth.

    First Scotrail Highland Rover Pass. This one gives you unlimited rail travel for any 4 consecutive days out of 8, and it also covers some coach and ferry travel. More information is available on the First Scotrail website.

    Accommodation

    Bed & Breakfasts (B&Bs) are by far the most popular method of accommodation in Scotland. Even in the big cities. B&Bs are run usually privately run by owners who may or may not live in the same house. Typically they offer a few rooms as a to their income. B&Bs are generally warm, friendly and relaxed

    There are also B&Bs that appear to be hotels, i.e. they are their owners only source of income. These houses often carry the term "Guesthouse" in their name, indicating a bigger size and a rather business-like approach.

    Free information on B&Bs are available from the local Scottish Tourist Board which operates under the label of "VisitScotland", so don't be surprised to find a lot of references to VisitScotland everywhere.
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