How to travel by train from Edinburgh to Aberdeen

Edinburgh to Aberdeen by train

How to travel by train from Edinburgh to Aberdeen

Step on board for one of Europe's most scenic rail journeys between two cities with stunning sea views, even on a grey day, and the opportunity to travel across two iconic examples of railway engineering; the Forth and Tay Bridges

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Routes

From Edinburgh Waverley to Aberdeen

Travel Information

Final Destination: Aberdeen

The ferries to Kirkwall on Orkney and Lerwick on Shetland usually depart Aberdeen at either 17:00 or 19:00.

To allow for:

  • contingency in the event of a train delay
  • making the transfer from the station to the ferry terminal
  • the check-in time for the ferry.

For the 17:00 ferry ShowMeTheJourney recommends taking the 12:41 departure on Sunday and the 13:28 departure on Mondays to Saturdays.

For the 19:00 ferry the recommendation is to take the 14:33 departure on Sundays and the 15:28 departure on Mondays to Saturdays.

All trains also call at: Dundee; Arbroath, Montrose and Stonehaven

Most of these trains are operated by ScotRail and it now mainly uses its dedicated Inter7City trains on this route.

However, in some hours, the trains which depart Edinburgh for Aberdeen have travelled from destinations further south.
These include Azuma trains operated by LNER which originate in Leeds and London and a daily train operated by CrossCountry.

These non ScotRail trains are usually scheduled to depart Edinburgh at:
10:28 on Mon-Sat (LNER)
14:28 on Mon-Sat (LNER)
14:33 on Sunday (LNER)
18:13 daily (Cross Country)
18:33 on Mon-Sat (LNER)
18:36 on Sunday (LNER)
20:32 on Mon-Fri (LNER)
Which an be worth be keeping in mind, as because these trains don't commence their journeys in Edinburgh, they are more likely to have a delayed departure.

Mon-Sat = 1 x train per hour*
Sunday = 8 x trains
*= There are two departures on Monday to Saturday between 18:00 and 19:00.

Tickets

Book Early and Save: Yes

Online Bookings Usually Open: from 12 weeks ahead of the travel date (usually)

If you want to travel at the cheapest possible price, look for the 'Advance tickets', though the three key things worth knowing about booking and using 'Advance' tickets are:
(1) You can only travel on the specific departure you select when making a booking.
(2) The ticket(s) cannot either be refunded, if you subsequently change your plans, or be exchanged to another departure - so they won't be valid if you miss the train due to any circumstances not attributable to the train operator.
(3) These tickets have seats specified on them, so in effect they come with seat reservations; though you won't have to sit in the seats you have been assigned for the ticket to be valid.

Travelling on Saturday-Sunday

Tickets are usually available 12 weeks ahead of the travel date, but maintenance work on the route is periodically undertaken at weekends and if it is scheduled on your travel date, it can affect when tickets will be released for sale.

If you're looking up a journey less than 12 weeks ahead and Advance tickets aren't available, it can be a good indication that works will be impacting on your travel date.
It can be worth checking this on the National Rail website - enter ScotRail and LNER as the operators.

Choosing a departure

There can be significant differences in prices of Advance tickets between departures, so  it can be possible to save money by looking through the departures and selecting an earlier or later train.
Whether a train is operated by ScotRail or LNER doesn't have as much impact on the ticket price as the time of day when the train will be departing.

Booking at the station

If you will be booking at the station less than a couple of hours prior to departure, you will have to purchase non-discounted Off-Peak or Anytime tickets; with Anytime tickets being the most expensive of all.

On this route you will have to pay the Anytime rate on departures between 16:30 and 19:00 when Mondays to Fridays are working days
Because if you do depart Edinburgh at those times only the more expensive type of Anytime tickets will be available

ScotRail deals

ScotRail offers ticketing deals when Adults travel with children or in groups, so when booking online it's worth being checking to confirm whether the total price being charged is inclusive of these deals

Or you can book these deals at a station ticket office, if Advance tickets are available the booking clerk will ask if that's your preference - though be aware that Advance deals can't be refunded or exchanged if one or more members of a party subsequently can't make the trip.
If you do opt to book these deals at the station you won't ever charged more than the online price and the booking clerk may be able to point out a money saving option.

Where to book
Ticket Provider Approximate Cost
ScotRail *

ScotRail Guide

On this journey

Journey Features

Scenic - YesCoastal views

Good to Know

All trains also depart from: Edinburgh Haymarket station.

If the starting point of your journey is at the western end of the city centre, you can save time by heading to Haymarket station rather than Edinburgh Waverley, in order to board these trains.

Looking east from the south side of the Forth Bridge Looking east from the south side of the Forth Bridge
And over on the north side of the Forth Bridge And over on the north side of the Forth Bridge
Shortly after the train has travelled over the bridge the railway is by the shoreline Shortly after the train has travelled over the bridge the railway is by the shoreline
The train will travel by the East Fife Coast for more than 20 minutes The train will travel by the East Fife Coast for more than 20 minutes
Travelling through Kinghorn Travelling through Kinghorn
Between Kirkcaldy and Leuchars the train travels through rolling countryside Between Kirkcaldy and Leuchars the train travels through rolling countryside
The River Tay coming into view when looking west The River Tay coming into view when looking west
The view looking east as the train moves on to the Tay Bridge The view looking east as the train moves on to the Tay Bridge
Looking back at The Tay Bridge just prior to arriving in Dundee Looking back at The Tay Bridge just prior to arriving in Dundee

There are very few journeys between two European cities, taken by express trains, that are as consistently fabulous as this route between Edinburgh and Aberdeen.

Though the sea views on this journey can only be seen on the right-hand side of the train when facing north.
So if you have reserved seats and then discover on boarding, that they're over on the left, it can be worth seeking out available window seats on the right.
You won't have to travel in the seat(s) you have been assigned for your ticket to be valid.

For much of the journey between Edinburgh and Dundee the railway line is beside the coastline of East Fife.
Virtually any time a UK coastal train journey is shown on film and television, what will be seen is a train travelling by the sea in South Devon, but from inside the trains, the views are just as spectacular on this journey – and they’re sustained for longer.

Though the views from the train as it travels by the shore are superseded by those from two of the most stunning train journey experiences which can be found anywhere in Europe!
Namely the views from the Forth Bridge, which occur around 12 -15 mins after the train has departed from Edinburgh, and the views from the Tay Bridge just before the train arrives in Dundee.

Much of the final part of the journey north of Dundee also offers lovely sea views, particularly as the train leaves the city behind.
The harbour in Montrose, which is by the station is also rather charming and north of Stonehaven, the railway line runs across the cliff-tops.

Though when Show MeTheJourney travelled most recently on the part of the route north of Dundee, the weather wasn't compatible with taking photographs, so you'll have to trust that this part of the journey can be fabulous!

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