Turning up
On Citylink coaches cash buyers can just turn up, so you will be able to do that too. But if there is no seat you'll be out of luck. I think that would be VERY unlucky, except on the most popular routes at the most popular dates, and even then they lay on extra coaches when it's getting tight.
But for journeys on Bank Holidays, or from the Lowlands northward on Fridays (or back there on Sundays). I would definitely ring CityLink to make a reservation. Their web booking page does have a box for what I THINK are still freebies up there, Elderley/disabled cardholders, but not for railrover holders. (Hmm......).
I GUESS this must apply also to Megabus coaches running on shared Citylink/Megabus routes. Haven't a scooby about Megabus-Only routes allowing walk-ups (I've only ever BOOKED those).
Planning
The Citylink website is good for timetables, but it's weak on maps. So until you have the placenames roughly located in your head, it can be a bit difficult to visualise the connections. However, they do duplicate the connecting services on different timetables, so you don't often have to cross-reference between separate pages.
Local Bus timetables (which can mean three-hour, hundred-mile, shopping runs that could easily be part of a highland tour) are excellent in every way but one. Services are very different at different times of the year. So every column has multiple codes telling you which days that service runs. And the key explaining those codes has to be very complicated. If you think you're good at reading a timetable faultlessly - Good luck. If you get it wrong, it's cold, dark, and raining. And there's no cafe or pub (or house!) in sight. And the next bus is in three days (or is it?).
The way around this is to use the traveline scotland journey planner. It will decode the codes and just show you the buses for the day you are travelling. En-route, the android app is brilliant for showing you the next few buses. If you can get a data connection on your phone (who's on Three? That bloke who's just missed his bus!)
Coach stations
- Inverness coach station is a bit tucked away, but not far from the station and I don't remember having trouble finding it.
Fort William 'bus station' is v. close to the station, next to the big supermarket (Asda?). The town centre is close by, once you've found the tunnel under the road.
- Oban bus stances are next to the station and ferry terminal. Yes, that IS where the coaches stop!
- Kyle of Lochalsh is annoying. The traveline Scotland journey planner told me I had 10 minutes from the arrival of my train from Inverness and the departure of my bus onto Skye. The train arrived 5 minutes late, and we all piled off in a scrum onto a station with as many facilities as a car park. 1 minute later, everyone had disappeared in the cars that had been parked there or come to meet them, and I was left alone in the freezy/windy/gloaming (which starts about 1 minute past noon up there in January). There was no bus stop and no sign for one (integrated transport, eat my shorts). My trusty Android Google Maps led me on a five minute walk/jog to a stop from where the coach was disappearing in the direction of the Skye Bridge.
Connections
Generally, "connections" is a concept still understood in the Highlands (NOT the
Lowlands). Both in the ordinary sense that because transport is scarce it is timetabled for dirrerent things to MEET other things. But also in the (apparently impossibly old-fashioned to achieve in England) sense that things supposed to be meeting other things will WAIT for them.
- Trains wait at least a short while for delayed trains, They ALWAYS wait at Crianlarich, because the Oban/Fort William trains divide/join there (and smokers to dive off for ten minutes bliss).
- Local buses wait for connecting buses/coaches/ferries/trains.
- Almost everything (possibly even trains in rare cases) waits for the big ferries (at least the infrequent ones). The purser will ring the bus company up before arrival to tell them how many pax to expect.
- Smaller ferries wait for buses and coaches (at least if they can see them coming).
- BUT don't rely on trains to wait for anything, or for coaches to wait for trains.
Reliability
Highland transport is remarkably more reliable (weather permitting) than city transport, or English rural transport, because
- The Scottish Government seems to care about transport (not a party political point, ANY Scottish government would have to care about local transport).
- Local bus companies really ARE local and the managers and drivers know (and live near) all their regulars. Even coach drivers on four-hour runs know regulars by name. So if a bus didn't run, MrsMcMiggins would know who to have a sharp word with.
- Buses are infrequent and therefore very precious. One bus not running might mean no shopping for three days. And Mrs McMiggins' word would be VERY sharp.
- Long-distance coaches often serve as local buses. So Mrs McMiggins will be waiting outside her house for the coach to arrive. She will not be pleased if she has to wait an extra ten minutes in the rain.
- Roads are quiet, and timetables are realistic, with buffer stops built in for contingencies like late ferries.
So Highland long-distance coaches run on time. EXCELLENT, until you breeze up assuming they will be late.
By the way, ferries are very cheap for foot passenges. For instance if you spent two nights in Oban, you could spend a cheap day going to Mull and back on a nice big ferry, including a bus (yes, it connects nicely) to Balamory (yes, it really exists) and a visit to the distillery (yesh, there ish one).