All trains also depart from : Haymarket
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.
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*There are two departures on Monday to Saturday between 18:00 and 19:00.
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 Aberdeeen 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)
What can be worth be keeping in mind is that because these trains don't commence their journeys in Edinburgh, they are more likely to have a delayed departure.
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Final Destination: Aberdeen
All trains also call at: Dundee; Arbroath, Montrose and Stonehaven
Type of Scenery: Coast
Senic Rating: ****
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Though the views from the train as it travels by the shore are superseded by those from two of the most stunning train journey experiences which can be found anywhere in Europe!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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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.
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More general information about travelling by train in England, Scotland and Wales is available on this guide to British train travel.
