Scotland Rail Passes Available

This year for the first time, travelers planning adventures in Scotland can purchase ScotRail Passes, which are valid not only on trains but also on eight main ferry routes.

The new ScotRail pass is valid for unlimited standard-class rail travel on all British Rail services in Scotland, including travel to and from Berwick and Carlisle in England. The passes are also valid for transportation on most Caledonian MacBrayne ferry services, including travel to the islands of Lewis, Harris, Arran and Mull, and for discounts on all P&O; ferry services to the Orkney and Shetland islands.

ScotRail passes must be purchased from a travel agent before you leave the United States. An 8-day pass costs $129, a 15-day pass is $189 and a 22-day version is $249.

Edinburgh, capital of Scotland since the 12th Century, is one of the most dramatic cities in the world to visit by train. The city is built on a series of hills, and as you exit Waverley Station, imposing Edinburgh Castle dominates the skyline.

You can start your visit by heading off in the direction of the castle and settling in at the centrally located High Street Independent Hostel, at 8 Blackfriers St., telephone (031) 557-3984. It has room for 120 guests in dormitory rooms shared by 6 to 16. The charge is about $11.50 per person per night. It’s open 24 hours. Guests are provided with kitchen facilities and a luggage storage service.

For more information on accommodation services, check with the tourist information office at Waverley Market, above Waverley Rail Station. This information office is also the meeting point for one of the most interesting and economical tours of the city.

Each evening at 7 (this may change to 8 p.m. in the summer), visitors rally to meander along the cobblestone streets and creep down the dark alleys of the medieval section of the city with guide Robin Sinton.

In between the stories of ghost sightings and examining locations of witch burnings, fascinating facts about Edinburgh’s history are presented in a fun way. Students are charged $4.65; the regular adult rate is $5.50. To check times, call Robin’s Tours (031) 661-0125.

When you are ready to tour on your own, start at the Castle, where you will find a 12th-Century chapel, a dungeon-prison, the Scottish Crown Jewels, the Scottish National War Memorial and the room in which Mary, Queen of Scots gave birth to James VI.

Extending from the front is the bustling street known as the Royal Mile. It’s lined with tourist shops and restaurants, cozy pubs and entrances to hidden little courtyards (some with plaques indicating interesting historical facts). The “mile” ends at Holyroodhouse, the official residence of the Queen of Scotland.

Holyroodhouse was built by James IV in the 16th Century, and was the murder scene of David Rizzio, the secretary to Mary, Queen of Scots. It is not open to the public when the royal family is in residence. However, Holyrood Park, once the Royal hunting forest, is open to the public.

Edinburgh now can be reached by train from London in less than four hours, using the new InterCity service. For information on travel in Scotland before you leave London, stop in at the Scottish Tourist Board at 19 Cockspur St., London SW1 5BL.

Another option open to travelers planning visits to Scotland is a rail pass valid for travel throughout Britain (including Scotland and Wales). BritRail Passes also must be purchased before leaving the United States. The youth version, for travelers 16 to 25, costs: 8 days, $169; 15 days, $255; 22 days, $319; one month, $375. Four days of travel within an eight-day period is $145; eight days of travel within 15 days is $199, and 15 days of travel within a two-month period is $295.

Information on both ScotRail and BritRail Passes is available from travel agents or BritRail Travel International Inc., 1500 Broadway, New York 10036-4015, (212) 575-2667.