Private jet to Scotland

Scotland draws private flyers for reasons that rarely lie in the city centre: a tee time at St Andrews or Carnoustie, a shooting estate in Perthshire or Deeside, a distillery on Speyside or Islay, a house on Skye or Orkney. The country is wide and the roads through the Highlands are slow, so the choice of airport often saves more time than the choice of aircraft. Edinburgh and Glasgow are open around the clock for every class of jet; Prestwick, Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness bring the aircraft closer to the course, the oil industry or the glen.

Scotland is part of the United Kingdom, so the British rules apply: passport and Electronic Travel Authorisation for most visitors from abroad, UK operators for legs inside the country, and a short list of airports where dogs may arrive. The small Highlands and Islands fields need prior permission and keep limited hours. As a broker, we compare aircraft from operators across Europe and the UK and plan the jet, the helicopter and the car as one trip.

Send the address, the dates and the number of passengers through the form, and we suggest the airport, the aircraft and the transfer.

Why fly privately north of the border

Flight times from the continent and from London

Citation CJ3 times from the tables below, with taxi, climb and descent counted:

Scotland lies north of the main European routes, so the North Sea countries are close: Amsterdam - Aberdeen takes 1:29 h and Stavanger - Aberdeen 1:10 h. From the Alps and Italy allow 2:15-2:32 h, from Spain and the Riviera 2:43-2:49 h. From London a turboprop needs 1:35-1:43 h to Edinburgh, Prestwick or Dundee. Across the Atlantic, New York - Prestwick takes 6:34 h in a Challenger 650.

What a private flight to Scotland costs

Prices are for the whole aircraft one way, assuming an aircraft near the departure airport; handling, parking and passenger taxes come on top. The time shown belongs to the first aircraft of the row. Rows go to different Scottish airports, so the table shows the spread from Dundee to Inverness.

From the European hubs

Amsterdam - Aberdeen is the cheapest row at EUR 10,000 in a Citation CJ3, Paris - Edinburgh costs EUR 11,000. Dundee shows on request for the Challenger 350: its runway of about 1,400 m suits light and midsize jets, and a larger aircraft lands at Edinburgh instead.

From England and Northern Ireland

These are domestic legs inside the UK, flown only by UK operators, with no passport control on arrival.

Within Scotland and to the islands

Every row here starts at EUR 6,500 to EUR 7,000 by turboprop, and the flight is under 1:10 h. A Pilatus PC-12 weighs less than 5.7 t and pays no Air Passenger Duty, and departures from Kirkwall, Sumburgh, Stornoway and Inverness are exempt in any aircraft.

From Ireland, Norway and Denmark

Long-haul flights

Prestwick, with a main runway of 2,987 m and little traffic, suits large jets from North America. All three types fly these sectors non-stop.

The season moves prices more than the distance. In August and in the first weeks of October aircraft, parking and helicopters are in demand, and in the Open week the airports near the course fill days ahead. Departures from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Prestwick, Aberdeen and Dundee pay Air Passenger Duty: none on aircraft under 5.7 t, the standard rate of the distance band on most jets, and the higher rate on jets of 20 t or more with fewer than 19 seats. Flights from France pay about EUR 420 per passenger on a jet (about half on a turboprop), from Italy EUR 100 per passenger up to 1,500 km and EUR 200 beyond, from Austria EUR 12 per passenger, and from Germany, Norway and the Netherlands their own departure taxes. All of it is listed in the quote.

Business jet price per flight hour

Heavy Jets from EUR 8,300 / hour

Light Jets from EUR 3,200 / hour

Ultra Long Range Jets from EUR 12,000 / hour

Super Midsize Jets from EUR 6,300 / hour

Very Light Jets from EUR 2,500 / hour

Long Range Jets from EUR 9,800 / hour

Midsize Jets from EUR 4,500 / hour

Turboprops from EUR 2,000 / hour

Three trips worked through

Price per person

You pay for the aircraft, not the seat, so each extra passenger lowers the share. Light jet prices from the main table:

Calculator

For an island field or a return trip, the calculator gives an estimate in a few seconds:

Airports for business aviation

No single airport serves the whole country. Edinburgh and Glasgow take the capital and the west, Prestwick and Dundee the golf coasts, Aberdeen and Inverness the north-east and the Highlands, and the Highlands and Islands fields the rest.

Perth and Cumbernauld appear in some listings, but their runways of about 850 m and 820 m take only turboprops and small aircraft; for Perthshire a jet lands at Dundee, Edinburgh or Glasgow. On the islands wind and low cloud cause more delays than slots do, so every island sector is planned with an alternate on another island or on the mainland.

Helicopter and road to the last mile

Choosing the aircraft

Gun cases, golf bags and wet-weather gear take more space than city luggage, so a party of six often fits better in a midsize jet than in a light one. On the shorter island runways the operator confirms the payload for the day. Catalogue pages: turboprops, light jets, midsize jets.

The Scottish year, month by month

The year has two peaks: golf and festivals from June to August, and shooting and stalking in September and October. May, June and September give long days and good weather with fewer busy dates than August. Empty Legs are most frequent after the big summer dates and at the end of the shooting season, when aircraft that brought parties north return to England and the continent.

Empty Legs to and from Scotland

An Empty Leg is an aircraft flying empty to its next job or home base, offered for less. Many Scottish trips are one-way: a party flies in for a week of golf or shooting, and the aircraft has to go home.

The operator decides the date and time, and a leg can disappear if the original booking changes, so an open return date helps. Write to empty-legs@jets.flights with the direction and dates, and we send matching flights as they come up.

Travelling with a dog or cat

Many shooting parties bring gundogs, and on a private jet the dog travels in the cabin. Arriving from abroad, the British rules apply, and in Scotland they narrow the choice of airport:

• Microchip, implanted before the rabies vaccination; rabies vaccination at least 21 days before arrival.
• EU pet passport or the health document required in the country of departure; up to five animals.
• Tapeworm treatment for dogs by a vet 1-5 days before landing; cats are exempt.
• An operator approved to carry pets into Great Britain, and arrival at an approved airport: in Scotland these are Edinburgh and Glasgow. Prestwick, Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness are not on the list.

Borders, permits, guns and taxes

Before departure

• Passport and ETA for every passenger arriving from abroad; photo ID on domestic legs.
• Passenger names and passport numbers to us at least 24 hours before departure for the General Aviation Report.
• The address of the course, estate, distillery or hotel, so we can choose the airport and the transfer.
• Number of golf bags and gun cases, and the visitor's permit for the guns.
• Dog documents, the tapeworm treatment time and an arrival at Edinburgh or Glasgow.
• Warm and waterproof clothing for the walk across the apron, and some spare time in the plan for weather on island sectors.

How to book a flight north

1. Send the destination address, the dates, the passengers, golf bags, guns and dogs.
2. We choose the airport by address, runway and hours and request prior permission at the smaller fields.
3. You receive several aircraft options with prices, flight times and taxes, and the helicopter or car for the last stretch.
4. You sign the charter contract and pay; we book the handler, the transfer and, for festival or Open weeks, the parking.
5. We collect passport and ETA details, and a manager follows the flight until you land.

Frequently asked questions about private flights to Scotland

• • How much does a private jet to Scotland cost?

  • From Amsterdam to Aberdeen a Citation CJ3 costs EUR 10,000, from Paris to Edinburgh EUR 11,000. Short hops inside Scotland start at EUR 6,500 by turboprop. Each price covers the whole aircraft one way, with fees and taxes added.

• • Which airport is best for St Andrews?

  • Dundee for light and midsize jets, about 20 km from the course. Larger jets land at Edinburgh, about 75-90 minutes away by car.

• • Can I fly straight to the Highlands?

  • Yes, Inverness takes jets up to super midsize, and Wick, Kirkwall, Sumburgh and Stornoway take turboprops and light jets with prior permission.

• • Do I need a passport to fly from London to Edinburgh?

  • No, it is a domestic flight. Carry photo ID. From abroad you need a passport and, as an EU or US citizen, an ETA.

• • Can my gundog fly with us?

  • Yes, in the cabin, with an approved operator and arrival at Edinburgh or Glasgow. The dog needs a microchip, a rabies vaccination and tapeworm treatment 1-5 days before landing.

• • Can I bring my own shotgun?

  • Yes, with a visitor's permit from Police Scotland and the operator's agreement. Apply well before the season.

• • Is there a tax when leaving Scotland?

  • Air Passenger Duty applies at Edinburgh, Glasgow, Prestwick, Aberdeen and Dundee. Departures from Inverness, Kirkwall, Sumburgh and Stornoway are exempt.

• • How busy is Edinburgh in August?

  • Very. The festivals fill hotels and the apron, and the handler asks for 2-3 days' notice. Glasgow, Prestwick or Dundee can be easier.

• • How long is the flight from Paris?

  • Paris Le Bourget - Edinburgh takes 1:43 h in a Citation CJ3.

• • Are there Empty Legs from Scotland?

  • Yes, mostly back to London and the continent after golf weeks, festivals and the shooting season. A short e-mail to empty-legs@jets.flights with the dates is enough.

• • Can a European operator fly me between two Scottish airports?

  • No. Legs inside the UK are flown by UK operators; a European operator can fly you to Scotland and back.