Helicopter charter in Scotland

Where can you charter a helicopter in Scotland?

Scotland has three 24-hour airports and several regional ones, with large distances between them.

• Edinburgh Airport is open 24 hours with customs on site, a 2,558 m runway and a business aviation centre. A handling agent is mandatory for every flight, including helicopters.
• Glasgow Airport is also 24 hours with customs, and all flights including general aviation need prior approval; helicopters use a dedicated apron. Cumbernauld, between Glasgow and Edinburgh, is a smaller alternative open 09:00 to 17:00.
• Glasgow Prestwick is 24 hours with customs on site and a 2,987 m runway, with handling mandatory and no slot coordination noted for general aviation.
• Aberdeen Airport has customs on site from 07:00 to 23:00, and non-scheduled flights need at least 24 hours' notice for customs.
• Inverness Airport is the Highlands hub, open 06:15 to 22:45. Domestic flights need two hours' notice and international flights 24 hours'.
• Dundee has a 1,400 m runway for light jets; it is the nearest to St Andrews and Carnoustie now RAF Leuchars is closed to civil traffic. Perth (Scone) is open 09:00 to 17:00.

How fast is a helicopter in Scotland?

Scotland's roads are slow and its distances long. The figures are from our route data; road times are free-flowing, so real journeys are slower.

• Edinburgh to Glasgow takes about 20 to 25 minutes by helicopter, against about 1 hour 4 minutes by road.
• Dundee to Edinburgh takes about 20 to 25 minutes, against about 1 hour 7 minutes.
• Aberdeen to Edinburgh takes about 40 to 50 minutes, against about 2 hours 26 minutes.
• Inverness to Edinburgh takes about 45 to 60 minutes, against about 3 hours 17 minutes.
• Prestwick to Glasgow takes about 15 to 20 minutes, against about 47 minutes.
• Edinburgh to Newcastle takes about 40 to 50 minutes, against about 2 hours 53 minutes.
• Edinburgh to London takes about 125 to 155 minutes, against nearly 8 hours.

See Newcastle to Edinburgh and Manchester to Edinburgh for route detail.

What do people in Scotland fly for?

Edinburgh is the financial and legal capital, Glasgow the commercial centre and Aberdeen the energy capital. Meetings that span two of them in a day, or reach from the central belt to the Highlands, are the staple. See business helicopter charter and same-day business trips.

Golf is a major driver around St Andrews, Carnoustie and Gleneagles, with Dundee and Perth the closest sites; helicopters land at the courses only with permission and subject to site suitability. Shooting is the other major pillar, with grouse, deer and pheasant estates across Perthshire, Aberdeenshire and the Highlands; read shooting by helicopter for the rules on carriage and weights.

For discreet movements, secure helicopter transport and our article on the secure movement of people by helicopter explain how a quiet pick-up on an estate or a smaller airfield reduces exposure.

Scotland city pages

For site details and routes, read Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Inverness, Dundee, Perth and Prestwick.

South of the border are North East England and North West England. Across the North Channel, Northern Ireland is about 45 to 55 minutes from Glasgow by helicopter. For the national guide, helicopter charter UK.

Highland weather and daylight

Daylight shrinks sharply in a Scottish winter, and many smaller airfields are daylight-only with hours that end by mid-afternoon in December. Highland weather can change quickly, so we plan alternatives and build slack into the return. If the flight is cancelled because of the weather, you pay nothing. Check the UK heliports and airfields directory for the published hours of every Scottish site. In short, helicopter charter scotland rewards early planning, because daylight, distance and weather all vary widely.

More places, events and routes in Scotland

The islands and the far north now have city pages: Orkney, Shetland, the Outer Hebrides, Caithness, Argyll and Islay.

The event calendar includes St Andrews, the Royal Highland Show, Ayr Racecourse and Murrayfield Stadium. Route pages cover Edinburgh to Glasgow, London to Edinburgh, London to Glasgow and Glasgow to Newcastle.