Courier service across Scotland
Dedicated vans for consignments within Scotland and between Scotland and the rest of Great Britain. One van and driver go directly from collection to delivery, from the Borders to Caithness, with long runs planned around drivers' hours.
- Cross-border runs from England
- Four city LEZs checked at booking
- Pallets on vans up to Luton size
Three kinds of Scottish courier work
Courier jobs involving Scotland tend to fall into three groups, and they are planned differently. Cross-border runs connect Scotland with England and Wales, and the question is driving hours. Central Belt work moves goods between Glasgow, Edinburgh and the towns in between, where the challenge is traffic and city-centre access. And runs north, up the A9 and A90 to Perth, Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness, are about distance and road conditions.
All three use the same service. One van and driver are booked for your consignment and go directly from collection to delivery, with no depot or hub transfer. We allocate the nearest suitable vehicle, confirm an estimated collection time when you book, and you receive live updates and a signed proof of delivery.
Crossing the border
Most cross-border traffic uses one of two routes. On the west, the M6 becomes the A74(M) north of Carlisle and the M74 into Glasgow, a fast motorway route all the way. On the east, the A1 runs up the coast past Berwick-upon-Tweed to Edinburgh. Between them, the A7 and A68 cross the Borders, slower roads that are often the most direct way to Galashiels, Hawick or Jedburgh.
For timing, the deciding factor is the drivers' hours limit. Van drivers working under GB domestic rules can drive for 10 hours a day. That allows a single driver to reach Glasgow or Edinburgh from London, which are each about 400 miles away, though not to come back the same day. Aberdeen and Inverness, at around 545 and 565 miles from London, are beyond one driver's day, so we plan a second driver or an overnight stop.
Typical cross-border journeys
| Route | Approx. road distance | Main roads |
|---|---|---|
| Newcastle to Edinburgh | 120 miles | A1 |
| Manchester to Glasgow | 215 miles | M6, M74 |
| Leeds to Edinburgh | 210 miles | A1(M), A1 |
| Birmingham to Glasgow | 290 miles | M6, M74 |
| London to Edinburgh | 400 miles | A1(M), A1 or M6, M74 |
| Manchester to Inverness | 375 miles | M6, M74, A9 |
| London to Aberdeen | 545 miles | M1, M6, M74, A90 |
Distances are rounded road miles; the actual figure depends on the addresses.
The Central Belt
The M8 links Glasgow and Edinburgh, around 47 miles apart, and the towns along it carry a large share of Scotland's manufacturing and distribution. Eurocentral, a large business park near Motherwell, sits beside the M8. Livingston and West Lothian have engineering, electronics and life sciences businesses, and Grangemouth on the Forth is home to one of Scotland's main container ports. The M9 runs to Stirling, the M80 links Glasgow with Stirling and the north, and the Queensferry Crossing carries the M90 over the Forth to Fife and Rosyth.
The two cities have their own pages. Our Glasgow courier page covers Hillington, the SEC and the city's hospitals, and the Edinburgh courier service covers the legal district, Edinburgh Park and the BioQuarter.
North on the A90 and A9
Perth is the hinge. From there the A90 runs north-east to Dundee and on to Aberdeen, while the A9 climbs north through the Highlands to Inverness and on to Caithness. The A90 is dual carriageway for most of its length between Perth and Aberdeen; the A9 is a mix of dual and single carriageway and crosses the Drumochter Pass, where winter weather can close it.
Each city in the north has its own page: Aberdeen for the energy sector and the harbour, Dundee for laboratories and the port, and Inverness and the Highlands for the longest runs and the mainland ferry ports.
Four Low Emission Zones
Scotland's four largest cities each have an LEZ in the city centre. Unlike the charging Clean Air Zones in some English cities, non-compliant vehicles cannot pay to enter: they face a penalty.
| City | Enforced since |
|---|---|
| Glasgow | 1 June 2023 |
| Dundee | 30 May 2024 |
| Aberdeen | 1 June 2024 |
| Edinburgh | 1 June 2024 |
When you book, we check every address against the relevant boundary and allocate a compliant vehicle where the address is inside a zone.
What is not covered as standard
Our service covers mainland Scotland. The Scottish islands are not part of the standard service, so ask us. Delivery within Northern Ireland is not covered, although we can deliver to mainland ports such as Cairnryan.
Pallets and bulky loads
Searches for pallet delivery to Scotland often come from businesses that have missed a network collection or cannot wait several days for a groupage service. A dedicated van solves that for loads up to a few pallets. Our pallet delivery page sets out how many pallets fit in each van, and for heavy items and sites without a forklift, our light haulage and tail-lift delivery service uses Luton vans with tail lifts. For anything else that cannot wait, a dedicated courier is the direct option.
FAQ
Common questions
Can you deliver pallets from England to Scotland on the same day?
Yes, by dedicated van. A Luton van with a tail lift can take up to five UK pallets, although weight usually limits the load first, and an LWB van takes three. From the North of England and much of the Midlands, one driver can reach the Central Belt in a day. Tell us the pallet count, the weights and whether there is a forklift at each end, so we send the right vehicle.
Do you cover the Scottish islands?
Not as standard. Our service covers mainland Scotland, including the mainland ferry ports such as Ullapool, Oban, Mallaig, Scrabster and Gills Bay, so we can deliver to a terminal or a freight agent there. For anything that needs to reach Skye, Arran, Mull, Orkney, Shetland or the Western Isles, ask us before booking and we will tell you what is possible.
Can you take goods to Cairnryan for a ferry to Northern Ireland?
We can deliver to the port, or to a haulier or freight agent's address near it, as Cairnryan is on the mainland. Delivery within Northern Ireland itself is not part of our service. Paperwork rules for goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland are set by your haulier and the authorities, so confirm what is needed with them before collection.
Which Scottish cities have Low Emission Zones, and do you plan for them?
Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee all have LEZs in their city centres. Non-compliant vehicles that enter face a penalty rather than a daily charge. When you book, we check each collection and delivery address against the relevant boundary and allocate a compliant vehicle for any address inside a zone. You only need to give us the full address and postcode.
Do you deliver to the Borders and Dumfries and Galloway?
Yes. Both are on the mainland and are covered in the same way as the cities. Towns such as Galashiels, Hawick, Kelso, Dumfries and Stranraer are often reached more quickly from the north of England than from the Central Belt, and we allocate the nearest suitable vehicle whichever side of the border it happens to be.
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