Flying from Heathrow to Edinburgh takes around 1 hour 20 minutes in the air, but once you add check-in, security and getting to and from both airports, the door-to-door time is closer to 4 to 5 hours, not far off the direct train's roughly 5 hours city-centre to city-centre. One independent transport-policy comparison of this exact route put plane and train journey times at 4h40m and 4h20m respectively, door to door. Flights are typically pricier but faster point to point; the train needs no airport transfer at the Edinburgh end and has a much smaller carbon footprint. Here's how the two options actually compare, and which makes sense for your trip.
Heathrow to Edinburgh at a glance
| Flying (LHR-EDI) | Train (via London) | |
|---|---|---|
| Time in the air / on the train | About 1h20-1h30 | About 4h08m (fastest, Kings Cross-Edinburgh Waverley) |
| Realistic door-to-door time | Roughly 4-5 hours | Roughly 5-5.5 hours from Heathrow |
| Typical one-way price | From around £58-70 one-way on a cheap fare; typical fares £60-150+ | From around £41 one-way booked in advance; £27-ish with a Railcard |
| Getting to the start point | Already at Heathrow | Heathrow to Kings Cross first, about 55-60 minutes by Piccadilly line |
| Arrival point | Edinburgh Airport, taxi/tram/bus into the city centre | Edinburgh Waverley, in the city centre |
| CO2 per passenger | Roughly 132kg | Roughly 15kg |
How long does the flight actually take?
British Airways operates the direct Heathrow to Edinburgh route, with a flight time of around 1 hour 20 to 1 hour 30 minutes, confirmed on current BA and third-party flight-schedule listings. That's the time in the air only. Add roughly 2-3 hours for check-in and security at Heathrow if you don't have fast-track or online check-in, plus getting from Edinburgh Airport into the city centre afterwards (around 30-40 minutes by tram or bus, or a shorter taxi ride), and the realistic door-to-door time lands at roughly 4 to 5 hours depending on your flight time and connections at each end.
How long does the train actually take?
There's no direct train from inside Heathrow to Edinburgh. You first need to get into central London, since LNER's East Coast Main Line services to Edinburgh Waverley run from London Kings Cross, not from Heathrow itself. The Piccadilly line runs direct from all Heathrow terminals to Kings Cross St Pancras, taking about 55 to 60 minutes with no changes, for around £5.90 pay-as-you-go. From Kings Cross, LNER's fastest direct trains reach Edinburgh Waverley in around 4 hours 8 minutes. Add the Heathrow-to-Kings-Cross leg, plus a reasonable connection buffer, and the total door-to-door time from Heathrow is typically around 5 to 5.5 hours, arriving directly in the Edinburgh city centre with no further transfer needed.
What does each option cost?
Flights: cheap one-way fares from Heathrow to Edinburgh start from around £58-70 according to current flight-search listings, with typical fares in the £60-150+ range depending on how far ahead you book and the time of day.
Train: LNER's own advance fares from London to Edinburgh start from £41.40 one-way booked around three weeks ahead, or as low as £27.55 with a Railcard. Add the roughly £5.90 Piccadilly line fare from Heathrow to Kings Cross, and a train journey from Heathrow can come in cheaper than a flight, especially if you book the rail ticket well ahead.
Which is actually faster, door to door?
It's closer than the flight time alone suggests. An independent comparison of city-centre-to-city-centre journey times on this specific route found the plane took around 4 hours 40 minutes and the train around 4 hours 20 minutes, door to door, once airport procedures, transfers and the approach into each city centre are all counted. From Heathrow specifically, the extra Piccadilly line leg into London adds to the train's total versus a traveller starting from central London already, so the two options end up broadly similar in practice, with the flight usually edging it if your connections at both ends go smoothly, and the train often matching or beating it once you account for check-in and security buffers at the airport.
Which should you choose?
- Choose the flight if you want the shortest time physically travelling, you're arriving somewhere outside Edinburgh's city centre, or you can clear Heathrow's security quickly with hand luggage only.
- Choose the train if you want to walk straight into Edinburgh's city centre with no further transfer, prefer not to deal with airport security and check-in buffers, want a much smaller carbon footprint, or can book LNER's advance fares for a lower price.
For most leisure travellers starting from Heathrow, the time saving from flying is smaller than it first appears once the whole door-to-door journey is counted, so price, comfort and your exact start and end points matter more than the headline flight time.