Lothian Buses

Lothian Buses have won several awards for their services to the Lothian region including Bus Operator of the Year in the 2007 UK Bus Awards,[10][11] and has subsequently been voted Public Transport Operator of the Year (Bus) at the 2008 National Transport Awards, at which the company was cited for its substantial route development, 32% growth in passenger numbers since 1998 and £100 million investment in low-floor buses since 2000.[12]

Lothian Buses was voted Best UK Bus Company in 2002 and 2003.[13] Vehicles previously carried the wording Voted Scotland's Best Bus Company 2006 in a laurel wreath type logo near the fleetname.

In November 2011, the company won the Top City Operator of the Year award at the UK Bus Awards.[14]

A Lothian Buses Volvo B5TL with Wright Gemini 3 bodywork in Portobello, August 2018

Lothian-branded services are the core of the Lothian Buses group. There are some core services in the Lothian network that have followed more or less the same route since they were operated by trams in the 1950s, like services 3, 4, 5, 10, 11 and 16.[22] However, the routes and timetables of most services are frequently modified in minor ways. For example, in recent years several confusing details such as letter suffixed routes and clockwise/anticlockwise circular services have been removed from the map. In the last ten years, there have been many temporary and permanent diversions in the New Town, including the closure at various times of Princes Street for tram works, George Street for pedestrianisation[23] and Leith Street for the reconstruction of the St James Centre.

The majority of current routes pass through the city centre from opposing termini, either crossing or following Princes Street in full or in part. This means that there are some arteries in and out of the New Town that are served by as many as a dozen different routes, such as Nicolson Street and Leith Walk. Some of these services, like services 3, 26 and 37, extend into outlying towns in East and Midlothian. There are also some more orbital routes, such as service 38.

Traditionally, Edinburgh Corporation, LRT and Lothian Buses had been generally painted in a madder (a dark red) and cream (or white) livery. When low floor disabled access vehicles were introduced in the late 1990s, they were given their own distinguishing "harlequin" livery, moquette covered seating and brightly coloured floors and walls. The last high step bus was removed from service by Lothian in the late 2000s, making the distinction irrelevant.

Lothian began to phase out the harlequin livery in May 2010, replacing it with a version of the traditional madder and white colour scheme. This had sweeping curved lines, having been updated to suit the body shapes of more modern buses. The last harlequin bus was repainted in 2016.[24]

In late 2016 a new livery, known as the fleet of the future livery, was unveiled on a batch of new Wright Gemini 3 Streetdeck style buses, for route 22. The angular shape and style of this livery was a complete departure from anything Lothian had designed before, and as of 2021 is the standard livery for all new vehicles. The livery underwent a minor adjustment when a fleet of new Alexander Dennis Enviro400 XLBs were put into service in 2019, with smoother curves and a lack of a smaller 'cheatline' on the bus's lower sides. While the Enviro400 XLBs carried the coat of arms of the city of Edinburgh on each side, every batch of vehicles bought thereafter have not had the same coat of arms added.

Alexander Dennis Enviro400 XLB bodied Volvo B8L in Airlink livery

Lothian directly operates three services to Edinburgh Airport; Airlink 100, Skylink 200 and Skylink 400. This is in addition to the service provided by Edinburgh Trams, which has one of its termini at the airport. All Lothian airport services use special airport fare zones, meaning a single ticket to the airport costs significantly more than the standard single ticket. However, a journey that does not include the airport zone is charged at the standard fare.

Airlink 100 runs to St Andrew Square along Corstorphine Road. Since 30 July 2017, Airlink has accepted contactless card payments as well as cash and ridacard fares.

Skylink Services also accept Contactless, beginning with purchase of normal tickets but now works with the "Tap Tap Cap..." scheme.

Skylink 200 commenced on 23 April 2017, running from the airport to the north of Edinburgh, terminating at Ocean Terminal.[25][26] It was initially operated by single decker buses, but double deckers have been used since 1 October 2017.

Skylink 400 commenced on 29 July 2018 operating to Fort Kinnaird via Gracemount, Fairmilehead, Oxgangs and Colinton.[27][28][29] It replaced and upgraded the old service 18.

Skylink 300 commenced on 1 October 2017, as an upgrade and renumbering of the old service 35, which ran from the airport to the Ocean Terminal via Slateford, Longstone and South Gyle.[30][31] The 35 had been a way of getting to the airport while only paying the standard Lothian fare, and usually used repainted ex-Airlink vehicles with extra luggage racks. The route was amended on 29 July 2018, shortening the route considerably and introducing a new terminal at Cameron Toll. At the same time, a modified 35 was reintroduced, but this service terminated at Heriot-Watt University rather than the airport. Skylink 300 was withdrawn from the timetable change on the 11th September 2022 due to low passenger demand.[32]

Between June 2021 and March 2022, Skylink services 200, 300, and 400 were adjusted to call at the Royal Highland Centre, which was in use as a vaccination centre during the COVID-19 pandemic.[33] These services were reverted to their original routings when the centre closed in March 2022.[34]

Airlink 100 was originally branded as "Airline", and has used many different liveries and logos, though all have been primarily blue. Airlink buses are always new when they start on the service, and are cascaded to other services after a few years. Over the years, the service has used the Leyland Olympian, Scania Omnicity, Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 and the Wright Eclipse Gemini 3.[35] Between June 2017 and August 2019 the Airlink service used a light blue and grey version of the standard angular livery. These vehicles have since moved onto Skylink, still with the light blue livery. other Skylink services use a medium blue and white version of the angular livery. From August 2019, Enviro400 XLBs have been introduced on the Airlink Service, with a dark blue plain livery with a large gold Airlink logo on both sides.

East Coast Buses Volvo B8RLE Wright Eclipse Urban 3s entering Princes Street

In summer 2012, First Scotland East withdrew route 44B from Edinburgh to Pencaitland. This prompted Lothian Buses to expand into East Lothian much further than they had for years; far past the Tranent terminus of the service 26. Operations were initially branded as East Lothian Buses, and service 113 launched on 12 June 2012.[36][37] A second service was added in September 2014 (the 104 to Haddington).[38] The brand name was changed to Lothian Country Buses. One reason for launching as a separate brand was to make it easier to introduce a zonal fare system, rather than the flat fare of Lothian Buses.

First Scotland East announced in June 2016 that they would be withdrawing entirely from East Lothian by 14 August, believing the county to be unprofitable.[39] Lothian later announced the creation of a wholly owned subsidiary company, East Coast Buses, to again fill the gap left by First. The new company also took over the former First depots at North Berwick and Musselburgh, and took on many former First staff.[40][41] From 23 April 2017, the two Lothian Country Buses routes were integrated into East Coast Buses.[42]

East Lothian Buses services were initially operated by existing Lothian vehicles. The service was later operated by five Wright Eclipse bodied Volvo B7RLEs and two Plaxton President bodied Dennis Trident 2s. The East Lothian Buses/Lothian Country Buses livery was a version of the standard Lothian design featuring sweeping curved lines in bright green and cream, similar to the livery of the former Scottish Motor Traction/Eastern Scottish buses.[43] East Coast Buses then used a version of the fleet of the future livery, the angular Lothian design, in green and grey (though the ECB green is slightly bluer than that formerly used by LCB).

In November 2021, Lothian Buses announced a new joint livery for subsidiaries Lothian Country and East Coast Buses. They were similar liveries with the only differences being the vinyls (logos) being put on the buses to signify which company was operating the service. As of June 2023, the repainting process of Lothian Country vehicles is finished whilst East Coast Buses is still waiting to be finished, although majority of the fleet is now repainted.

A Lothian Country Volvo B9TL with Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 bodywork in June 2022

In June 2017, a new subsidiary named Lothian Country commenced operating route 43 to South Queensferry after the previous operator Stagecoach East Scotland deemed the service not economically viable.[44][45][46] This new operation re-used the recently defunct Lothian Country Buses brand, for unrelated services travelling the opposite direction out of the city.

On 19 August 2018, three new routes to West Lothian commenced creating new links between Edinburgh and Bathgate, and Edinburgh Park station and Whitburn.[47][48] On 29 September 2018, services 280 and 287 were launched linking Livingston with Bathgate, Armadale and Blackridge, on 2 December 2018, Lothian Country introduced the X18 another express route from Edinburgh to Armadale via Broxburn and Bathgate and the Night service N28 replicating the X27 route as far as Deans South, on 31 March 2019 service 281 was launched linking Loganlea and West Calder with Deans North which was later withdrawn the same year, on 13 May 2019 service X17 was launched connecting Edinburgh City Centre with Fauldhouse, Loganlea and West Calder and on 17 November 2019 service X38 was launched connecting Edinburgh to Linlithgow rivalling First Scotland East's service with the same number.

Service 287 was withdrawn and replaced with an extension of the 275 to Bathgate running the same route, with the X27 replacing the 275 between Livingston and Whitburn. The X18 was extended from Armadale to Whitburn in March 2019, the X17 was renumbered the 276 and cut from the City Centre running as far as Broxburn on the east but was extended to Bathgate connecting West Calder and Loganlea with Bathgate, however the Fauldhouse section was withdrawn. The 281 which was withdrawn late 2019 was brought back a year later running between Livingston and Fauldhouse, running the same route as the 280 as far as Bathgate and then replicating First Scotland East's 26 service to Fauldhouse. The X38/EX2 was temporarily suspended in March 2020 and later withdrawn leaving both Kirkliston and Linlithgow out of the Lothian network. Service 281 was withdrawn in November 2021, service 275 was withdrawn in June 2022 with service 276 replacing it in Pumpherston, Ladywell, St. John's Hospital and Wester Inch. In November 2022 services 276 & 280 was withdrawn and service X27 was changed to run its original route to Bathgate. In May 2023 a new N18 night service was introduced, with one journey per night between Edinburgh and Bathgate via Broxburn, and with an additional journey per night on weekends.[49]

MacTours open-top AEC Routemaster in August 2010

Lothian Buses have operated city tours using white liveried coaches. Later, Leyland Atlanteans were employed in this same livery, with blinds for City Tour. These wore an updated version of the white livery with blue detailing after a short period. An Edinburgh Classic Tour was set up in 1989 using open top Leyland Atlanteans, and later Leyland Olympians, which competed with Guide Friday.[50] This was as a result of Guide Friday introducing competition on the city centre to Airport route. The buses wore a blue and white livery, each carrying a name e.g. Scottish Star, Lothian Star and Highland Star. Lothian Buses also operated open top tours in Oxford (in conjunction with local operator Tappins) and Cambridge under the Classic Tour identity.

From 2002 to 2016, a sightseeing operation named MacTours operated across Edinburgh between March and October, using a fleet of 12 AEC Routemaster buses painted in a dark red and cream livery. These were withdrawn in November 2016 due to changing environmental standards and disabled access requirements.[51][52]

On 2 April 2022, Edinburgh Bus Tours launched Cobbles' Tour, named after the Edinburgh Tour's Scottish Terrier mascot 'Cobbles'.[53] The service, which operates using five Volvo B5TL Wright Gemini 3s cascaded from the other open-top operations, serves the Grassmarket, Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Mile at a fifteen-minute frequency.[54][55] This tour did not return in 2023, with buses being moved onto City Sightseeing and Edinburgh Tour tours allowing for summer frequency increases.

An Edinburgh Tour Volvo B5TL with Wright Gemini 3 open-top bodywork on The Mound

Today's open-top services are operated by Edinburgh Bus Tours under four distinct brands: City Sightseeing, the Edinburgh Tour, the Majestic Tour and the 3 Bridges Tour. The City Sightseeing tour is operated as a franchise of the City Sightseeing brand.[56]

City Sightseeing and the Edinburgh Tour visit the Old Town, New Town, Calton Hill, Holyrood Palace and Edinburgh Castle, albeit on slightly differing routes. The Majestic Tour operates a long loop from Holyrood and New Town, via the Royal Botanic Garden, to the coast at Ocean Terminal, the site of the former Royal Yacht Britannia. The 3 Bridges Tour operates from the city centre to the Firth of Forth via Blackness Castle and the village of Limekilns, connecting for the Three Bridges Cruise operated by Forth Boat Tours.[56]

All sightseeing services are operated with 30 purpose-built Wright Gemini 3 bodied Volvo B5TL open top buses, which replaced Plaxton President bodied Dennis Tridents in 2016. For the City Sightseeing tours, the livery is red, for Edinburgh Tours the livery is yellow and green, and Majestic Tours use yellow and blue coloured vehicles.[57]

Between 4 August and 26 August 2018, Edinburgh Bus Tours operated the '20 Days Of Summer' bus tour, serving destinations around Edinburgh such as the Braid Hills, Colinton, Fettes College, the Ocean Terminal and Portobello using a fleet of refurbished former Mac Tours AEC Routemasters.[58]

Lothian Motorcoaches Plaxton Panther bodied Volvo B11R in June 2023

In June 2018, Lothian returned to the coach charter market after a 19-year absence through a new subsidiary named Lothian Motorcoaches that commenced with five Plaxton Panther bodied Volvo B11Rs and three-second-hand Van Hool bodied Volvo B12MTs.[59][60][61] A new depot is being built for Lothian Country and Lothian Motorcoaches in the Newbridge area. The design of the livery used by Lothian Motorcoaches is not related to the other brands of the group, being entirely dark grey with silver lettering.

Lothian Buses also operates a nightbus network. Ridership increased when the routes were re-numbered and re-routed to match daytime routes and increased in frequency. The operation of night buses provides a continuous 24-hour bus service to some areas of the city.[62] This ticket allows for unlimited travel all night on any night bus.[63] From 5 November 2016, East Coast Buses introduced its own nightbus service under the NightHawk brand, to North Berwick and Dunbar.[64][65] In December 2018, Lothian Country introduced the Nightbus N28 to Livingston.

A now withdrawn Leyland Olympian in traditional madder and white livery on Princes Street in 2006

Route branding been used by Lothian since the introduction of low floor vehicles, although many liveries have now been phased out in favour of more uniform branding.

In 2010, the Harlequin livery used to identify low floor buses began to be phased out due to the company achieving full low-floor operation, with the company returning to their traditional madder and white livery.[89][90]

In July 2011, Lothian Buses introduced 60 new double deck buses. These buses continued with the same madder red and white pattern on the outside of the bus but Lothian Buses changed the seats to a matching madder red colour.[89] They also changed the entrance to the bus to a more wooden effect. Routes 4, 5, 19, 23 and 27 were the first buses to receive this branding.

Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 bodied Volvo B9TL wearing former 26 Connect branding in 2009

Rear of a Wright Gemini 3 wearing 'Chameleon Bus' branding for the Edinburgh Zoo in 2018

These brands were:

• Penicuik City Link (37, 47 and X47) between Edinburgh and Penicuik.
• Playing cards theme
  • Club Class – across the City and Midlothian (3/3A), later superseded by "3-Connect" branding.
  • East to West Through the Heart of the City (26)[91]
  • Ace of spades – cutting across the city and Midlothian (31)[92]
• Service with a Sparkle (44) with black uppers and roofline and a yellow diamond symbol. This was superseded by a new branding, "The Mill Race"[93]
  • The Best Deal (29), later The Stock Brig
  • Leader of the Pack (49), later The Queen of Scots
• Connect branding[94]
  • 26 Connect: Clerwood, City Centre, Seton Sands / Tranent (This supersedes the earlier playing card theme.)
  • 22 Connect: Gyle + Edinburgh Park, City Centre, Ocean Terminal
  • 3 Connect (later replaced by The Lady Victoria branding)
• Zoom to the Zoo advertising (Route 26)[95]

Five variations exist, on two vehicles each:

• • Glide to the Antarctic – Penguins
  • Trek to China – Pandas
  • Hop to the Amazon – Frogs
  • Cha Cha to Chile – Flamingos
  • Swing into Africa – Chimpanzees

In 2017, Lothian Buses' partnership with the Edinburgh Zoo was renewed, which saw 30 new buses receive livery designs featuring animals from the zoo including otters, penguins, koalas, red pandas and tigers. Colloquially known as "zoo buses", some of the animal designs appearing on these buses were decided by vote.[96][97] A giraffe print design was added to the fleet in 2021 following the opening of the zoo's giraffe house.[98]

Many vehicles previously used by Lothian Buses and its predecessors have been preserved (or are awaiting preservation) by various groups and societies. Several of the vehicles regularly appear at events, rallies and running days around Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom.[99][100]