Can you travel from Lands End to John O Groats entirely on bus vehicles (not coach vehicles)?

[backontrack]

Think thats the only way . Going via Fort William would involve coaches

I can't find a way of bridging the gap between Keith and Huntly.

 

[backontrack]

Hold on...

Perth - Blairgowrie - Dundee - Forfar - Montrose - Laurencekirk - Stonehaven - Aberdeen - ferry to Hatston - Stromness - ferry to Scrabster - Thurso - John o' Groats

 

[backontrack]

Apologies for the triple post, very remiss of me.

The 302 from Helensburgh to Carrick Castle is run by Optare Solos. So is the 484 from Carrick Castle to Dunoon. The 486 from Dunoon to Inveraray is also operated by bus stock. That gets us to Inveraray...

 

[MedwayValiant]

Why stop so far south as John o' Groats?

Having got to Aberdeen, you might as well go to Lerwick and then across the three major Shetland islands to Saxa Vord. P & T Coaches (Baltasound) go there three times a day from the Unst Ferry Terminal at Belmont, although the evening service only runs if booked.

 

[backontrack]

Why stop so far south as John o' Groats?

Having got to Aberdeen, you might as well go to Lerwick and then across the three major Shetland islands to Saxa Vord. P & T Coaches (Baltasound) go there three times a day from the Unst Ferry Terminal at Belmont, although the evening service only runs if booked.

Brakefield Crescent is the stop you'd want I believe.

 

[route101]

Apologies for the triple post, very remiss of me.

The 302 from Helensburgh to Carrick Castle is run by Optare Solos. So is the 484 from Carrick Castle to Dunoon. The 486 from Dunoon to Inveraray is also operated by bus stock. That gets us to Inveraray...

Any local buses going from there north to Oban ? Was a coach last time i went that way .

 

[route101]

Why stop so far south as John o' Groats?

Having got to Aberdeen, you might as well go to Lerwick and then across the three major Shetland islands to Saxa Vord. P & T Coaches (Baltasound) go there three times a day from the Unst Ferry Terminal at Belmont, although the evening service only runs if booked.

Then your off the mainland haha

 

[overthewater]

I bet back in the days it would have been Y types and PS Types doing all the heavy work. They hasn't been a good single decker in years for such work.

 

[GusB]

From Keith, you can go to Dufftown, then Tomintoul, then Grantown-on-Spey, then you can get the 34X to Inverness.

I wouldn't rely on the 34X being a bus - most times I've seen it, and on the few occasions I've used it to get to Raigmore, it has been a coach.

 

[Jordan Adam]

It can be done using registered bus services, however if you were to ban coaches all together it wouldn't work.

As far as Dundee there's far too many options to list. But from there you could do the following...

• 39/39A (E300) or 73/73A (B5LH) Dundee to Arbroath
• 30 (E300) Arbroath to Montrose
• 107 (Solo) Montrose to Stonehaven
• X6/7/7A/7B (E300 or Trident) Stonehaven to Aberdeen
• 54/54A/X54 (E300) Aberdeen to Ellon
• 51 (Solo) Ellon to New Pitsligo
• 271/272 (E400) New Pitsligo to Banff
• 405 (Solo) Banff to Cullen
• 351 (Solo) Cullen to Keith
• 353 or 362 (Solo) Keith to Dufftown
• 36 (E200) Dufftown to Elgin
• 10 (E200MMC) Elgin to Inverness (Hourly short workings only)

Due to the timetabling on many of services listed above it would probably take you a few days to go from Aberdeen to Inverness, however technically it is possible. Bus types may also slightly vary, however those listed are the "booked" and most common types.

@backontrack my earlier post in this thread (see quote above) details the best route from Dundee to Inverness. And the only possible one between Aberdeen and Inverness.

Note though as has been said earlier in the thread the trip overall is not possible as no buses operate from Inverness to Caithness. All services from Inverness to the North are operated by either full size coaches or Ford Transits (which are not buses).

Most of the time the 34X is a coach, the other day even a Manual N reg B10M was on it!

I bet back in the days it would have been Y types and PS Types doing all the heavy work. They hasn't been a good single decker in years for such work.

The Solo's Stagecoach up here have are bloody darn good on rural runs, however they're not full size.

Most of the former T Type or PS Type rural routes are operated by Solos, Plaxton Profiles or Trident/E400s.

 

[backontrack]

I think you can get to Ullapool.

 

[Jordan Adam]

I think you can get to Ullapool.

Only coach operated routes go to Ullapool and even then it's at about the same latitude as Tain.

Lairg is the furthest north you can go, although it's hit and miss regarding vehicle type.

 

[route101]

@backontrack my earlier post in this thread (see quote above) details the best route from Dundee to Inverness. And the only possible one between Aberdeen and Inverness.

Note though as has been said earlier in the thread the trip overall is not possible as no buses operate from Inverness to Caithness. All services from Inverness to the North are operated by either full size coaches or Ford Transits (which are not buses).

Most of the time the 34X is a coach, the other day even a Manual N reg B10M was on it!



The Solo's Stagecoach up here have are bloody darn good on rural runs, however they're not full size.

Most of the former T Type or PS Type rural routes are operated by Solos, Plaxton Profiles or Trident/E400s.

N reg coach ? Suprised its not on private or NI plates . Why have stagecoach got that?

 

[Jordan Adam]

N reg coach ? Suprised its not on private or NI plates . Why have stagecoach got that?

It's one of the vehicles acquired recently from D&E. Stagecoach North Scotland have a horrendous vehicle shortage right now, hence why t made it out in service. Another N reg B10M this time bodied by Vanhool has been used up in Tain, even seeing service on some local runs!

The vehicles in question are N347WPT (52326) & N224HWX (52327). To make matters worse neither have destination displays fitted.

 

[route101]

It's one of the vehicles acquired recently from D&E. Stagecoach North Scotland have a horrendous vehicle shortage right now, hence why t made it out in service. Another N reg B10M this time bodied by Vanhool has been used up in Tain, even seeing service on some local runs!

The vehicles in question are N347WPT (52326) & N224HWX (52327). To make matters worse neither have destination displays fitted.

I see , rare to see a normal reg on them coaches .Always have NI or Private regs , cheers

 

[Jordan Adam]

I see , rare to see a normal reg on them coaches .Always have NI or Private regs , cheers

P569MSX was still in service until last June too. S901CCD is still in use! The B10M type really is pushing time now.

 

[Ayman Ilham]

What problem do you have with coach vehicles exactly? They're much more comfortable and have better ride quality in general, especially on long cross-country runs like this!

 

[Cowley]

What problem do you have with coach vehicles exactly? They're much more comfortable and have better ride quality in general, especially on long cross-country runs like this!

I don't think he had a problem with coaches.
It was more of a theoretical question I believe (I'm willing to be corrected if I'm wrong about that).

 

[Ayman Ilham]

I don't think he had a problem with coaches.
It was more of a theoretical question I believe (I'm willing to be corrected if I'm wrong about that).

Fair enough, makes this more of a challenge I suppose

 

[swt class 450]

Yes it is mainly just a theoretical thread to see how far you can get only using actual bus vehicles.

 

[route101]

P569MSX was still in service until last June too. S901CCD is still in use! The B10M type really is pushing time now.

Whats the S reg? A panther ?

There was R reg stagecoach at Blochairn for god whle , remember getting it on the 900

 

[route101]

I don't think he had a problem with coaches.
It was more of a theoretical question I believe (I'm willing to be corrected if I'm wrong about that).

If the bus service is not an express as such , not the stagecoach , citylink express then it counts

 

[GusB]

Historically, and particularly in Scotland, many of the longer distance bus services (not necessarily classed as express services) were run with actual coaches (eg Duple Dominant/Plaxton Supreme). Back in the Old Days, many companies would keep a fairly smart coach fleet for private hire and long-distance holiday expresses, but for times when there was no such work they had to be suitable enough to use on day-to-day stage carriage work (and in order to qualify for the bus grant).

The Alexander T-type was a useful dual-purpose vehicle in this respect, and was later developed into the TC, TE and TS versions. The Y-type had two main variants - the AY and AYS, distinguishable by their window arrangements. The former was usually fitted with coach-type seats and the latter with bus seats, but in practice there could be a bit of a mix-and-match. In early Citylink days some of the coaches for that purpose were fitted with recliners, with their original seating being transferred into what were "bus" shell Y-types.

Essentially the line between what was a bus and what was a coach was always a bit blurred, although the distinction became a bit clearer as low-floor buses became more widespread.

 

[Deerfold]

If the bus service is not an express as such , not the stagecoach , citylink express then it counts

That doesn't seem to be what the OP said.

Yes it is mainly just a theoretical thread to see how far you can get only using actual bus vehicles.

 

[SouthEastBuses]

It can be done using registered bus services, however if you were to ban coaches all together it wouldn't work

As far as Dundee there's far too many options to list. But from there you could do the following...

• 39/39A (E300) or 73/73A (B5LH) Dundee to Arbroath
• 30 (E300) Arbroath to Montrose
• 107 (Solo) Montrose to Stonehaven
• X6/7/7A/7B (E300 or Trident) Stonehaven to Aberdeen
• 54/54A/X54 (E300) Aberdeen to Ellon
• 51 (Solo) Ellon to New Pitsligo
• 271/272 (E400) New Pitsligo to Banff
• 405 (Solo) Banff to Cullen
• 351 (Solo) Cullen to Keith
• 353 or 362 (Solo) Keith to Dufftown
• 36 (E200) Dufftown to Elgin
• 10 (E200MMC) Elgin to Inverness (Hourly short workings only)

Due to the timetabling on many of services listed above it would probably take you a few days to go from Aberdeen to Inverness, however technically it is possible. Bus types may also slightly vary, however those listed as the "booked" and most common types.

The 66 & 81S both typically use a coach (Plaxton Profile or Panther).

Part of the reason for the higher use of coaches (Particularly in Northern Scotland) is the tougher geographical conditions, many routes are just far too demanding and/or long for a bus. Another reason is because many public services interwork or double as school services, for these a single decker is too low capacity, while a decker would be unsuitable.

There is a quicker option: from Aberdeen, you can get the 35 to Elgin. Allocated with ADL Enviro400 MMCs

Also, north of Inverness, there are buses on local services, just not as common as coaches. For example, there is the 80 and 82 in Thurso which can often get ADL Enviro300s, an example being 27796 (SV12 CZF).

So, going from Lands End to John O Groats on bus vehicles is possible, but it would be an issue between Lairg and Wick. No problem up to Lairg and after Wick. From Wick, you can get the 81 or 82 (once again, often run with ADL Enviro300s) to Thurso, then the 80 to John O'Groats (once again also run with ADL Enviro300s).

 

[Statto]

A few years ago someone here reported how much of the journey from Lands End to John O'Groats could be done on just First and Stagecoach buses!

That's certainly doable Chester-John O'Groats entirely on Stagecoach.
1/X1 Chester-Liverpool
X2 Liverpool-Preston
40/41 Preston-Lancaster
555 Lancaster-Keswick
554 Keswick-Carlisle, or when there's no 554 due for a few hours
X4/X5 Keswick-Penrith
104 Penrith-Carlisle
79 Carlisle-Dumfries
Now from Dumfries you can go a couple of ways
X74 Dumfries-Glasgow
X26 Glasgow-Dundee
Or
101/102 Dumfries-Edinburgh
X58 Edinburgh-Dundee
then
X7 Dundee-Aberdeen
10 Aberdeen-Inverness
X98/X99 Inverness-Wick
77 Wick-John O'Groats
Or stay on X98/X99 to Thurso then get the 80 to John O'Groats


There's a couple gaps with First, Stafford-Birmingham, & Worcester-Bristol, plus Chester-Crewe which is Arriva

 

[Jordan Adam]

There is a quicker option: from Aberdeen, you can get the 35 to Elgin. Allocated with ADL Enviro400 MMCs

Also, north of Inverness, there are buses on local services, just not as common as coaches. For example, there is the 80 and 82 in Thurso which can often get ADL Enviro300s, an example being 27796 (SV12 CZF).

So, going from Lands End to John O Groats on bus vehicles is possible, but it would be an issue between Lairg and Wick. No problem up to Lairg and after Wick. From Wick, you can get the 81 or 82 (once again, often run with ADL Enviro300s) to Thurso, then the 80 to John O'Groats (once again also run with ADL Enviro300s).

However at the time of posting (almost a year ago) the 35 was still being operated by Panthers and the new E400MMCs hadn't been confirmed.

You'd still get stuck at Tain because the 62/X98/X99 are all booked to be operated by coaches and both Lairg Service (62 & 66) are operated by coaches. Furthermore while there are buses in Caithness there's only 4 (3 E300s & 1 Solo), on the likes of the 81 and 82 you're far more likely to end up with a Plaxton Panther.

 

[SouthEastBuses]

However at the time of posting (almost a year ago) the 35 was still being operated by Panthers and the new E400MMCs hadn't been confirmed.

You'd still get stuck at Tain because the 62/X98/X99 are all booked to be operated by coaches and both Lairg Service (62 & 66) are operated by coaches. Furthermore while there are buses in Caithness there's only 4 (3 E300s & 1 Solo), on the likes of the 81 and 82 you're far more likely to end up with a Plaxton Panther.

I've seen some photos on the internet of ADL Enviro300s operating on the X98/X99, and these have sometimes appeared on the bustimes.org tracker. So, although very rare, it could indeed be possible to do Lands End to John O Groats entirely on buses. That of course depends if you're lucky to get them on the 62, 66, X98/X99 and 81S.

 

[Jordan Adam]

I've seen some photos on the internet of ADL Enviro300s operating on the X98/X99, and these have sometimes appeared on the bustimes.org tracker. So, although very rare, it could indeed be possible to do Lands End to John O Groats entirely on buses. That of course depends if you're lucky to get them on the 62, 66, X98/X99 and 81S.

E300s tend to only be on the short workings (Inverness - Tain etc), while it's not unknown for them to do a full length run it is uncommon and only done as a last resort if there's no other vehicle. The 62 and particularly the 66 are strictly coaches only, 53624 being the allocated vehicle for the latter.

 

[goldisgood]

That's certainly doable Chester-John O'Groats entirely on Stagecoach.
1/X1 Chester-Liverpool
X2 Liverpool-Preston
40/41 Preston-Lancaster
555 Lancaster-Keswick
554 Keswick-Carlisle, or when there's no 554 due for a few hours
X4/X5 Keswick-Penrith
104 Penrith-Carlisle
79 Carlisle-Dumfries
Now from Dumfries you can go a couple of ways
X74 Dumfries-Glasgow
X26 Glasgow-Dundee
Or
101/102 Dumfries-Edinburgh
X58 Edinburgh-Dundee
then
X7 Dundee-Aberdeen
10 Aberdeen-Inverness
X98/X99 Inverness-Wick
77 Wick-John O'Groats
Or stay on X98/X99 to Thurso then get the 80 to John O'Groats


There's a couple gaps with First, Stafford-Birmingham, & Worcester-Bristol, plus Chester-Crewe which is Arriva

You can also get Saltash-Coventry by Stagecoach
2/2A Saltash-Plymouth
FALCON Plymouth - Bristol
62 Bristol - Dursley
61 Dursley - Stroud
52 Stroud - Cirencester
51 Cirencester - Swindon
S6 Swindon - Oxford
S4 Oxford - Banbury
200 Banbury - Daventry
D1/D2 Daventry - Rugby
86 Rugby - Coventry

If you count Megabus as Stagecoach, then you can do Coventry-Liverpool and link up to get Saltash to John O'Groats by Stagecoach only, which is pretty impressive!