Two words I dread: “designated driver”. It’s always struck me as a particular obstacle to road-tripping in Scotland, where whisky distilleries make such appealing pit stops. Hop aboard a bus, however, and everybody can indulge in a dram or two.
That is how a few friends and I found ourselves borne merrily through the Spey Valley this summer on Stagecoach’s number 36 between Dufftown and Elgin, glimpsing heather-cloaked hills, herds of grazing Highland coos, and fishermen wading into the river to cast for salmon. The route takes in Glenfiddich, The Balvenie, Glen Moray, Speyburn and Craigellachie – names familiar to any self-respecting Scotch fan. Knowing we’d opted for the lower-carbon choice also left us with a self-satisfied glow (or perhaps that was the whisky).
Now the Scottish Government is giving visitors another incentive to ditch the hire car: a pilot capping single bus fares at £2. The cut-price fare scheme was introduced in stages across the Highlands and Islands earlier this year, before expanding to the Strathclyde region in September. It now covers participating services across a vast sweep of Scotland, from Shetland and Skye to South Ayrshire and Glasgow, with a nationwide scheme planned.
In some places, the savings are startling: a single Stagecoach journey from Inverness to Scrabster (178km), for example, would normally cost £31. And these are hardly mundane commuter runs. Rural routes thread past castles and sea lochs, stone circles and Atlantic-lashed sand dunes, often on some of Britain's most scenic roads. All for less than a takeaway coffee.
Admittedly, exploring Scotland by bus requires more forethought than tossing car keys in your pocket. Timetables are often limited, with no Sunday service on several routes. Still, I’m more than happy to skip the stress of navigation and negotiating roads beset with blind turns and the occasional kamikaze sheep, not to mention expensive parking. In honeypot destinations such as Skye and along the North Coast 500, opting for public transport can do locals a favour, too, by easing peak-season traffic congestion.
Here are the bus journeys it’s worth bagging a window seat on.
1. Fort William to Mallaig: the Hogwarts Express dupe
Route: Shiel Buses 500
From: Fort William bus station
To: Mallaig, Kingsway
Distance: approximately 69km
Glenfinnan Viaduct is instantly recognisable from the Harry Potter movies. Crossing it aboard the steam train is the closest you can get to living out Hogwarts Express fantasies, but a return ticket will cost £76.
The 500 bus, on the other hand, offers views of those iconic arches for a fraction of the cost. For a more lingering look, hop off at the Glenfinnan Visitor Centre, where you can also climb the 60ft Jacobite monument and gaze over Loch Shiel. Later, the road skirts the west coast, putting the Silver Sands of Morar within walking distance (alight at Morar). At journey’s end in Mallaig, takeaway fish and chips on the harbour or fresh shellfish platters at Crab & Creel are a welcome reward.
Where to stay
The Alexandra Hotel is only a few steps from Fort William’s High Street bus stop.
In Mallaig, many of the rooms at the family-run West Highland Hotel come with harbour views.
2. Stornoway's west side circular: standing stones and Scandi connections
Route: W2 West Side Circular
From/to: Stornoway Bus Station
Distance: 128km
Time Team fans, assemble: this leisurely loop around the Isle of Lewis’ west coast calls at the 5,000-year-old Callanish Standing Stones. Predating even Stonehenge, this complex of towering gneiss slabs was used for Neolithic rituals and still sends shivers down the spine. The history lesson continues as the bus calls at Dun Carloway Broch, a well-preserved Iron Age stone fortress.
Evidently the island’s defences didn’t always prove impenetrable, though: the legacy of Viking invaders can be seen at Shawbost Norse Mill and Kiln, a pair of reconstructed, heather-thatched buildings used to grind ancient grains, and in Stornoway’s Museum nan Eilean, where walrus ivory carvings of Norse warriors and berserkers – known as the Lewis Chessmen – are on display.
Where to stay
With Stornoway Marina on its doorstep and Lews Castle as a neighbour, the Royal Hotel is in a prime location, while a smart seafood restaurant and bustling cafe-bar await downstairs.
3. Across Islay: the single malt express
Route: Islay Coaches 451
From: Port Ellen
To: Port Askaig, via Bowmore
Distance: 33km
At last count, Islay was home to 10 active whisky distilleries – not bad for an island of just 51km across – producing famously peat-heavy styles of single malt. Granted, you don’t necessarily need wheels to reach Port Ellen’s triumvirate of Laphroaig, Lagavulin and Ardbeg, since they’re linked by the 35.6-km-long Three Distilleries Path, but less mobile visitors (or those wanting to avoid harsh Hebridean weather) can catch the 451 between them. The service then rolls northwards to Bowmore, where the village’s historic distillery is flanked by Loch Indaal, and onto Port Askaig, putting Caol Ila within a (rather steep) 30-minute walk. Still thirsty? A five-minute ferry will whisk you across to the Isle of Jura and – via the number 456 bus – its eponymous distillery.
Where to stay
No. 1 Charlotte Street is a traditional, white-fronted B&B and bar on Port Ellen’s harbourfront.
At the other end of the island, the family-run Port Askaig Hotel occupies an old drovers’ inn.
4. Ayr to Largs: the ‘Ayrshire Riviera’
Route: Stagecoach 585
From: Ayr Bus Station
To: Largs
Distance: 64km
Ready to swap the Côte d’Azur for the ‘Ayrshire Riviera’? Stagecoach’s coastline-hugging 585 service stops at a succession of seaside towns – Prestwick, Irvine, Saltcoats and Ardrossan – and gives front-row vistas over the Firth of Clyde. On clear days the craggy island silhouettes of Arran and Ailsa are visible. The last place the bus calls is Largs, scene of a major 13th-century clash between the Scots and Norwegians. Today, the town offers more peaceful pursuits, including the world's last sea-going paddle steamer, a family-friendly pier, and the much-loved Art Deco ice cream parlour, Nardini’s Cafe.
Where to stay
Dashes of tartan and bright yellow decor add character to the smart, modern bedrooms at Mercure Ayr Hotel, while the in-house gym and swimming pool may appeal after all that sitting down on the bus.
In Largs, Brisbane House brings the Riviera vibes with its palm-lined terrace.
5. Fort William to Kinlochleven: the gateway to Glencoe
Route: Shiel Buses Route 44
From: Fort William Bus Station
To: Kinlochleven High School
Distance: 35km
Fancy following in the tracks of Daniel Craig’s James Bond, but lack the budget for an Aston Martin DB5? Shiel Buses’ 44 also heads towards Glencoe, the brooding Highlands backdrop for some of Skyfall’s most memorable Scottish scenes. Sure, this particular set of wheels isn’t quite as glamorous as 007’s, and the route isn’t precisely the same, but the views remain suitably cinematic. After crossing the magnificent Ballachulish Bridge at the mouth of Loch Leven, the peaks start to rise steeply above the still waters. Turning east at Glencoe Crossroads, the journey climaxes with a twisting run alongside the tidal loch and the natural mountainous amphitheatre of Kinlochleven.
Where to stay
In Kinlochleven, Tailrace Inn is a friendly village pub with six comfy bedrooms, cradled by the Mamore mountains. Or see above for a place to stay in Fort William.
6. Portree to Dunvegan and Glendale: a more sustainable Skye
Route: Stagecoach 56
From: Somerled Square, Portree
To: Dunvegan/Glendale and Milovaig
Distance: 56 - 72km
Rather than bringing yet another campervan to the Insta-famous Isle of Skye, consider taking the bus – you’ll spare yourself a lot of reversing and stressful manoeuvring along its single-track roads. Stagecoach’s 56 route opens up the island’s quieter northwest side. Leaving behind the colourful island capital of Portree, there’s a stop right by the popular Fairy Bridge before the peat moorlands and dramatic sea cliffs of the Duirinish peninsula unfold. Alight at Lonmore or Glendale to pick up hiking trails into the twin peaks of the MacLeod’s Tables or continue all the way to the marine-watching haven of Milovaig.
Look out for wild otters hunting in the rockpools off Meanish Pier or seals basking on the skerries, while dolphins, Minke Whales and even orcas sometimes pass thrillingly close to the shore.
Where to stay
You could hardly sleep closer to the starting point than The Portree Hotel – standing on the corner of Somerled Square, this Victorian Scots structure has hosted guests since 1875.
In Dunvegan, eight-room Atholl House occupies the village’s characterful former manse.
7. Inverness to Scrabster: castles and cliff paths in the far north
Route: Stagecoach X99
From: Inverness Bus Station
To: Scrabster Ferry Terminal
Distance: 177km
For sheer value, the X99 is hard to beat – a 177km epic that sweeps north from Inverness to the brooding peatlands of Caithness, then onto the Atlantic-lashed coastal towns of Thurso and Scrabster. One must-see along the way is Dunrobin Castle, the turreted ancestral seat of the Dukes of Sutherland and a dead ringer for a Loire Valley chateau (the bus stop’s just a five-minute walk from the estate). Whaligoe is also a worthy stop, where some 300 flagstone steps descend dramatically between cliffs to a former fishing harbour.
Where to stay
Put some of the money you’ve saved on transport towards a spoiling stay at Ness Walk Hotel, occupying a peaceful riverside spot 20 minutes from Inverness Bus Station.
Thurso’s brand new, nine-room bolthole, The View from Bide Hotels, lives up to its name with sweeping vistas towards the Pentland Firth and Orkney.
8. Glasgow to Balloch: from shipyards to loch shores
Route: First Bus 1E
From: Glasgow city centre
To: Balloch Bus Stance
Distance: 32km
Scotland’s largest city and largest loch are linked up by the new bargain bus fare. The first leg of the 1E weaves through Glasgow’s former shipbuilding heartlands, where the 150ft Titan Crane towers above converted warehouses. Soon, though, the urban sprawl gives way to the green slopes of the Kilpatrick Hills and Vale of Leven.
The grand finale comes at Balloch, gateway to Loch Lomond. Its bonny banks lie a short stroll from the bus terminus. Then it’s time to trade four wheels for sightseeing cruises across this picturesque expanse of water. Alternatively, landlubbers can explore the woodland trails of Balloch Castle Country Park.
Where to stay
Less than 10 minutes’ walk from Glasgow’s Buchanan Bus Station, maximalist bolthole House of Gods is a far cry from the usual city-centre chain.
Quainter quarters await at Balloch House, an 18th-century, wood-beamed pub with country-chic rooms and log fireplaces.
How to do it
The £2 cap applies to single adult and child fares on participating operators. Changing buses means buying a new ticket for each leg. For full details, see Transport Scotland.
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