Edinburgh Travel Forum

Hi,

I've been to Edinburgh lots of times but this time I have most of a day (in March) and want to do something different.

Are there any local buses to places like Crail or Callender or a nice scenic place to which I can take a bus, explore, and then return to Edinbugh at about 5 p.m. the same day?

Thanks very much.

www.lothianbuses.com

I don't know the places that you mention but you could take a bus to Linlithgow to explore the ruin of the palace where Mary Queen of Scots was born. With a scenic park and a loch, it's a lovely place for a picnic and not too far away.
Another possibility is Stirling with its castle and the view it commands. I took the bus there too but going by train would be much faster. I also loved the picturesque Duddingston Village, which is much closer, still within Edinburgh, so you don't need a whole day for it.

Thank you for your replies. I was looking for buses that go toward the Trossachs or along the coast of Fife. From maps, it looks as if it should be possible, but I haven't found anything yet. Maybe you need to take a train to Kirkaldy and a bus from there.

Apparently I CAN get to both Crail and Callander, but not without some hassle. Traveline Svotland gives very good info. To get to Caril you have to take a train to Leuchars, get on a bus to St. Andrews, then get another bus to Crail. Plus walking between stations and bus stops. To get to Callander, you take a train to Dunblane plus two more buses.

I decided to go to Dunblane (has an interesting write-up in Undiscovered Scotland) and if I get bored there I can take bus to Stirling and explore there, too.

Thanks again.

That's interesting. I might actually do the trip myself if I am in the area. You'd better check the timetables for those buses though or you may spend hours waiting at the bus stops. If you do go to Sterling, you should see not only the castle and the great view from it but also explore the town and its surroundings and go to the Wallace Monument. I think there are buses going there from the train station but I didn't see any in November.

The site I mentioned (Traveline) is wonderful in giving all the p[tions, including times of bus connections, etc. I'm glad I persisted, and now I have ideas for future days out too.

Hope you enjoy your jaunt.

Looks like you've got yourself organised, but speaking as a local (in Fife) I think you've been offered a VERY scenic route to Crail.

From Kirkcaldy there will be a regular bus service to Crail with Stagecoach Fife. Not fast, but then going by car isn't fast either! The bus station is 200m from the railway station, but many buses stop outside the railway station.

I'm sure there will be a service from Edinburgh to Crail, but that would be slower than train & bus.

Bus services were "deregulated" here in the Thatcher years, which meant they became fragmented and difficult to access. I had great difficulty finding the times of the service which goes past the end of the street. Eventually I just stood and watched to see what time the bus passes.

Enjoy Dunblane...

Thanks very much. I'll definitely keep the Crail trip for a future date, and I actually do want the scenic route, not really the fastest. Of course I don't particularly want the slow boat to China, either, but the 2 hour trip they quoted seemed just right. I printed out the directions and when I do take the trip I'll check for the up-to-date times, etc.

Thank you again to all who replied.

the 'first bus' company have a service which visits all the scenic spots along the east neuk.well most of them. definately stops in Anstruther. Wouldnt miss out on a visit to this area. All depends on the time factor

If it were me I would rent a car from 121car and pay the 20 quid for the day and dive straight up into glen coe and back... stunning.

Thanks, but I did that a while ago. This time I'm trying to keep to public transportation and not even stay overnight. Some time in the future I'll be driving to Skye and maybe Applecross, though. But for now I'm sticking to the environs of Edinburgh.

St Andrews is nice, try looking at Scottish Citylink bus company.