Hill Country Bus Services
Being a frequent user of public transport, it should come as no surprise that I also use it to get out for walks in wonderful countryside. That has meant that the subject has merited a mention on this blog from time. However, there is always the potential for wandering off topic so that’s my new public transport blog comes in. Sometimes, things don’t go so well and, rather than sharing them on here like I might have done before, they will be diverted to that other blog so as to make this as more positive place to be and that need for haven from doom and gloom is increased in times like these.
That is not to say that public transport will not merit a mention here at all but the direct relevance to exploring wonderful countryside should be more apparent. In that vein, this listing of rural bus and interurban routes will stay and grow as I encounter and avail of additional bus services as I go. Also, routes come and go while seasons change so I will endeavour to keep up to date what you find on here. Even so, things can get missed so please do let me know if there is anything that has escaped my notice.
If you do not find find the route that you are seeking here, my public transport blog may be able to assist and I have website listings in the main site pages that also may be of interest. Just a pick a country from below to see what’s listed in the main site:
Anyway, here are the routes that I have collected:
4 The Jewel-Hillend
City centre bus services do sometimes terminate at country parks and the regular Edinburgh service is an example. Hillend Country Park is more than an access point for the Pentland Hills since it is also an all-weather ski centre. The proximity of low-sized hills with good lung and leg busting climbs up to their summits is the cause of its inclusion here. The service runs all day so there’s next to no fear of being marooned for the night.
6 Bangor-Mynnydd Llandygai-Bethesda
7 Bangor-Tregarth-Bethesda
66 Bangor-Rachub-Bethesda-Gerlan
76 Bangor-Rachub-Bethesda-Gerlan
S6 Bangor to and from Betws-y-Coed via Bethesda
It may look down at heel in parts and there is a quarry in its vicinity but Bethesda is another good and less than obvious access point for Welsh hills. It is also well connected to nearby Bangor by bus for those arriving by train, even if there is a ten minute trot required to get you from train station to bus station. Of the lot, the S6 is probably best used for accessing the Ogwen Valley and Capel Curig from Bethesda rather than getting to the latter in the first place; it merits a mention only because the operator, Silver Star, are Caernarfon-based and run from there round by Bangor in the morning and back again in the evening. Service 7’s timetable lists all the times for the hourly Sunday service 67 whose frequency is a complete contrast to what’s available during the rest of the week.
10 Western Harbour (Leith)-Bonaly/Torphin
The proximity of the Pentland Hills to Edinburgh mean that a number of Edinburgh’s city centre bus services terminate on their doorstep. Bonaly has its country park only a short hop from this regular route, even when buses don’t call at Bonaly itself, and offers an excellent way into the heart of the hills.
15/15A Tranent-Edinburgh-Penicuik
To some eyes, this might seem a strange candidate for inclusion on a list of bus services taking into hill country and it would be but for its passing the eastern extremity of the Pentland Hills. It’s a daytime service with two buses running every hour but it runs only between St. Andrew’s Square in the centre of Edinburgh and Penicuik on Sundays.
19 Llandudno-Llanrwst
X19 Llandudno-Llangollen
The lower Conwy Valley may not strike you as place from which to enter open hill country but you’d be very wrong. Places like Dolgarrog and Tal-y-Bont are perfect starting points for hikes towards the Carneddau and other hills, once you haul yourself up the steep wooded slopes for the first 200 metres or so of height. Being hourly on Sundays makes the service very valuable and having up to half-hourly frequency on weekdays makes it all the better. Extensions to Betws-y-Coed and Llangollen are infrequent but it’s still good to have them. It calls at Llandudno Junction station so train travellers can used it easily as well.
20/21/22/25 Keighley-Burnley/Burnley-Keighley
When I first caught sight of this service run by Burnley & Pendle, I thought it not to be of much interest. However, I was to realise later that its intersection with the Pennine Way near Ickornshaw (ick-korn-sher as the locals would have you say it) and Cowling more than made it useful. The hourly daytime frequency on weekdays and the two hourly one on Sundays certainly make it a valuable proposition for my Pennine Way project.
44 Fort William-Kinlochleven
Given the fine hill country that surrounds it, Kinlochleven is undeservedly bereft of the attention that is lavished on Fort William. However, if a quieter high calibre hill day is your thing, then there are few better places to go and this service means that you don’t need a car either. The frequency is respectable with it being as good as two-hourly on weekdays and three each way on Sundays. That makes day trips there more workable than some parts of the Scottish Highlands and the views out the bus windows along the way are hard to beat.
49/49B Broadford-Torrin-Elgol-Glasnakillie
There was a time when getting to Elgol by bus wasn’t as clear-cut as it seems to be nowadays. That was a pity because its location on the side of Loch Scavaig makes for wonderful views of the Cuillin hills and Rum, among many other things. It’s good to see that bus times are better for spending a day there, at least on weekdays, because that is such a worthwhile venture. It’s a great starting point for longer walks too.
57A/57C Portree-Trotternish
This is a circular service with the 57A travelling in the anticlockwise direction and the 57C going in the clockwise one. That means that the latter gets you to Uig for the ferries to the Western Isles faster than the former, which is the better choice for exploring the tangled geological wreckage that draws so many to this part of Skye.
58 Macclesfield-Buxton(-Chatsworth)
This one passes right through the heart of the hill country lining the Cheshire-Derbyshire border. The frequency is hourly Monday to Saturday and less frequent on Sundays when two journeys extend to Bakewell and Chatsworth House.
60 Macclesfield-Rainow-New Mills-Disley
64 Macclesfield-Rainow-New Mills-Glossop
Both of these get bundled together because their routes only differ beyond New Mills and it is in getting you to places such as Rainow and Kettleshulme that these really prove their worth when you’re heading in the countryside along the Cheshire-Derbyshire border. Saying that, they are really Monday-Saturday services with the only one on Sunday being more of a means of sending a bus to Macclesfield for the 58 service than anything else.
73 (Barnard Castle to and from) Middleton-in-Teesdale to and from Langdon Beck
The service may be an infrequent one but it remains a useful means for getting into upper Teesdale and aids access to the hill country that stretches between there and Dufton in Cumbria. On Wednesdays, extensions to Barnard Castle are available and a 17:00 service from Langdon Beck runs upon prior request. This is empty countryside so a service like this is invaluable , even if it might be better for it to extend to Alston and other such places as well.
75/76 Barnard Castle to and from Middleton-in-Teesdale
95/96 Darlington to and from Barnard Castle
I have lumped these together for a number of reasons, the first of which being that they land you in the heart of Teesdale from the East Coast railway line. In spite of appearances to the contrary, you will find that the same bus runs all of the way from Darlington to Middleton, even if changes route number in the middle of the journey. It might make more sense to have Middleton buses running under one number and those terminating in Barnard Castle with another but that’s not how it’s done. Through tickets are available or, if you prefer, there’s a day ticket available for £6.
78 Keswick-Seatoller
Also known as the Borrowdale Rambler, this service lands you right at the end of the dale for easy access to the central fells. Other than high season when it runs half-hourly on weekdays, the frequency is hourly. Weekday services start early in the morning and continue until the evening and, while Sunday services are more limited, the timetable remains more than usable. Open-topped double-deckers are in common usage during the summer, though use of the top deck might be for the braver of disposition given it follows a road, overlooked by trees most of the way, that is narrow and hilly in places.
100/101/102/103/199 Dumfries-Edinburgh
In keeping with my adding of Lothian Buses routes for accessing the Pentland Hills, this collection of services has to go in too. There is, however, another reason for its inclusion: all but the 102 pass through Moffat and so land you on the doorstep of the Southern Uplands and the Southern Upland Way passes nearby too. All in all, these are invaluable services for those wanting a spot of hill wandering.
108 (Stockport-)Macclesfield-Leek(-Ashbourne)
There is reason for those brackets: it is Stockport-Leek on Sundays and Macclesfield-Ashbourne on other days. The bus operator differs too but that is immaterial. Timings are a little sparse but it does allow me to get into Staffordshire’s moorlands near Leek, getting it included on this list.
118 Hanley-Leek-Buxton
218 Buxton-Bakewell-Sheffield
Because that’s where a lot of the bumpy stuff is found, my main interest is the Buxton-Leek piece but there are reasons for mentioning the 218 here too. For one thing, Derbyshire County Council see fit to combine the 118 and 218 timetables but the Derbyshire Dales are well worth exploring too and Sheffield has more than its fair share of moorland on its doorstep. For those not in the know, Hanley is Stoke-on-Trent’s city centre (such are the strong identifies of its component conurbations that defining where Stoke is can be a bit of a challenge).
267 Berwick-upon-Tweed to and from Wooler via Etal
464 Berwick-upon-Tweed to and from Wooler via Lowick
Wooler is a rather sizeable little place with the Cheviots on its doorstep and does have useful bus services linking it to the outside world. This pair, operated on a council contract by local company Glen Valley Tours, almost provides hourly connections to the East Coast Mainline at Berwick. Saying that, there are no Sunday services and that makes it a bit tricky to get away after a weekend up there, unless you bring your own car or get a taxi. Another constraint is that the last bus is at 17:00.
302 Carrick Castle-Lochgoilhead-Arrochar-Tarbet-Luss-Helensburgh
In an area not well endowed with frequent public transport connections, this is a useful addition. It may not run on Sundays and the times may be set up better for local residents heading out for a shopping trip but it does remain useful, particularly for returning you to civilisation after walking through the enticing countryside hereabouts.
470 Alnwick to and from Wooler via Chillingham
473 Alnwick to and from Wooler via Whittingham
Another useful set of services that get you to and from Wooler, these are operated by Travelsure, another local company, on another council contract. An aspect shared with their Berwick-upon-Tweed counterparts is their regularity. The lack of a Sunday service and a last departure at 17:00 are other features shared with the 267/464. The fact that Alnwick itself is a few miles away from a train station (Alnmouth is the nearest), is another consideration but that won’t matter if you’re spending a few days in the area, something that it deserves.
478/479 Dunoon-Tighnabruaich-Portavadie
This merits a mention because of the Cowal Way and then there’s the ferry across to Tarbert on Kintyre too. However, timings are dependent on the day of travel and, like other services in Cowal, there’s no Sunday service either with changes at Auchenbreck being another feature of the timetable. All of this makes using the service for a day trip tricky but it could have its uses on a multi-day trek so long as you plan around the eccentricities of the timetable. It’s probably best to keep the idea of crossing the sea to Tarbert as an option in case you need it.
484 Dunoon-Strachur-Lochgoilhead-Carrick Castle
486 Dunoon-Strachur-Cairndow-Inverary
For exploring Cowal, these look invaluable so long as you are not wanting to do it on Sundays when they don’t run. Services are not that infrequent either and they do meet ferries from Gourcock as well. Furthermore, the Inverary service will connect with Citylink coaches to Oban and Campbeltown and offers another option for those coming from Glasgow, even if the train/ferry combination seems more sensible.
495 Craignure-Fishnish-Salen-Tobermory
This may not take you past so many hills but a short crossing of Mull from Salen will most of the walk in to them. It certainly came in handy for me when exploring the other side of the hills lining along the northern side Glen More.
496 Craignure-Fionnphort
If my memory isn’t failing me, this does pass through some delectable countryside. When I used it, I was on a Calmac tour to Iona with my brother and the wet murky day was far from conducive to admiring the surroundings. The timings may not be perfect but it still might have its uses when exploring Mull.
505 (Windermere-)Ambleside-Coniston
During the summer season, this service started from Windermere but it’s sadly not nearly as useful when Ambleside is the favoured starting point for the winter. Timings are not so useful for that longer day among the fells either so some enhancement for next year’s summer season would be ideal. However, if you are already stationed in the area, then timings are probably fine for you and it will have its uses.
516 Ambleside-Dungeon Ghyll
The Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel is at the base of the well known Langdale Pikes so this service easily gets the moniker of "Langdale Rambler". In spite of the timetable stating otherwise for some services at the weekend, this service does restrict itself to Ambleside as one of its termini. It’s less than desirable to have to change there after coming from Windermere and further away but that seems to be the way. Even so, the service itself is a useful one, particularly when you consider how much a hotel stay in Langdale might cost you and how good the hill country is around those parts.
554/555/556 Lancaster-Kendal-Keswick-Carlisle
Because of its route and frequency, this service can be seen as part of the backbone of the Lake District’s bus network. For this year’s English summer school holiday season, that frequency is being upped to half-hourly between Kendal and Keswick on weekdays (Monday to Friday), which can have lots of uses if you could escape the crowds. For the latter purpose, Windermere, Ambleside, Grasmere can all be seen as gateways to hill country and the bus passes by the a goodly number of footpaths and other rights way leading to the likes of Helvellyn, Fairfield and many more fells, some less populated than those listed. Views from the top deck should be good too, so long as any route branding doesn’t get in the way.
564 Kendal-Sedbergh-Kirkby Stephen-Brough
564A/564B Kendal-Sedbergh-Dent
These are probably what could be seen as lifeline services for the part of east Cumbria and North Yorkshire that they serve. They all also usefully call by Oxenholme train station while some call to Kirkby Stephen’s station while others call to Dent’s. No Sunday service is provided so you need not to miss the last bus back or you’ll be calling on the more expensive taxi option.
599 Bowness-Windermere-Ambleside(-Grasmere)
In the summer, this runs every twenty minutes and extends to Grasmere. For this winter, the frequency is hourly and the service is restricted to daytimes from Monday to Saturday. It remains a useful complement to the 555 and, given the hill country accessible from Ambleside or Windermere, it merits a mention here. That extension to Grasmere makes it more noteworthy again.
914/915/916 Glasgow-Fort William(-Isle of Skye)
These Scottish Citylink services pass through some very classy country as they make their way to their destinations. The 914 is the only one not starting from or continuing to the Isle of Skye since it forms the first southbound journey of the day and the last northbound one. Otherwise, passage into countryside dominated by ben, loch and glen north of Fort William is very much guaranteed with Eilean Donan castle, Cluanie and the Great Glen being on the route. South of Fort William, good access to the West Highland Way is on offer along with such wonderful locations such as Loch Lomond, the Black Mount and Glen Coe. The expanded service for the summer has ended for the winter but I remain hopeful that it will return next year. Even though it’s now in the off season, it might be better to give the 11:00 departure from Fort William to Glasgow a wide berth since that can get very busy at times.
926 Glasgow-Campbeltown
This shares its route with the Fort William/Skye services up as far as Tarbet where it then turns towards Inverary and then down the Mull of Kintyre to Campbeltown. Along its way, it passes through Arrochar, offering a good way into the hill country of south Argyll. I have never been beyond beyond Inverary so visiting the Mull of Kintyre remains outstanding and its charms unsavoured. After a bus war between Citylink and West Coast Motors, sense has prevailed with WCM now operating the Citylink contract like they did earlier this year. It’s always good to see madness abating.
976 Glasgow-Oban
Up as far as Inverary, its route is identical to the 926 so the same comments apply. Beyond Inverary, it calls at Dalmally and Taynuilt, allowing to get to the likes of Ben Cruachan, Glen Orchy and Loch Etive. Oban’s being a gateway to islands like Mull make the route even more valuable. As per the 926, the same comments about timings at intermediate stops apply and it’s good to see that the bus war that affected this route as well has come to a satisfactory end with WCM operating things as they did before.
W10 Stornoway-Tarbert-Leverburgh
Harris plays host to fine hill country that proves that hills lower than those on Skye or the Scottish mainland can still look magnificent. As if that were not enough, there are fine beaches to be enjoyed too. Of course, you need to be able to get to these attractive places and this bus service means that the car can be left after you. While you need to watch the times of the last buses of the day, the summertime frequency very usefully seems to be next to two hourly even if that is reduced for the winter. There is no Sunday service because sabbath observation is very important to the people of the Western Isles but that same comment applies to other things there as well.
W17 Berneray-North Uist-Benbecula-South Uist-Eriskay
The Uists are joined by causways from Berneray all of the way south to Eriskay and this bus travels over the whole extent with North Uist, Grimsay, Benbecula and South Uist being crossed on the way. South Uist has its hill country and its machair while lochs are found all over the place. Since the landscapes are worth seeing, there are many advantages to going by bus and this bus route links the lot from top to bottom. Unlike the W10 which is run by one company alone, the W17 is shared between different companies so changes of vehicle en route and using different operator depending on the time at which you are travelling. It all sounds eccentric but it does work in its own way and care with the last buses is a must since later services are run by request only. You won’t find a bus running on a Sunday but that is a practice that should not surprise anyone with any knowledge of the Western Isles.
Northbound Timetable (Monday to Friday) Page 1
Northbound Timetable (Monday to Friday) Page 2
Southbound Timetable (Monday to Friday) Page 1
Southbound Timetable (Monday to Friday) Page 2
Northbound Timetable (Saturday) Page 1
Northbound Timetable (Saturday) Page 2
Southbound Timetable (Saturday) Page 1
Southbound Timetable (Saturday) Page 2
X1 Llandudno-Blaenau Ffestiniog
This Monday-Saturday service performs an invaluable function as it makes its way up and down the Conwy valley. Its frequency is next to hourly, a very useful thing when you miss the infrequent trains that run the same way, and it calls at Llandudno Junction train station too. Both of those features make getting to Blaenau Ffestiniog or Dolwyddelan for some walking so much easier.
X12 Ulverston-Coniston
Ulverston may not be uppermost on list of access points for the Lakeland fells but this bus service makes it one of them. Ulverston’s having a railway station makes the X12 a good link for someone coming in from outside of the area and bus timings are not bad for that day of exploring the fells either and even might make it a better alternative to the 505 too.
X94 (Chester-)Wrexham-Bala-Dolgellau-Barmouth
Now replicating a journey that was once possible by rail, this useful bus service is one that I have used quite a few times. Between Dolgellau and Barmouth, the weekday service is hourly but, east of that, a two hourly weekday service level prevails. There was a year when that was hourly but we have lost that and gained an extension to Chester in its place. Sunday service is much reduced from this again so care is the watchword when it comes to using it. Even with its limitations, this part of the TrawsCambria network remains invaluable and I hope that it continues to grow in usefulness and usage.
