Coastal Connections

04/11/2020 WebSupport Buses, Features, Passenger Perspective

As a result of significant investment, Stagecoach Bluebird’s route 35 between Aberdeen and Elgin was among the nominees for Best Bus Route at the 2020 Scottish Transport Awards. Following his visit to Macduff depot, Jonathan Welch took up the invitation to go for a ride to find out more

After making the trip north to the Buchan coast to visit Stagecoach’s seashore depot at Macduff, which featured in last week’s issue, the relaxation of lockdown restrictions meant that I was able to take up the invitation of a journey along the route. Having heard from Stagecoach North Scotland’s Managing Director Peter Knight and Macduff’s GreenRoad Champion Fiona Pattinson about the new buses and the high standards of driving, as well as the varied nature of the route, it seemed like an ideal opportunity to see it for myself.

I chose to travel northwards from Aberdeen, and considering that social distancing requirements were still in place opted for a mid-morning journey so as to be travelling at a reasonably quiet time of day, to be sure that I wasn’t preventing anyone else from boarding due to restricted capacity.