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Hundreds of buses made their way to Caithness once their London service life came to an end. John Sinclair captured a range of examples owned by Highland Omnibuses
Highland Omnibuses, the most northern company in the Scottish Bus Group, was formed in 1952, and for much of its existence before privatisation survived by acquiring second-hand vehicles to operate its mainly unremunerative services.
This was particularly true in Caithness, where a large fleet of buses was required to transport staff to the nuclear reactor at Dounreay, which at its peak involved over 40 vehicles arriving daily from all over the county.
Guy Arabs were the main choice during the ‘50s and early ‘60s, and seven originated from London Transport. There were also single-deckers which were constructed from former London Transport Guys, where the chassis was extended to 30 feet by parent company Scottish Omnibuses in Edinburgh and fitted with a new body of similar design to the then-current Alexander single-deck version.
There were also a pair of former London Transport Daimler Fleetlines which, because they were highbridge, ended up in the far north of Highland Omnibuses’ far flung territory.
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Former London Transport G263 (GYL402) new with a Massey body and acquired by Western SMT in 1952. Re-bodied by Northern Counties in 1954, and fitted with a Gardner 6LW engine, it was transferred to Highland Omnibuses in 1967, and was photographed at the depot in Inverness shortly after arrival. It was never repainted into Highland Omnibuses livery and only ran for a year. However, it made its way north, initially as a school bus outstationed at the fishing village of Helmsdale, and was briefly in Caithness.
London Transport G369 was sold to Western SMT in 1951 and was re-bodied by Alexander. Fitted with platform doors at local depot Dumfries before transfer north up to Thurso in 1963 where it operated for four years, it was photographed at the driver’s house near the Castle of Mey, for its school service from John O’ Groats to Thurso.
London Transport G274 and G282 were sold to Western SMT in 1953, and retained their Northern Counties bodies. Transferred to Highland Omnibuses in 1957 to operate Dounreay workers services, they had to be fitted with heaters, and in 1960 platform doors. They survived until 1964 and 1966 respectively.
London Transport G308 was sold to Alexander’s in 1953 and was transferred to Thurso in 1963, but retained the red livery of Perth local services where it had operated. However, it only lasted a year, being mainly used on Thurso town service, and was photographed leaving the depot early one morning.
A rear view of former G282 and 368 with their respective rear doors to protect the passengers from the icy blasts of the Caithness winters, parked at Dounreay.
London Transport DMS1441 which, after sale to Ensign, was loaned to Graham of Paisley in 1982 and sold the following year to Western SMT, which did not operate it, and it was transferred to Highland Omnibuses. It was photographed early one morning in 1984 outside the driver’s house near the village of Scarfskerry down the road from John O’ Groats, where it was the regular bus used on the school service into Thurso.
One of the 23 Guy Arab single-deckers constructed in the workshops of Scottish Omnibuses in Edinburgh, of which 18 came to Highland Omnibuses. The former London Transport double-deckers from the G class came from different sources, with 12 having previously operated for Scottish Omnibuses and three for Highland Omnibuses itself. LSC101, registered in Edinburgh, was the last of six fitted with 35 coach seats, the remainder having 39 low-back seats. With Gardner 5LW engines, they were underpowered and quite unsuitable for the hilly terrain. Also in the picture is a Strachan-bodied Guy Arab 11 fitted with a 6LW engine, as were all the other former London Transport Guy Arab double-deckers above. It was one of the original Highland Transport fleet, and the photograph was taken in Thurso town centre in 1962.
