Exploring Edinburgh with Cobbles the Dog

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Bus 232 by the ornate gates of the Palace of Holyroodhouse. RICHARD WALTER

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Named after the famous cobbled streets of Edinburgh, Cobbles the Scottie Dog is ambassador for the latest family orientated open-top venture from Edinburgh Bus Tours. Richard Walter sampled the Cobbles’ Tour which started on 2 April 2022 to see what it has to offer.

Scotland’s Capital has many must see attractions for tourists and the best way to explore and get your bearings is by taking one of several open-top tours that operate daily throughout the year. Lothian Buses operates Edinburgh Bus Tours which offers regular departures from the centre of Edinburgh. Most are hop on, hop off services each carrying their own distinctive branding: City Sightseeing Edinburgh with multi-language commentary; the live-guided Edinburgh Tour covering Edinburgh’s Old Town and Georgian New Town; the Majestic Tour with multi-language commentary which visits the Royal Botanic Garden and Royal Yacht Britannia at Leith; and the half-day 3 Bridges Tour which offers a 90 minute cruise on the Firth of Forth in addition to the bus tour.

In CBW issue 1482 last year, Jonathan Welch tried out the Majestic Tour just after the easing of lockdowns when open-top tours of the city were starting to carry passengers again – many whom were on staycation breaks. With visitors from abroad starting to appear again as travel restrictions have been lifted, this month saw the launch of a brand new additional city tour offering a one-hour experience for £10, taking in sights such as Edinburgh Castle, the Grassmarket and the Royal Mile.

Sarah Boyd, Operations Director for Lothian Buses, outlined the problems that had been experienced during the pandemic. “Like many operators, the last two years have proved to be exceptionally challenging for Lothian. As international visitors slowly return to the capital and events begin to take place again, we have high hopes for a good summer on Edinburgh Bus Tours.

“Our coaching division, Lothian Motorcoaches, is also set to return for 2022 with its really popular two-day trips to Loch Lomond and Loch Ness. Both tours have always been a success with visitors and we are hoping to see this continue across the year.”
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