Lmst

#lothian

Lothian held its annual Coach Driver of the Year competition on 19 February at Longstone depot, with drivers from Eve Coaches and Lothian Motorcoaches competing in practical and theory tests. David Ross was named Eve Coaches Driver of the Year, while Brian Shankland took the title for #Lothian Motorcoaches, both delivering outstanding performances. David Cameron, Head of Operations, praised the professionalism and skill of all participants. Ross and Shankland, joined by runners-up Mark Charles and Craig Easton, will represent the company at the #UK Coach Rally in Blackpool on 18–19 April.
https://www.lothianbuses.com/news/2026/02/coach-driver-of-the-year-2026/

Public #transport use in #Edinburgh continues to rise, with more than 130 million bus and tram journeys recorded in 2025, according to #Lothian #Buses and #Edinburgh #rams. Lothian Buses carried 119 million passengers, up 2.6 per cent on 2024, while tram journeys reached a record 12.5 million, an increase of 3.3 per cent. Growth followed a particularly busy year, including major events at Murrayfield Stadium, the Royal Highland Centre and a strong Festival season. The introduction of contactless payments on trams has also enabled daily and weekly fare capping across both networks. Operators said the results reflect staff efforts and continued investment, while the city council highlighted the role of buses and trams in supporting a growing capital in #Scotland.
https://www.lothianbuses.com/news/2026/01/public-transport-use-in-the-capital-continues-to-grow/

Top notch decoration at the local pharmacy

#Lothian #Scotland #Christmas

An image of a Christmas tree decorated with the usual baubles but also syringes and medicine tablet packages

A close up of the Christmas tree showing a couple baubles, candy canes as well as a purple syringe and a pack of Warfarin 0.5mg tablets

#Lothian has been named Best In-House #Marketing Team of the Year at the 2024 Prolific North Marketing Awards. The ceremony, held in Leeds on 24 October, recognised leading creative talent, campaigns and agencies across #Scotland and Northern #England. Competing against nine other finalists, including The Beatles Story and Forbes Solicitors, Lothian’s marketing team was praised for delivering campaigns that position the bus operator as a benchmark for reliable, affordable and accessible transport. Judged by an independent panel featuring senior figures from Formula 1, Kellanova and ITV Studios, the award highlights the team’s creativity and impact. Communications Director Gaynor Marshall said the recognition reflects the team’s talent, dedication and commitment to promoting Lothian’s services and its role within the community.
https://www.lothianbuses.com/news/2025/10/lothian-named-best-in-house-marketing-team-of-the-year/

#Lothian has launched a Youth Engagement and Inclusion Strategy aimed at building stronger relationships with young people across its network. Centred on two pillars – engage and educate – the strategy seeks to encourage mutual respect, foster understanding, and highlight the role of Lothian staff as community champions. With the success of the Young Persons Free Bus Travel Scheme for under-22s, Lothian hopes to deepen the connection between young passengers and its team. Initiatives like school visits, 'Try a Bus' events, and community volunteering will be expanded, alongside partnerships with groups such as Young #Scot, Police #Scotland, and Edinburgh South. The goal is to empower young people, boost travel confidence, and promote inclusive, accessible public #transport. The strategy reflects a commitment to youth wellbeing, opportunity and active participation in shaping services.
https://www.lothianbuses.com/news/2025/10/lothian-launches-youth-engagement-and-inclusion-strategy/

September equinox in #Scotland

#Bathgate #Livingston #Lothian #nature

A straight path. Grass on the right. Trees on the left.

A view over a wee river and grass. Forest in the background.

Back to Lothian

Even though I’m staying in Glasgow, this Sunday I headed east again, actually past Edinburgh, to Dirleton Castle in East Lothian…

Read all about it—and see ALL the photos—in my latest blog post!

#SimmerDimTrip #food #craftbeer #Scotland #train #Glasgow #running #HashHouseHarriers #Lothian

People running through the East Lothian dunes towards the sea, rocky islands in the distance

A big mansion, a runner looking at it in the foreground

Dirleton Castle, a field of grass in front of it

Pentlands

Ricoh GRIIIx

#Pentlands #Edinburgh #Lothian #Scotland #ricoh #running #trailrunning #hills #landscape #photography

Our 4th visit to this city and perhaps the loveliest. Amazing how much difference weather and a bit of sun makes in this country
#edinburgh #scotland #lothian #cityscapes #medieval #edinburghcastle #royalmile #stgilescathedral #royalmileedinburgh #princesstreetgardens #travelphotography #travelphoto #PhotographyOnMastodon

Gannets at Bass Rock

Pentax K70 + 50-200

#Scotland #bassrock #gannet #seabird #sealife #boattour #pentax #Lothian

#Lothian #Buses has launched a specially designed double-decker to support its 2025–26 Charity of Choice, Age #Scotland. The partnership aims to raise awareness of loneliness among older people across Edinburgh and the Lothians.

The eye-catching bus, created by Age Scotland and Lothian’s design team, will be seen across the region for two years, sharing details of the charity’s free national helpline. In 2024, the helpline received 30,000 calls covering topics such as benefits, social care, and housing.

The launch welcomed service users from North #Edinburgh Dementia Care, offering them a first look at the bus and the chance to meet the Lothian team.

Lothian’s Gaynor Marshall said the bus offers more than transport – it helps connect people and communities. Age Scotland’s Katherine Crawford said the initiative will raise awareness of support services and local groups that help older people stay connected.

Bus number 465 is now in service on Route 14.
https://www.lothianbuses.com/news/2025/05/lothian-and-age-scotland-provide-connection-through-charity-bus-design/

The image also features a vibrant double-decker bus parked in front of a large building with “Lothian Buses” signage. The bus sports a bold design, with a bright magenta lower half and a navy blue upper section. The sides display the message “Age Scotland – Connecting Scotland’s Older People”, with multicoloured abstract shapes. In front of the bus stands a diverse group of smiling people holding signs for “Age Scotland” and “Lothian Charity of Choice”. Some are holding pink and purple balloons. The scene takes place outdoors under a partly cloudy sky, suggesting a daytime event.

Photo by Lothian Buses ltd.

#Labour's Rachel #Reeves refuses to speak to Scottish #newspapers during visit to Scotland

Chancellor’s sleekit visit to #whisky #distillery in East #Lothian lasted long enough to take a lengthy tour but simply not long enough for her to spare even a moment for #Scotland’s print #press.

An invite had been sent around to an extremely select few newspapers late on Tuesday night, but it was swiftly rescinded on Wednesday morning.

https://www.thenational.scot/news/25146130.rachel-reeves-ignores-scottish-newspapers-visit-scotland/

#DemocracyNow #Indy2

From Sunday 6 April 2025, Lothian’s services in #Edinburgh, #Scotland (#Lothian #Buses, Lothian Country, and East Coast Buses) will see a fare revision for the first time in two years due to rising operational costs. The TapTapCap Pay-As-You-Go product will continue to offer discounted fares, with the City DAY cap reduced to £5.00, while Skylink 200 and 400 will be renamed Services 17 and 18, with regular city fares applied, including for airport travel. There will be no change to Airlink fares, and further ticketing harmonisation will occur across East and West Lothian. Revised fares include an increase for Adult Singles (Lothian Buses) from £2.00 to £2.20, the Adult DAYTicket (Lothian Buses) at £4.80 with TapTapCap, and Adult Ridacards (1 Week) rising from £22.00 to £24.50. Lothian Country and East Coast Buses will also see similar increases in fares.
https://www.lothianbuses.com/news/2025/03/fares-revision-2025/

The image is a network map of Lothian Buses, including Edinburgh Trams, covering various routes within and around the city. It features a complex web of coloured lines indicating different bus routes. The background is a light colour with major roads and geographical features like the Firth of Forth marked. Various coloured lines, each representing a specific bus or tram service, are overlaid on the map. Stops and significant locations are labelled in text. The top left corner of the map includes additional information about Lothian Country services, while the top right corner provides details about EastCoastbuses services. A section at the bottom displays contact information and payment options with logos for VISA, MasterCard, and Google Pay. There is also an inset at the bottom left showing Airport link details with specific stops and fare information.

This image is a bus network map titled "EastCoastbuses Network Map." The map is predominantly outlined in various coloured lines indicating different bus routes intersecting and diverging across the area. At the top, there is a light blue representation of the Firth of Forth. On the map, Edinburgh is prominently labelled on the left side, with detailed routes branching out to various destinations.

Several coloured lines correspond to different bus routes with labelled stops, including areas like Western General, Frederick Street, Haymarket, and more extending eastward towards North Berwick, East Linton, and Dunbar. Key destinations and routes, such as those to Haddington and Musselburgh, are highlighted with matching colours for easy navigation.

The map includes six sections lettered A to F for different regional divisions, and each route is also labelled with its number or name for reference. Additionally, there are labels marking more specific points like Edinburgh City Centre and major connecting roads.

Tha Còisir Ghàidhlig Lodainn a' cur crìoch ri Seachdain na Gàidhlig le dà chuirm feasgair aig Ionad nan Sgeulachdan.

Lothian Gaelic Choir polish off World Gaelic Week with two afternoon showcases at the Storytelling Centre.

💙💙💙

#Gaelic #ScottishGaelic #Gàidhlig #Gaidhlig #SeachdainNaGàidhlig #DùnÈideann #Edinburgh #Lothian

#Lothian was awarded ‘Large Business of the Year’ at the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce #Business Awards on 27 February. The award recognises Lothian’s strong performance in #Edinburgh, #Scotland, with over 2,600 employees delivering reliable public #transport across the city and Lothians. Sarah Boyd, Managing Director, expressed gratitude to the workforce for their dedication. In 2024, Lothian served 116 million customers, a 5% increase from 2023, and also won UK Bus Operator of the Year. The judging panel praised Lothian’s commitment to its people, business growth, employee engagement, and #sustainability. Additionally, Lothian trained over 450 drivers with a 94.6% pass rate, well above the industry average, and celebrated Thomas Gilhooley’s win at the UK Bus Driver of the Year Finals.
https://www.lothianbuses.com/news/2025/02/lothian-named-large-business-of-the-year/

#Lothian's Bus & Tram App in #Scotland has introduced new features to enhance travel. Users can now save 'Home' and 'Work' locations for easy journey planning. Dark Mode reduces eye strain and battery use. The 'Schedule Explorer' shows bus/tram stop timetables up to two weeks ahead. TravelHub locations are now visible on the map for in-person assistance. Widgets allow #iOS users to save stops on their lock screen and #Android users to cycle through real-time stop info. iOS updates are available now, with Android updates rolling out next week.
https://www.lothianbuses.com/news/2025/02/app-updates/

Ma tha sibh airson an t-agallamh a chluinntinn a-rithist, a rinn mi le Rèidio Cailleannach an-diugh le Tormod Mac an t-Sealgair, gheibh sibh cothrom air, an seo:

https://caledonmedia.scot/2024/10/11/marcus-11th-oct-24/

If you fancy tuning into today's Caledon Radio interview with Norrie Hunter, you can access it on catch up, here:

https://caledonmedia.scot/2024/10/11/marcus-11th-oct-24/

#Gaelic #ScottishGaelic #Gàidhlig #Gaidhlig #Edinburgh #Lothian #CaledonRadio #Scotland #ScottishRadio #GaelPop #ScottishCulture #ScottishLiterature #NorrieHunter