Suzy, Drinker Of Coffee

Day 2 – Fife, North Berwick & Preston Mill

I’d enjoyed yesterday quite a bit, and today’s visit was to cover new ground for me. I’ve got my MegaRider to take me to Edinburgh, and I’ve also purchased a One-Ticket, to cover me onto East Lothian. I firstly got Stagecoach Fife 20314 on the 96, and the driver questioned the ticket. That didn’t take long, did it? (It was even printed on a Stagecoach ticket roll – Subway advert promo stock – rather than a Strathtay roll!) Once I explained, he was happy, and let me on. The 99 group service was due, but no-where to be found, so I took this one to Guardbridge, when the 99 was on our tail. I got off, and the driver said “are you trying to catch the 99”? I said “No, going for the X24” He looked at his watch, smiled and carried on his way. (The 99/99A/99B and 94/94A carry onto St Andrews the “direct” way, and the 96 runs via Strathkinness. More confusingly, the two journeys on the 96A use the “direct” way too).

I walked around the corner from Guardbridge Main Street to Guardbridge Cupar Road. If anyone has been wondering, the Blue Bus X58 (St Andrews – Livingston) appears now to be a non-starter, thanks to a disagreement with the TC/VOSA. As a result, Fife Council have obliterated the service from all the panels, that they changed in the run up to the start of the month!

Then, it was 52422 on the X24 from Guardbridge to Cupar, and 52481 on the X59 from Cupar to Edinburgh. Whilst on the bus, I spotted – most unusually – a “99” branded MAN, on the 64 (ran by St Andrews on Saturdays), and one of the St Andrews Stagecoach Express posters appeared to have been inadvertently stuck up in Kirkcaldy. As I got to Edinburgh, one of Munro’s MAN/MCV’s was about to leave for Jedburgh, with a connection for Kelso.

I took some pictures around Princes Street, but then the card was filled, so I had no space for the rest of the adventure. Shame, because it was some adventure!

I took First 62394 on the X5 from Edinburgh’s North St Andrew Street to North Berwick, where there was lots of school holiday and weekend tourist traffic around the town. After stopping at North Berwick TIC, I was able to take EVE Cars & Coaches Service 120B North Berwick – Tantallon Castle - East Linton - Dunbar (that’s what it says on the timetable!) from North Berwick to Preston Mill, before going in for a look. By contrast to how busy North Berwick was, and all the traffic heading to and from East Fortune Airshow, this was somewhat different, and quiet. I can’t remember now for the life of me the name of the guide, but she managed to translate what my name meant in old Scots. I didn’t quite make the bus back into East Linton/Dunbar, but walked the short distance into East Linton village, and then for First Scania 61218 on the X6 to Edinburgh via Haddington. This service was recently extended following BRDG funding to/from Dunbar, giving Dunbar two buses an hour to Edinburgh.

As we got into Edinburgh, I wondered if we’d still be in time to get the last X60 back to St Andrews. Well, one better – I was in time to get the one before that – the Leven short working. I took 52441 on the X60 from Edinburgh to Kirkcaldy, popped off for snacks and sweets, and then took PS type 20303 on the X60 from Kirkcaldy to Leven. This bus is actually a St Andrews motor, and it was swapped over when it got home, with a Dart retuning to Leven. I then took MAN 22407 on the 99A back to Dundee, and then home.

posted by Suzy Scott @ 23:16