Locals were delighted when bus operator Ember announced new stops linking rural Stirlingshire and Perthshire with Fort William and Edinburgh Airport.
The route launched in April, serving Stirling, Dunblane, Lochearnhead and Tyndrum.
Doune, Callander and Crianlarich were added on June 25, with other pick-up points in between.
With four return services per day, Ember is connecting rural communities and providing a direct link to Edinburgh Airport.
But what can you expect, and is it really better than taking the car or the train?
I hopped on board the first day of the service to test it out…
How to go about catching the Ember bus from Stirling to Fort William
You need to book the bus at least 10 minutes in advance, and there are four services per day.
The earliest leaves Stirling at 5.22am, arriving in Fort William at 7.49am.
The others are at 11.32am, 3.32pm and 9.33pm.
I booked my trip on Monday, two days ahead of my journey on Wednesday.
It cost £39 (£19.50 each way) and was scheduled to depart Stirling at 11.32am and arrive in Fort William at 2.18pm.
Two hours before my scheduled departure time, Ember texted me to let me know my service was running behind.
Live tracking and updates most welcome
It was delayed by 17 minutes due to an incident in Edinburgh city centre, but I was provided with a link that included live tracking and updates.
In my opinion, this should be the standard for all buses – it saved me from waiting around.
I left my car at Castleview Park and Ride, then headed over to Erskine House in the business park.
This seemed an odd choice for the Stirling stop, but I’m sure there’s reasoning behind it…
The bus arrived at 11.45am, and although my QR code would not scan, the driver asked for my surname and I was able to board.
I was the only person getting on in Stirling, but the bus was busy with at least a dozen passengers.
As I settled into my seat, I noticed there were both USB and USB-C sockets for phone charging.
There were also plug sockets and free Wi-Fi – perfect for working on the go.
The seats, which recline, are on a first come, first served basis, and there is air conditioning above each one.
Fort William Ember bus is already popular
Stirling to Fort William is one of Scotland’s most scenic trips, so I was looking forward to the journey.
Dunblane proved to be a popular stop, while nobody got on or off in Doune.
From this point on, both the Wi-Fi and phone signal were non-existent… but I was content enjoying the beautiful scenery, including Falls of Leny and Loch Lubnaig near Callander.
The Ember service seemed to be well-used by tourists, who took advantage of stops beyond Tyndrum, like Glen Coe.
The internet access was thankfully restored once we ventured beyond Tyndrum.
Finally, we pulled into Fort William’s An Aird car park at 2.40pm.
Overall, the three-hour journey flew by thanks to the views and comfortable recliners.
How was the trip back to Stirling?
My return bus was at 4.09pm, so I headed into Fort William to stretch my legs.
Over the next hour and a half, I visited the Old Fort, bought a latte and wandered up the high street.
The Ember bus was where I left it, and the friendly driver was busy ensuring all the luggage was on board.
My QR code scanned this time, and I ended up in the same seat.
Before our departure, the driver warned us there had been an accident in Tyndrum that may lead to delays.
Thankfully, it had cleared by the time we got there.
This service was much busier, with almost every stop picking up or dropping off.
Callander was the busiest, and I realised the town would finally have a late bus service.
The next Ember bus was scheduled to arrive after 10pm.
Although Dunblane has good transport links with direct trains to Edinburgh and Glasgow, a group boarded there too.
How does Ember compare to the bus or train?
Ember estimated the journey would take two hours and 46 minutes, which was spot-on when you factor in the 20-minute delay.
I arrived back in Stirling 20 minutes later than anticipated, but I didn’t mind as this was caused by roadworks and slow-moving vehicles.
This is roughly around the same time it would take to drive via the A84 and A82.
My return ticket cost £39, which I think is reasonable for a 200-mile round trip.
Using confused.com’s fuel cost calculator, I calculated it would have cost £13.30 one way in a 44mpg petrol car, with fuel priced at the current UK average of 134.9.
It is also cheaper and more convenient than the train. An off-peak adult return (without a Railcard) from Stirling to Fort William, changing in Glasgow, costs £80.80.
It takes four hours and 43 minutes, plus the first service of the day arrives at 4.09pm.
Already, Ember is proving to be a popular service, and it is not hard to see why.
The tickets are cheap, the times are convenient and it is giving rural communities a lifeline bus service.
Would you consider taking the Ember bus in future? Let us know in the comments.
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