A MYSTERY TOUR FROM GLASGOW:
Part One - Fresh Ayr
24 September 2023
ABOVE: Stagecoach West Scotland 10921 (SN67 XAO), an ADL Enviro400 MMC, is approaching the Redburn Roundabout, north of Irving in South West Scotland, on route 11 (Ardrossan to Kilmarnock). All pictures in this article were taken on Wednesday 6th September 2023.
Once again, I'm a man without a plan. If you're a regular reader, you will know that doesn't always turn out well.
On this occasion, I did have a plan, but it went wrong at the first hurdle, where a train delay would have knocked everything else out of kilter. Therefore, I've abandoned the schedule I had, for today at least, in favour of a plan to just 'follow my nose' and see where I end up. I've only been in Scotland for a day-and-a-half. I have a whole country to explore, so surely anywhere I go should be interesting and new...?
I'm at a bus stop in Renfield Street, close to Central station, literally just trying to decide what bus to get on first. This stop, at the junction of St Vincent Street, has a range of services on offer, including two different route 3s and two different route 4s.
ABOVE: This detailed and complicated bus stop flag is typical of those in Glasgow City Centre. At least each operator's services are distinguished, although there's nothing to show that McGill's N3 & N4 are night services. Are First's 4, 4A and 6 in a different shade to show that they are the services to New Victoria Hospital? It's not that clear and one might assume that all of them from this stop do?
There's a First route 3 on the real-time display marked as "1 min". A quick look at the timetable shows a ride of an hour or so, which surely must be a good run out to Govan, wherever that is?
It's more like 10 minutes before the bus comes. It's a BYD ADL E200 EV - there are lots of electric buses in Glasgow. It's reasonably quiet as I board, despite having already made a long trek in from Drumchapel, in the north of the city, but soon starts to fill up with schoolchildren as we head south out of the city centre (it being that time of the morning). As First Greater Glasgow operates a tap-on, tap-off payment system, I don't have to tell the driver where I'm planning to go. Just as well, as it turns out...
It's whilst standing at a slow set of traffic lights that I have a look at BusTimes.org, which can show me exactly where I'm going. The route is ... not exactly a straight line from A to B:
ABOVE: BusTimes.org map of First Greater Glasgow route 3
In fact, this bus is going to take an hour to get to a point just two miles from where I started! So close to the city centre in fact that it has a Subway station. Whilst it might be interesting, it's not quite what I fancy doing (I want to get further out), so I get off in Shawlands, a suburb to the south of the city, and ironically further away from Govan than where I started.
There are a couple of dubious types at the bus stop, right in front of the timetables, so I decide to jump on the next bus that comes along (you'd think I would have learnt my lesson by now)!
This is a number 38 towards Newton Mearns, which I have also never heard of. This is a double-decker - a BYD ADL E400 EV, another electric vehicle. It's one of those City types, by which I mean that the front upstairs windscreen is somewhat diminished, as on the Enviro400 City model; rather less panoramic than the traditional Enviro400.
ABOVE: First Greater Glasgow 38433 (LG22 AVK), a BYD D8UR ADL Enviro400EV, is on the Kilmarnock Road, just beyond the Ledi Road stop, south of Shawlands. Despite the destination display, this bus must be heading away from Newton Mearns, probably to terminate at Glasgow Fort, a shopping centre to the east of Glasgow City Centre
A quick check confirms that this run will take me out of town, and that it will be about 18 minutes to Newton Mearns. This is (a bit) more like it!
It's a nice drive in a broadly south-westerly direction down the A77, initially known as the Kilmarnock Road, but becoming the Ayr Road as we pass through Whitecraigs, where the road becomes wider and the roadside a lot greener. But I still have a sense that I'm heading into a bit of a dead-end in terms of what I want to do today.
As the bus pulls into one stop, a Stagecoach bus on route 4 to Ayr passes. Now that is a ride that I would like to do! Except that the bus is now in front of me. If only I can get past it again...
There's good news and bad news. The 4 has pulled up at a bus stop in Newton Mearns (Eaglesham Road), and my 38 is overtaking it. If I can get to the next stop before the 4 pulls out, I can take it to Ayr. I jump up and tap out.
Then the 38 turns right.
I get off. The 4 doesn't come round here; it continues down the main road. I wander back to the main road - it will have gone, surely? But the 4 hasn't moved off yet, and there's a set of lights that might slow it down when it does! The next bus stop, Moorhill Road, is visible but not close (Google Maps has since confirmed that it's 600 feet away at this point). I start down the road anyway - there might be another bus due soon that will take me to another interesting spot (spoiler alert - there isn't). I can always come back to the 4 another day.
Remarkably, I get to the stop just as the 4 comes across the junction. I've somehow made it! I'm climbing onto a Scania K230UB ADL Enviro300, operated by Stagecoach West Scotland. This is going to be a ride of an hour and 20 minutes, and there's some stunning open countryside to start things off.
ABOVE: Looking east from the A77 / route 4 bus, just south of Loganswell
Of course, it isn't long before the bus pulls off the main road and into the first of a number of villages that line the route, Fenwick.
ABOVE: Fenwick War Memorial
It's an interesting village. There are tiny cottages in the main street (which is called 'Main Road') that look as though they might have been converted from farm buildings or similar. One of the larger buildings carries an 1824 date on it, and the public house, The Kings Arms (no apostrophe), is an 18th century coaching house.
This, for me, is one of the joys of bus riding. Fenwick's population in 2019 was estimated to be 989, which makes it a small village by any standards. It's off the main road. Under what other circumstances would I ever be likely to come here?
The detour has been worth it - we pick up a couple of passengers who are heading into Kilmarnock, the major intermediate town on this route - more of Kilmarnock later.
The M77 motorway from Glasgow has been a close neighbour to us all the way from the start, but comes to an end near Fenwick, morphing into the dual-carriageway A77. After Kilmarnock, we run down a section of this dual-carriageway, pulling off for the conservation village of Symington. It's here that I am able to get an unusual view of a route 4 bus heading in the opposite direction.
ABOVE: A Stagecoach West Scotland Enviro300 is heading for Glasgow in this view taken from the bridge over the A77 at the Symington turn-off. Buses heading towards Ayr use this bridge to cross the main road, in order to serve the village, whilst those heading in the other direction have a slightly easier passage, hence the opportunity to take this picture
Something that I would expect to be an important traffic objective on this route is Glasgow Prestwick Airport. Describing its reputation of being "Britain’s only fog-free airport", there only seem to be about a dozen flights in and out per day as far as I can tell. There are plenty of vehicles parked outside the main terminal building, but, despite this, there doesn't seem to be much going on.
The bus, which is getting busy now, doesn't have anyone to stop for here.
From Prestwick town centre, it's more built-up for the last three miles into Ayr. We're picking up more and more passengers for this last section, and it's a decent load of 25/30 that is brought into town. The driver, who has boarded at Kilmarnock, noticeably does not wait for people to sit down before pulling out of stops, and this is tricky for one or two of the elderly people who board along this stretch, especially as seats in the forward section are getting scarce.
For no apparent reason, and especially given the driver's relative keenness to get on with the journey, we arrive into Ayr about 10 minutes behind schedule.
ABOVE: The West Kirk pub in Sandgate, Ayr is clearly a converted church
I came to Ayr in the 1990s. There used to be a Butlin's holiday camp on the Dunure Road, a few miles to the south-west of Ayr, and that's where I stayed. But we never ventured into the town itself, so this is my first visit!
On the High Street sits the Wallace Tower, a Gothic structure built around 1857 to commemorate William Wallace (c1270-1305), one of the main leaders during the First War of Scottish Independence and the subject of the film Braveheart.
ABOVE: High Street Ayr, with the Wallace Tower (almost) centre stage
It takes me a few minutes to find my way to the bus station, and I quickly decide that the best way out, in terms of services on offer right now, is the way I have come in - back as far as Kilmarnock at least.
The number 4 runs every half hour, and the 1115 departure is loading up. It's looking like another busy run, with 20 or so passengers on board from the off.
We cross over the River Ayre on the 'New Bridge', the very last bridge along the river before it spills into the Firth of Clyde, half-a-mile away. The next bridge along is the 'Auld Brig', built in the 13th-Century. Legend has it that the old bridge was founded by a pair of sisters, one of whom was mourning her drowned lover. Their likenesses were carved into the eastern parapet of the Brig, and could still be seen in the Victorian era.
Both bridges are commemorated in Robert Burns's poem, "The Brigs o' Ayr". The poem describes an argument between the two bridges, in which the Auld Brig predicts that it shall remain standing long after the New Brig has gone. Curiously, the New Bridge had to be demolished after a severe storm in 1879, and is a complete rebuild, while the Old Bridge of Ayr is still standing! (Source: AyrshireandArran.com)
ABOVE: Crossing the River Ayre and looking out to the Firth of Clyde
And so I say farewell to Ayr for a second time. Incidentally, the old Butlin's camp is still there - now run by Haven and now called 'Craig Tara'.
It's about a 45-minute drive back towards Kilmarnock. Again there is no-one to board or alight at Prestwick Airport.
Kilmarnock is the largest town in Ayrshire by population (46,770). It was voted the "UK's Friendliest Shopping Town" in 2006. Scottish singers The Proclaimers titled a song "The Joyful Kilmarnock Blues" on their first album, "This Is the Story", released in 1987, whilst the song "The Ballroom Blitz", by the band The Sweet was inspired by an event at the town's Grand Hall music venue, when, in 1973, the band was performing, and was driven off the stage by a barrage of bottles thrown from the crowd!
Kilmarnock Bus Station carries a sign more akin to an airport to my mind.
And so I say farewell to Ayr for a second time. Incidentally, the old Butlin's camp is still there - now run by Haven and now called 'Craig Tara'.
It's about a 45-minute drive back towards Kilmarnock. Again there is no-one to board or alight at Prestwick Airport.
Kilmarnock is the largest town in Ayrshire by population (46,770). It was voted the "UK's Friendliest Shopping Town" in 2006. Scottish singers The Proclaimers titled a song "The Joyful Kilmarnock Blues" on their first album, "This Is the Story", released in 1987, whilst the song "The Ballroom Blitz", by the band The Sweet was inspired by an event at the town's Grand Hall music venue, when, in 1973, the band was performing, and was driven off the stage by a barrage of bottles thrown from the crowd!
Kilmarnock Bus Station carries a sign more akin to an airport to my mind.
ABOVE: Various buses in evidence in Kilmarnock Bus Station - all Stagecoach vehicles
This is one of an expanding number of places to have had an 'opportunity' charging point for electric vehicles installed. Quarter-hourly local route 1, a straight-forward 10-mile run east to the village of Priestland, only takes 32 minutes from end-to-end, so a top-up charge can be obtained while buses stand in Kilmarnock.
ABOVE: Stagecoach West Scotland 76006 (SJ21 NFK, left) and 76004 (SJ21 NFG, right) take charge, literally, at Kilmarnock bus station, between journeys on route 1 from Priestland. Both are Volvo 7900E electric buses
Looking at the map with hindsight, the 1 might have been an interesting ride. It's certainly a popular one, with lengthy queues at the bus station as I arrive, and again half an hour later when I return.
I've got my eye on another run, though. One that I spotted on the outward trip to Ayr. This is another Stagecoach West Scotland service, route 11 to Ardrossan. This service runs every 12 minutes, and it will take 84 minutes to get to the other end, via completely new roads to me.
This route uses Enviro400 MMCs, and the 1236 departure is loading ahead of time. Only problem is that the friendly driver isn't too familiar with his ticket machine. He's re-joined Stagecoach this week from another operator, he says, after many years away. Whilst many operators use Ticketer Standard machines, Stagecoach buses use a completely different product, the Vix TP5800. I'm getting a bit technical here, but my reason for mentioning this is that I'm guessing that, if this driver was familiar with a Ticketer, that the transition to something very different will undoubtedly be quite challenging!
"Do you know how much it costs," asks the driver when I request a single to Ardrossan? Unfortunately no. He finds it eventually and it's a very reasonable £3.60 (that feels very reasonable after £9.10 from Newton Mearns to Ayr and £6.70 back to Kilmarnock - I'm not in England now so no £2.00 fare offers here). If I had known what I was going to do today I could have looked for a day ticket and probably saved a fortune...
The run starts quietly but there is steady trade all the way along. A few minutes out of Kilmarnock brings us to University Hospital Crosshouse. This is another of those hospitals that I stumble across regularly on my travels that has a large free car park that is absolutely rammed full of cars. I appreciate that some people cannot use the bus, but I wonder whether this place needs a plan of some sort to encourage some of those who can to do so?
The car park at University Hospital Crosshouse
In Crosshouse itself we get a view of the tower of the Parish Church (a much better view of the church can be found on Google Streetview).
Crosshouse, with the Parish Church in view (centre)
We pass through Springside, once "surrounded" by collieries, coal pits and freight only railway or tram lines; and Dreghorn, possibly Britain's oldest continuously inhabited village, where archaeological excavations have found a significant neolithic settlement provisionally dated to around 3500 BC.
We then come to Irvine, the largest settlement in North Ayrshire (33,698 people in 2011). The town was once a haunt of Robert Burns, after whom two streets in the town are named. Wikipedia also reports on conflicting rumours that Mary, Queen of Scots stayed briefly at Seagate Castle in the town. There is still a yearly festival, called Marymass, held in the town each August, and some sources suggest this may be connected to her.
Irvine is also the the birthplace of two former First Ministers of Scotland - Jack McConnell and Nicola Sturgeon.
ABOVE: Stagecoach West Scotland 28653 (SJ62 BJX), a Scania K230UB ADL Enviro300, in Irvine High Street on route 585 to Ayr
We stop to pick up a healthy number of passengers from Irvine High Street.
We're eight minutes late at this point and I have no idea where we have lost the time. We're due to stand here for three minutes which helps recover a little bit, but the schedule is slipping.
ABOVE: Stagecoach West Scotland 10916 (SN67 XAH), another Enviro400 MMC, passes through the Kilwinning Road / Fleming Terrace junction north of Irving Town Centre
Inevitably, with a relatively-frequent service, the next bus catches up and starts to scoop up the considerable queues that are now forming at some stops - this is a busy service (especially given that it's the middle of the day and nowhere near rush hour)!
As the next bus overtakes, I have the chance to observe the subtle but effective branding of "the Eleven". I particularly like the way that the number 11 also forms part of the letter E:
We continue through the town of Kilwinning - notable for housing the original Lodge of Freemasonry in Scotland - and then Stevenston - one of the "three towns" on the Firth of Clyde coast (the other two are next on route 11).
We get a first look at the aforementioned Firth of Clyde just down the road from Stevenston, in Saltcoats. The name is derived from the town's earliest industry, when salt was harvested from the sea water of the Firth of Clyde. Several shipyards operated here, producing some 60 to 70 ships, but this industry had gone by the early 19th century (source: Wikipedia).
ABOVE: Saltcoats station
A sharp right turn after crossing the bridge pictured above brings us alongside Saltcoats station, and also to the main shopping area, which looks quite expansive from a map. With the benefit of knowledge that I did not have at the time, maybe this is where I should have bailed out for a tea break...
ABOVE: Saltcoats station is just out of sight on the right as two Stagecoach West Scotland vehicles meet. Enviro400 MMC 10927 (SN67 XAV, left) calls on route 11 towards Ardrossan, whilst Optare Solo SR 47823 (ML59 BLU, right) is working local route 12 across the "three towns" of Stevenston, Saltcoats and Ardrossan. At the end of the road stands Kirkgate Parish Church
Saltcoats War Memorial now forms the centre of a traffic roundabout. I wonder if that was the case when it was erected?
ABOVE: Another Stagecoach Enviro400 MMC passes Saltcoats War Memorial on route 11 towards Kilmarnock, whilst 10927, which we have been following for some time, is just nipping ahead at the extreme right of the picture
The "three towns" here merge into one another, so it isn't quite obvious where Saltcoats ends and Ardrossan begins. As we pass Ardrossan South Beach, there's another War Memorial, barely half a mile from the one in Saltcoats.
ABOVE: Ardrossan South Beach, with the War Memorial in the centre of the picture, and the Ardrossan Church of Scotland to the right
The bus that should be behind, but is now in front, is a little ahead of schedule as it reaches Princes Street and stops for time. We overtake and head down Glasgow Street.
ABOVE: Princes Street, Ardrossan. We're just about to cross the railway line at Ardrossan Town station (right). The single-track line continues to Ardrossan Harbour to the left. 10927, the other 11 that we have been following, can be seen again, and another bus can just be picked out pulling out of Glasgow Street on the right
Having just passed Ardrossan Town station, I'm looking for the "town", but am getting the distinct feeling that I'm leaving it behind. As the bus turns into a residential road, McDowall Place, I cut my losses and leave. The 11 will continue for another eight or nine minutes to its terminus, deep in the residential northern part of town.
It's been a lovely ride on the 11, but I'm not exactly sure where I'm going from here...
TO BE CONTINUED...