Lothian Buses
The principal municipal bus operator serving Edinburgh and surrounding parts of eastern Scotland.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Lothian Buses is a major public-transport operator headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland. It provides the majority of local bus services in Edinburgh and maintains a substantial regional network extending into East Lothian, Midlothian and West Lothian. The company is the largest municipally owned bus operator in the United Kingdom. Its ownership is distributed among four local authorities, with the City of Edinburgh Council holding the dominant share through Edinburgh Transport Holdings and smaller interests held by Midlothian, East Lothian and West Lothian councils. The business is the modern successor to Edinburgh's municipal transport undertaking, whose history reaches back to the Edinburgh Street Tramways Company of 1871. Municipal operation began in 1919, when Edinburgh Corporation took over the city's tramways. The network was electrified during the early 1920s, and motor buses were introduced alongside trams. After the last Edinburgh trams were withdrawn during the 1950s, the undertaking became increasingly bus-focused. It was renamed Lothian Region Transport after local-government reorganisation in 1975 and adopted the Lothian Buses name in January 2000. The core Lothian network is built around frequent urban routes crossing central Edinburgh and connecting residential districts, employment areas, universities, shopping districts and transport interchanges. The operator also runs night buses and airport services, notably Airlink 100 between Edinburgh Airport and Waverley Bridge. Other airport links have operated under the Skylink brand, although some Skylink routes were subsequently withdrawn or converted into conventional city services. Lothian's public-facing offer includes ordinary single fares, day tickets, prepaid multi-journey products, contactless bank-card payment and the Ridacard smartcard, which supports unlimited travel on eligible bus and tram services for selected periods. The wider group includes Lothian Country, East Coast Buses, Edinburgh Bus Tours, Lothian Motorcoaches and Eve Coaches. These brands allow the organisation to serve different geographic markets and fare structures while retaining common ownership. East Coast Buses expanded the group's presence in East Lothian after First Scotland East withdrew from the county, while Lothian Country was developed to provide services west of Edinburgh, including links toward South Queensferry and West Lothian. Lothian is also associated with Edinburgh's integrated transport system through its ownership relationship with Edinburgh Trams, although the bus company and tram operation are distinct operating businesses. Its visual identity has traditionally used dark red and cream, later supplemented by differentiated liveries for airport and regional services. The operator has progressively replaced high-floor vehicles with accessible low-floor buses and has adopted contactless ticketing and capped fares. It remains an important civic transport institution, combining public ownership with commercial bus operations and a broad regional service portfolio.
History
Lothian Buses traces its institutional history to Edinburgh's nineteenth-century street-transport companies. The Edinburgh Street Tramways Company was established in 1871, and the city's transport system was later shaped by tramway undertakings serving Edinburgh, Leith, Musselburgh and northern districts. In 1919, Edinburgh Corporation assumed responsibility for the tramways. At that point much of the network still used cable traction, but electrification was completed in 1923. Motor buses had already begun appearing in 1919, establishing the mixed tram-and-bus model that would define the undertaking for several decades. Edinburgh's tram system was progressively closed between 1950 and 1956. Following the end of tram operation, the municipal organisation became the Edinburgh Corporation Transport Department and concentrated on bus services. A major fleet-development phase followed. In 1965 the operator purchased its first rear-engined double-decker, a Leyland Atlantean, and almost 600 buses were added over the next seventeen years. Double-deck operation subsequently became a defining characteristic of the Edinburgh network. Local-government reorganisation brought a new corporate identity. On 16 May 1975, Edinburgh Corporation Transport was renamed Lothian Region Transport. The organisation continued as a publicly controlled regional bus undertaking, serving Edinburgh and neighbouring areas. In January 2000 it adopted the name Lothian Buses, under which it developed the current network and group structure. The company modernised its fleet during the late 1990s and 2000s, particularly through the introduction of low-floor accessible vehicles. A temporary harlequin colour scheme distinguished many of the early accessible buses, but this was gradually replaced by a modernised version of the traditional dark-red-and-white identity. The last harlequin vehicle was repainted in 2016. A new angular fleet livery, first associated with new buses on route 22 in 2016, became the standard design for subsequent vehicle deliveries. Lothian expanded beyond its traditional Edinburgh base in response to changes in competing operators' networks. In 2012 it launched services into East Lothian after First Scotland East withdrew a route to Pencaitland. These services were initially presented as East Lothian Buses and later Lothian Country Buses. After First announced a wider withdrawal from East Lothian in 2016, Lothian created East Coast Buses, acquired the former operator's depots at North Berwick and Musselburgh, and recruited many former staff. The regional services were integrated under the East Coast Buses operation from April 2017. Lothian Country was subsequently used for western expansion. In June 2017 it began operating route 43 to South Queensferry after Stagecoach East Scotland judged the service uneconomic. From August 2018 the subsidiary introduced routes linking Edinburgh with West Lothian towns including Bathgate and Whitburn. Further express and night services followed, although some routes were later withdrawn or altered in response to demand and network priorities. Airport services have been another important area of development. Airlink 100 provides a dedicated connection between Edinburgh Airport and Waverley Bridge, while routes 17 and 18 also serve the airport. The Skylink brand was used for additional cross-city airport routes, including Skylink 200, 300 and 400. Skylink 300 was withdrawn in 2022 because of low demand, and Skylink 200 and 400 were converted into conventional city services in April 2025. Ticketing has also evolved. Lothian introduced a flat-fare system in March 2006 for much of its urban network. Ridacard provides prepaid unlimited travel on eligible services, while contactless bank-card payment was introduced across the day network in 2019 with daily and weekly capping. The company has received repeated industry recognition, including UK, national and Scottish transport awards for service development, accessibility, innovation and operational performance.
- 2025
Skylink restructuring
[1]Skylink 200 and 400 were replaced by conventional services 17 and 18.
- 2019
Contactless day-network payment launched
[1]Contactless bank-card payment and fare capping were introduced on the regular day network.
- 2017
Airlink contactless fares introduced
[1]Airlink 100 began accepting contactless card payments in addition to established fare methods.
- 2017
East Coast Buses begins operation
[1]The new subsidiary took over services and former depots associated with First Scotland East's East Lothian withdrawal.
- 2012
East Lothian expansion begins
[1]The operator launched service 113 after a competing operator withdrew a route to Pencaitland.
- 2006
Flat-fare system introduced
[1]Lothian introduced its flat-fare structure across the principal urban network.
- 2000
Lothian Buses name adopted
[1]The operator changed its name from Lothian Region Transport to Lothian Buses.
- 1975
Renamed Lothian Region Transport
[1]Following local-government reorganisation, Edinburgh Corporation Transport adopted the Lothian Region Transport name.
- 1965
First rear-engined double-decker acquired
[1]The undertaking purchased a Leyland Atlantean, beginning a major period of double-decker fleet expansion.
- 1923
Tram electrification completed
[1]The Edinburgh tram network completed its transition from cable operation to electric traction.
Products and positioning
Municipally owned public-transport operator focused on frequent, accessible urban and regional bus services.
Urban bus network
Lothian city services
The core network serves Edinburgh's central districts, suburbs, universities, employment areas and surrounding towns. Many routes cross the city centre between opposing termini, creating high-frequency corridors on major streets. The network includes both double-deck and single-deck accessible buses and uses the company's principal urban livery.
Airport bus service
Airlink 100
Airlink 100 is Lothian's dedicated airport route linking Edinburgh Airport with Waverley Bridge. It operates in a separate airport fare zone and has used dedicated blue liveries and successive generations of new double-deck vehicles. Contactless payment was added in 2017.
Night bus network
Night buses
Lothian operates a comprehensive night network connecting Edinburgh city centre with residential districts and selected surrounding communities. Regional subsidiaries have also introduced night routes where demand and geography support overnight links.
Transit smartcard
Ridacard
Ridacard is a prepaid photographic smartcard offering unlimited travel for weekly, four-weekly or annual periods on eligible daytime and night buses and Edinburgh Trams. Cards can be topped up through Lothian sales channels and participating PayPoint retailers.
Regional bus subsidiary · 2017
East Coast Buses
East Coast Buses serves East Lothian and neighbouring areas using a distinct regional identity and zonal fares. The subsidiary was created to replace services lost after First Scotland East withdrew from the county and took over former depots at North Berwick and Musselburgh.
Regional bus subsidiary · 2017
Lothian Country
Lothian Country provides services west of Edinburgh, including links to South Queensferry and West Lothian. Its network has included routes to Bathgate, Whitburn, Linlithgow and Armadale, together with regional and night services introduced as the operation expanded.
Sightseeing bus operation
Edinburgh Bus Tours
Edinburgh Bus Tours is a group subsidiary operating open-top sightseeing services for visitors to Edinburgh. It complements the scheduled bus network with tourism-focused routes and commentary services.
Brand decisions
2025
Conversion of Skylink 200 and 400StrategyBackground
Lothian reviewed the branding and fare structure of its airport services and sought to integrate selected routes more closely with the city network.
Action taken
Skylink 200 and Skylink 400 were withdrawn and replaced by conventional services 17 and 18.
Aftermath
The replacement services restored airport links under standard city-service presentation and, for the affected routes, city fares.
2022
Withdrawal of Skylink 300StrategyBackground
Passenger demand on the airport route was reported to be too low to justify continued operation.
Action taken
Skylink 300 was withdrawn from the timetable in September 2022.
Aftermath
Airport coverage was concentrated on the remaining routes and later network changes.
2019
Launch of contactless bus paymentProduct launchBackground
Lothian sought to make boarding and fare payment more convenient for occasional passengers while retaining cash, tickets and Ridacard products.
Action taken
The company introduced contactless debit- and credit-card payment on the day network, with daily and weekly fare capping and online journey-history access.
Aftermath
Contactless payment became an additional mainstream payment channel across the network.
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