23 | |
---|---|
Overview | |
Operator | Stagecoach East Scotland |
Began service | 1930s |
Ended service | 2020 |
Route | |
Start | Stirling |
End | St Andrews |
The 23 was a bus service which ran from Stirling to St Andrews.
The route dated back to the 1930s, at which time it was numbered 298 and operated by W. Alexander & Sons between Buchanan bus station, Glasgow, and St Andrews. The service was later renumbered as 23. After the company was split in 1961 by its parent, the Scottish Bus Group, the service was operated by Alexander (Midland) and Alexander (Fife). In 1981, the route was shortened, with its eastern terminus now at Stirling. [1] However, some Glasgow to St Andrews journeys continued to operate on Friday and Saturday evenings primarily for the benefit of university students. Through privatisation of British bus services and subsequent ownership changes, the route was acquired by Fife Scottish, part of the Stagecoach group. [2]
Service levels were progressively reduced, with Stagecoach citing a "decrease in demand". [3] In 2017 only three return journeys ran per day. [2] The number 23 bus was withdrawn completely in 2020. [4] [5] [6] Stagecoach stated that it had been underperforming prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and that it was operating at "a significant loss". The withdrawal drew criticism from local MSPs. [7]
On 14 September 2020, First Scotland East introduced a new service numbered X53 which operates on the same route as the number 23, between Stirling and Kinross. It serves areas, notably Muckhart, that would otherwise have no bus service. [8] Residents in Gateside have complained about the loss of bus services to St Andrews. [9]
9th January 2022: Service X53 between Stirling and Kinross was withdrawn, meaning passengers have to get service 52 to Tillicoultry then 202 (Stagecoach) to Kinross.
Today, the X24 service from Glasgow to St Andrews is significantly quicker than the number 23. However, it does not travel via Stirling or Kinross. To get this service, you'll have to get service 38 from Stirling bus Station to Falkirk, getting off at Forth Valley Royal Hospital for the change to St Andrews. [2]
Perth is a centrally located Scottish city, on the banks of the River Tay. It is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and is the historic county town of Perthshire. It had a population of about 47,430 in 2018. There has been a settlement at Perth since prehistoric times. It is a natural mound raised slightly above the flood plain of the Tay. The area surrounding the modern city is known to have been occupied ever since the arrival of Mesolithic hunter-gatherers. Nearby Neolithic standing stones and circles date from about 4,000 BC, a period that followed the introduction of farming into the area. Close to Perth is Scone Abbey, which formerly housed the Stone of Scone, on which the King of Scots were traditionally crowned. This enhanced the early importance of the city, and Perth became known as a "capital" of Scotland due to the frequent residence there of the royal court. Royal burgh status was given to the city by King William the Lion in the early 12th century. The city became one of the richest burghs in the country, engaging in trade with France, the Low Countries, and the Baltic countries, and importing goods such as Spanish silk and French wine.
Fife is a council area, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries with Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire. By custom it is widely held to have been one of the major Pictish kingdoms, known as Fib, and is still commonly known as the Kingdom of Fife within Scotland. A person from Fife is known as a Fifer. In older documents the county was very occasionally known by the anglicisation Fifeshire.
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The X53 was a bus service between Stirling and Kinross, Scotland.
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