Dumbiedykes dilemma.
The recent withdrawal of Lothian’s bus service 6 in Edinburgh was another indication of ongoing difficulties in trying to provide a suitable bus service to the Dumbiedykes corner of the city. Ongoing changes to a previous service over 40 years ago indicate this is nothing new. This Dumbiedykes Circle service was introduced on 28 January 1973 from Saint Andrew Square via North Bridge, High Street, St Mary’s Street, Holyrood Road and Viewcraig Street, returning to High Street, then via Bank Street, Mound, Hanover Street and George Street. It was operated by a Seddon Midibus every 20 minutes during the day all week (Sundays only from 1200) with a flat fare of 3p. Hunter states that the midibus proved unpopular and was replaced by a normal single decker. The next timetable print (22nd July 1973) indicates the route has been pulled from Viewcraig Street and the terminus is shown as Holyrood Palace at foot of Holyrood Road. There was a further timetable dated 6th January 1974 and the route now starts at Waverley Bridge via Princes Street, Mound, Bank Street, High Street, Canongate, Horse Wynd, Holyrood Road, St. Mary’s Street, High Street, Bank Street, Market Street and Waverley Bridge. A further timetable dated 6th October 1974 now describes it as Waverley and Meadowbank Circle with frequency reduced to every 30 minutes and flat fare now 5p. The route was the same between Waverley Bridge and Canongate but it then continued outwards via Abbeyhill, Abbeymount, Montrose Terrace, London Road, Meadowbank Terrace, Royal Park Terrace, and Spring Gardens. The return to the city then proceeded via Abbeyhill, Horse Wynd, Holyrood Road, St Mary’s Street, High Street and as before back to Waverley Bridge. The service was taken over by LRT at regionalisation on 16th May 1975 but I am not sure how long it survived after that. There was certainly a service 60 between Dumbiedykes/Holyrood and Bristo Square around 2008 when it was being operated by Lothian under the Mac Tours brand and later that year it seems to have been taken over by Edinburgh Coach Lines. A 2008 photo can be seen here flic.kr/p/W1i4U8
Dumbiedykes dilemma.
The recent withdrawal of Lothian’s bus service 6 in Edinburgh was another indication of ongoing difficulties in trying to provide a suitable bus service to the Dumbiedykes corner of the city. Ongoing changes to a previous service over 40 years ago indicate this is nothing new. This Dumbiedykes Circle service was introduced on 28 January 1973 from Saint Andrew Square via North Bridge, High Street, St Mary’s Street, Holyrood Road and Viewcraig Street, returning to High Street, then via Bank Street, Mound, Hanover Street and George Street. It was operated by a Seddon Midibus every 20 minutes during the day all week (Sundays only from 1200) with a flat fare of 3p. Hunter states that the midibus proved unpopular and was replaced by a normal single decker. The next timetable print (22nd July 1973) indicates the route has been pulled from Viewcraig Street and the terminus is shown as Holyrood Palace at foot of Holyrood Road. There was a further timetable dated 6th January 1974 and the route now starts at Waverley Bridge via Princes Street, Mound, Bank Street, High Street, Canongate, Horse Wynd, Holyrood Road, St. Mary’s Street, High Street, Bank Street, Market Street and Waverley Bridge. A further timetable dated 6th October 1974 now describes it as Waverley and Meadowbank Circle with frequency reduced to every 30 minutes and flat fare now 5p. The route was the same between Waverley Bridge and Canongate but it then continued outwards via Abbeyhill, Abbeymount, Montrose Terrace, London Road, Meadowbank Terrace, Royal Park Terrace, and Spring Gardens. The return to the city then proceeded via Abbeyhill, Horse Wynd, Holyrood Road, St Mary’s Street, High Street and as before back to Waverley Bridge. The service was taken over by LRT at regionalisation on 16th May 1975 but I am not sure how long it survived after that. There was certainly a service 60 between Dumbiedykes/Holyrood and Bristo Square around 2008 when it was being operated by Lothian under the Mac Tours brand and later that year it seems to have been taken over by Edinburgh Coach Lines. A 2008 photo can be seen here flic.kr/p/W1i4U8