Many people living in Stirlingshire’s villages rely on buses to get around.
In November, The Courier’s Stirling team tested out the X10A and 59 routes, to Gartmore and Callander, respectively.
Following publication, several readers got in touch to say they feel night-time services are lacking in the same areas.
To get a real idea of what the current situation is like for residents and regular visitors, Isla Glen and Alex Watson boarded the 59 and headed to Callander for an evening.
Read on to find out how they got on and what they made of Stirling’s evening bus provision.
One night in Callander
It’s Wednesday night in a cosy Callander pub, and a nearby group of young people are contemplating drink-driving home.
We can’t help but overhear.
Chalking my pool cue, I look at Alex and she looks at me. We’re both wondering the same thing: are we going to have to intervene here?
The debate intensifies. A taxi to Stirling would set them back £50, and there’s no bus later than 8.55pm.
Thankfully, they quickly talk themselves out of the idea of breaking the law and putting lives at risk for the sake of a few more pints.
Alex and I sigh with relief and go back to our game. (If you’re wondering, I win.)
But we’re not just in Callander to show off our prowess at the pool table.
Funnily enough, that last bus back to Stirling is our reason for paying the town a visit outside our usual working hours.
Our plan is to test the final 59 of the evening for ourselves, after a few locals indicated their dissatisfaction with the route’s timetable.
Steep fares on Stirling to Callander route
Getting to Callander from the Goosecroft Road stop, opposite Stirling railway station, is no hassle whatsoever.
The 5.10pm bus is running on time and, though it’s bustling with commuters, there’s plenty of space for us.
But our Adult DaySaver tickets for the return journey (55 minutes each way) set us back £10.55 each.
And, since then, fare prices have risen, meaning the same trip now costs £11.10 per adult.
The cost stems from the fact that the Stirling to Callander journey crosses from Midland Bluebird’s Stirling & Clacks Zone into its Trossachs Zone.
Someone travelling a comparable distance within the Stirling zone – from Stirling to Alloa, for example – would only pay £6.25 for a DaySaver fare.
The bus company does offer a cheaper Evening Saver ticket, but it can only be used after 6pm, meaning we would have had less than two hours to spend in Callander before we had to head home.
A wonderful, warm welcome
We arrive in the town on schedule, just after 6pm, and choose The Waverley on Main Street for a bite to eat.
We’re pleasantly surprised by how lively the pub is midweek during the winter, with customers of all ages.
There’s football on, and a nice buzz of conversation.
It’s a freezing cold night, but the bar is warm and welcoming, with friendly staff and chatty locals.
It’s great to see a few visitors, like us, braving the temperatures to check out Callander’s nightlife.
Alex and I tuck into some comforting pub grub, then make our way to the pool table.
We have a brilliant evening. In fact, we want to stay for a rematch.
But there’s one big problem: our 8.55pm cut-off.
Is public transport turning potential visitors off?
With no trains serving Callander, the number 59 bus is the only cost-effective option for anyone who can’t or doesn’t want to travel by car.
Even then, as we discovered, it isn’t a cheap journey.
And 8.55pm is the latest a bus ever leaves the town, even on Saturdays.
On Sundays, the service is significantly reduced, moving the last bus to the earlier time of 6pm.
While The Courier’s Stirling team can testify that Callander is a fantastic destination for a night out, we can understand why tourists and locals alike are put off the idea because of a lack of public transport.
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