Edinburgh Public Buses

Getting around Edinburgh

Edinburgh public buses.

The public buses are the best way  and sometimes the only way of getting to the city centre from the outskirts . Buses run 24 hours a day and are extremely frequent.

Various companies

Edinburgh has several bus companies that run through the heart of the city, but the most important are Lothian and First . Both companies share the same bus stops, but the bus numbers are different and each company has its own ticket.

Lothian is the dominant city operator with most buses and routes , while First, has fewer bus routes and focuses on the city's outskirts. 

If you’re not going to buy a day-ticket, then you won’t have to worry about what bus you take. However, if you decide to stay a little further away from the centre and need to buy a day-ticket, it’s important to see which bus line runs closest to your accommodation. Normally, the best option is to get a Lothian day-ticket, but it will depend on where you're staying. 

First and Lothian have similar prices but not exactly the same. For example: 

  • Single-journey adult ticket : A First ticket costs from £ 1.80 ( US$ 2.30) (depends on the distance of your trip), and a Lothian ticket is £ 1.70 ( US$ 2.20).
  • Single-journey child ticket : Both Lothian and First single tickets cost £ 0.90 ( US$ 1.20).
  • Lothian adult DAYticket : Lothian offers unlimited use of their buses and Edinburgh trams for one day for £ 4.50 ( US$ 5.80). First doesn't offer this type of ticket.
  • Lothian child DAYticket : £ 2.20 ( US$ 2.80).
  • Lothian Adult Airport DAYticket : This ticket offers unlimited use of Lothian buses and trams and includes travel to and from Edinburgh Airport for one day for £ 9 ( US$ 11.50). First buses do not run to the airport. 
  • Lothian Child Airport DAYticket :  £ 4.50 ( US$ 5.80).

Lothian and First both allow its passengers to purchase the tickets on the bus.

Note that a Lothian DAYticket is not valid on the night buses or on the Airlink (service 100) to Edinburgh Airport .

Exact change

If you want to purchase your single, return or day-ticket from the bus driver you have to have the correct fare as the drivers cannot give you any change . The tickets are bought from small ticket vending machines on the bus, so remember to save your change for these occasions .

The day buses run from 6 am until midnight . Outside this schedule, Edinburgh has night buses (the N lines).

Lothian bus on Princes Street

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Edinburgh Travel Guide

Edinburgh is a relatively small city, and its medieval air makes it ideal to visit by foot.

The Edinburgh tram was inaugurated, following several years of delays, in mid-2014. It has fifteen stations, which connect the airport with the new part of the city.

journey planner lothian bus

Lothian Buses

11 - hyvots bank - western harbour.

A bus service operated by Lothian Buses

Hyvots Bank - Western Harbour

Western harbour - hyvots bank.

Timetable data from the Traveline National Dataset (TNDS)

More information

  • Timetable on the Traveline Scotland website

Exact cash fare accepted

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Home / Easter weekend services and clocks ‘spring’ forward

Easter weekend services and clocks ‘spring’ forward Clocks go forward over Easter weekend (29 March - 1 April)

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Easter Weekend falls on 29 March – 1 April, with the clocks also moving forward an hour on Sunday 31 March to mark the start of British Summer Time (BST).

Easter Weekend service levels

Lothian Buses A Saturday service will be in operation on Good Friday (29 March) and Easter Monday (1 April). Services 15, 45 and 47/47B will operate a Public Holiday Timetable. See links below for timetable information.

  • Service 15 Public Holiday Timetable
  • Service 45 Public Holiday Timetable
  • Service 47/47B Public Holiday Timetable

EastCoastbuses A weekday service will be in operation on Good Friday (29 March) and Easter Monday (1 April).

Lothiancountry A weekday service will be in operation on Good Friday (29 March) and Easter Monday (1 April).

NightBus A weekday service will be in operation on Good Friday (29 March) and Easter Monday (1 April).

Clocks go forward on Sunday 31 March

At 0100 hrs on Sunday 31 March, clocks will move forward an hour, marking the start of BST.

Please see below for Nightbus service adjustments.

The last Nightbus journeys operating on British Summer Time (BST) are as follows: N3, N11, N14, N16, N22, N25, N30, N31, N35, N37, N44. 

The following services  will operate on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT):  N31, N35, N44.

The following Nightbus service adjustments will be in place:

  • The 0027 from Leith Street to Heriot Watt will operate at 0032.
  • The 0052 from Leith Street to Heriot Watt will not operate.
  • The 01:35 from Haymarket to Bonnyrigg will not operate.
  • The 02:14 from Bonnyrigg to Haymarket will not operate.
  • The 0102 from Ocean Terminal to Heriot Watt will operate at 0202.
  • The 0130 from Princes Street to Balerno will operate at 0230.
  • The 0104 from Balerno to Haymarket will operate at 0204.

Skylink N200 and N400 will operate on British Summer Time (BST):

  •   0305 from Ocean Terminal to Edinburgh Airport.
  •   0304 from Hyvots Bank to Edinburgh Airport.

N18, N28, N43, N107, N113, N124 will operate on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

  • The 0110 from Bathgate to Whitburn will operate at 0210.
  • The 0315 from Edinburgh to Bathgate will operate at 0415.
  • The 0115 from Bathgate to Livingston will operate at 0215.
  • The 0340 from Edinburgh to Deans North will operate at 0340.
  • The 0120 from Queensferry to Leith Street will operate at 0220.
  • The 0210 from Leith Street to Queensferry will operate at 0310.
  • The 0120 from Haddington to Dunbar will operate at 0220.
  • The 0155 from Dunbar to Haddington will operate at 0255.
  • The 0224 from Haddington to Edinburgh will operate at 0324.
  • The 0311 from Edinburgh to Haddington will operate at 0411.
  • The 0414 from Haddington to Musselburgh will operate at 0514.
  • The 0158 from Ormiston to Edinburgh will operate at 0258.
  • The 0251 from Edinburgh to Ormiston will operate at 0351.
  • The 0358 from Ormiston to Musselburgh will operate at 0458.
  • The 0201 from North Berwick to Edinburgh will operate at 0301.
  • The 0320 from Edinburgh to Longniddry will operate at 0420.
  • The 0420 from Longniddry to Musselburgh will operate at 0520.

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  1. Journey Planner

    Network Maps - It's easy to select the bus you need or plan your journey with our interactive route maps. Timetables - For those all important bus times, we have detailed timetables for every service across the network. Our Services. Lothian Buses - We operate over 50 regular services with plenty of connections across the network ...

  2. The official app for Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams

    Instant departures. We know most of our customers use the app when they're at a bus or tram stop - so we've made life easier with instant departures. As soon as you open the app, we'll show you departure times for the three nearest stops to you, plus if you tap on any stop on the map, we'll show you a mini departure board - perfect for ...

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    The travel app from Lothian has everything you need to get around Edinburgh with Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams. INSTANT DEPARTURES. Open up the app and we'll show you live times for the three nearest stops near you. An interactive map shows you every bus and tram stop around you - just tap on one to bring up an instant departure board ...

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  6. Lothian Buses Help Centre

    Network Maps - It's easy to select the bus you need or plan your journey with our interactive route maps. Timetables - For those all important bus times, we have detailed timetables for every service across the network. Our Services. Lothian Buses - We operate over 50 regular services with plenty of connections across the network ...

  7. How do I track my bus?

    Network Maps - It's easy to select the bus you need or plan your journey with our interactive route maps. Timetables - For those all important bus times, we have detailed timetables for every service across the network. Our Services. Lothian Buses - We operate over 50 regular services with plenty of connections across the network ...

  8. Maps & Times

    Network Maps - It's easy to select the bus you need or plan your journey with our interactive route maps. Timetables - For those all important bus times, we have detailed timetables for every service across the network. Our Services. Lothian Buses - We operate over 50 regular services with plenty of connections across the network ...

  9. Traveline Scotland

    Timetables and journey planner for all bus, rail, coach, air and ferry services in Scotland. Also open 24 hours by phone on 0871 200 22 33.

  10. Edinburgh Public Buses

    Lothian child DAYticket: £ 2.20 ( US$ 2.80). Lothian Adult Airport DAYticket : This ticket offers unlimited use of Lothian buses and trams and includes travel to and from Edinburgh Airport for one day for £ 9 ( US$ 11.50). First buses do not run to the airport. Lothian Child Airport DAYticket : £ 4.50 ( US$ 5.80).

  11. Traveline Scotland

    Timetables and journey planner for all bus, rail, coach, air and ferry services in Scotland. Also open 24 hours by phone on 0871 200 22 33.

  12. How can I check my payment and journey history?

    Network Maps - It's easy to select the bus you need or plan your journey with our interactive route maps. Timetables - For those all important bus times, we have detailed timetables for every service across the network. Our Services. Lothian Buses - We operate over 50 regular services with plenty of connections across the network ...

  13. Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams Live Vehicle Map

    Do you want to see where your bus or tram is right now? Check out the Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams Live Vehicle Map, a handy tool that shows you the location and status of every vehicle in the network. You can also plan your journey, find the best routes and get alerts for any disruptions.

  14. 1

    1 - Clermiston - Seafield. A bus service operated by Lothian Buses Close map. Timetable; Map

  15. Home

    Lothian has been keeping Edinburgh moving for over 100 years, connecting local communities across Edinburgh and the Lothians. With over 70 services and 700 buses running day and night throughout the year, Lothian are part of the fabric of the local communities we serve, providing key and critical journeys for our customers.

  16. Balerno

    44 - Balerno - Wallyford or Whitecraig. A bus service operated by Lothian Buses Close map. Timetable; Map

  17. Heriot Watt

    34 - Heriot Watt - Ocean Terminal. A bus service operated by Lothian Buses. Timetable. Map (tracking 9 buses)

  18. Hyvots Bank

    11 - Hyvots Bank - Western Harbour. A bus service operated by Lothian Buses Close map. Timetable; Map

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  20. Bus tracking

    Menu. Live Travel Info. Journey Planner - Travelling around Edinburgh and the surrounding areas has never been easier with our popular Journey Planner.; Live bus times - With our live tracker we follow the location of your bus and tell you when it's due to arrive at your stop.; Service Updates - Check here for the latest alerts and diversions.; Maps & Times

  21. Easter weekend services and clocks 'spring' forward

    Network Maps - It's easy to select the bus you need or plan your journey with our interactive route maps. Timetables - For those all important bus times, ... Lothian Buses A Saturday service will be in operation on Good Friday (29 March) and Easter Monday (1 April). Services 15, 45 and 47/47B will operate a Public Holiday Timetable.

  22. What tickets options are available on your services?

    Network Maps - It's easy to select the bus you need or plan your journey with our interactive route maps. Timetables - For those all important bus times, we have detailed timetables for every service across the network. Our Services. Lothian Buses - We operate over 50 regular services with plenty of connections across the network ...