__NOTOC__ The 23 was a

bus service Public transport bus services are generally based on regular operation of transit buses along a route calling at agreed bus stops according to a published public transport timetable. History of buses Origins While there are indications ...

which ran from

Stirling Stirling (; sco, Stirlin; gd, Sruighlea ) is a city in central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the royal citadel, the medieval old town with its me ...

St Andrews St Andrews ( la, S. Andrea(s); sco, Saunt Aundraes; gd, Cill Rìmhinn) is a town on the east coast of Fife in Scotland, southeast of Dundee and northeast of Edinburgh. St Andrews had a recorded population of 16,800 , making it Fife's fou ...

History

Operation

The route dated back to the 1930s, at which time it was numbered 298 and operated by W. Alexander & Sons between

Buchanan bus station Buchanan bus station is the main bus terminus in Glasgow, Scotland. The bus station is the terminus for journeys between the city and other towns and cities in Scotland, as well as long-distance services to other parts of the United Kingdom ...

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

, and

. The service was later renumbered as 23. After the company was split in 1961 by its parent, the

Scottish Bus Group The Scottish Bus Group (SBG) was a state-owned group of bus operators covering the whole of mainland Scotland. The origin of the grouping was the operators owned by and including the Scottish Motor Traction company, which were transferred to ...

, the service was operated by Alexander (Midland) and Alexander (Fife). In 1981, the route was shortened, with its eastern terminus now at Stirling. 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 Fife Scottish Omnibuses Ltd, is a bus operating company part of Stagecoach East Scotland based in Dunfermline, Scotland. History ''Stagecoach Fife'' can be traced back to 1909 and after buyout and mergers become part of Walter Alexander & Sons ...

, part of the Stagecoach group.

Decline and withdrawal

Service levels were progressively reduced, with Stagecoach citing a "decrease in demand". In 2017 only three return journeys ran per day. The number 23 bus was withdrawn completely in 2020. Stagecoach stated that it had been underperforming prior to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

and that it was operating at "a significant loss". The withdrawal drew criticism from local MSPs.

Aftermath

On 14 September 2020,

First Scotland East First South East & Central Scotland, formerly known as First Scotland East, was an operator of both local and regional bus services in Clackmannanshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, Falkirk, Fife, Midlothian, North Lanarkshire, Scottish B ...

introduced a new service numbered X53 which operates on the same route as the number 23, between Stirling and

Kinross Kinross (, gd, Ceann Rois) is a burgh in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, around south of Perth and around northwest of Edinburgh. It is the traditional county town of the historic county of Kinross-shire. History Kinross's origins are connect ...

. It serves areas, notably

Muckhart Muckhart ( gd, Muc-Àird) commonly refers to two small villages in Clackmannanshire, Scotland, Pool of Muckhart ( gd, Poll Mhuc-Àird) and Yetts o' Muckhart. Muckhart is one of the Hillfoots Villages, situated on the A91 around northeast of D ...

, that would otherwise have no bus service. Residents in Gateside have complained about the loss of bus services to St Andrews. 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.

Alternative services

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.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:23 Stirling-St Andrews Bus routes in Scotland Transport in Glasgow