Highland games, stunning scenery and rich in culture, it’s no wonder visitors flock to Royal Deeside during the summer months — but how easy is it to get around by bus?
And with more people potentially using the service to explore the area, what does that mean for locals who rely on buses to get them to work or to pick up essential shopping?
I’d heard from some that they were expensive and unreliable, with many not turning up and the journey taking far too long.
I wanted to see what bus services across Deeside were really like, so I took five buses (yes, you read that right) to find out for myself.
The first was Aberdeen to Braemar, then on the way back I stopped in Ballater, Aboyne and Banchory before finally getting the bus home to Aberdeen.
While on my tour of Deeside I chatted to locals and visitors around the three villages and town to find out what people thought about the services.
Read on to find out about:
- My own experience getting the bus from Aberdeen to Braemar, and how easily I managed to travel across Deeside
- What locals and visitors in Braemar, Ballater, Aboyne and Banchory thought of the services
- Confusion caused by a “shuttle bus” between two villages
- How our services compare to buses in Paris
- If car is king in Deeside, or would people prefer to take the bus?
An early start at Aberdeen bus station
I arrived at the bus station bleary-eyed and clutching a coffee for the 201 bus to Braemar at 7.15am. It’s not really that early, but on a Saturday morning, it felt it.
To my surprise, quite a few more people were waiting around, with some carrying huge backpacks — so it wasn’t quite the empty bus station I had envisioned.
I wasn’t waiting long before a double-decker bus pulled into stance 9, and people suddenly flocked into a queue.
Teens carrying camping gear and a couple wearing hiking boots and backpacks were among the passengers pilling onto the double-decker. I maybe shouldn’t have been surprised, but I didn’t expect so many people to catch the first bus of the day to Deeside.
I bought a day rider for £18.30 for my tour, which was reasonable considering just how many stops I was going to make — but if I had just been going to Braemar and back I thought it was a bit steep.
The bus itself wasn’t what I imagined for such a long journey either — I thought we’d be getting a big, yellow comfy coach and couldn’t help but feel a tad dismayed while I followed the others and clambered up the stairs to the top deck.
But when I took a seat, it wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought. The seats were comfy, and they had USB charging ports which I thought was so handy. The bus was brightly lit and so clean — although, that may have been because it was the first one.
Either way, I nestled into my spot ready for the 2 hour and 12 minute ride to Braemar.
A twisty journey and a little bit of confusion in Ballater
I forgot how many narrow, windy roads there are on the way to Braemar and sitting on the top deck may have been a wee bit of a mistake considering you felt every twist and turn.
But otherwise, it was a pretty smooth ride.
We arrived in Ballater shortly before 9am and everyone around me got off the bus. I was a bit confused and headed down the stairs to find out if there was another bus waiting to take us to the last leg of the journey to Braemar.
However, the friendly bus driver assured me the bus was changing to the 203 and going the full distance, so I stayed on board but instead chose a seat downstairs.
Everyone piled back on too including a couple of new people, it seemed no one really knew what was going on with the bus and if it was changing over or not. A theme that kept popping up throughout my day — but more on that later.
Sitting down the stairs, I heard the bus driver call out the stop for Balmoral Castle to a tourist with a small suitcase. She then started asking him for directions, and it struck me just how helpful they really are, and how the bus drivers also end up being tour guides in the area.
First stop: Braemar!
We finally arrived in Braemar just before 9.30am, and it was a grey, misty morning.
The sleepy village was so quiet, apart from all the passengers pilling off the bus and darting off in different directions — keen to see the sights or maybe even get to work on time.
Waiting at the easy to miss bus stop at the Post Office on Mar Road I spotted two young women pouring over the bus timetable with huge rucksacks.
Manon Pecquenard told me she and her friend Pauline Morisot were both visiting Scotland for the first time from their home near Paris.
The 18-year-olds had made it to Braemar by taking different buses and walking some of the way and now they were planning to get a bus to Balmoral Castle before getting another one to Aberdeen.
“It’s more simple for us,” Manon explained adding, “everything has been good so far.”
I asked them how they found our bus service compared to the ones back home.
“It is more expensive here,” she admitted, “but the buses here are more comfortable, so it’s ok for us.”
Deeside visitor praises ‘fast and cheap’ bus service
Blazej Szcesniak was also visiting the area from Fife and spent seven days walking from Aberdeen to Ballater. He got the bus from the village to visit Braemar before travelling back to the Granite City.
The 38-year-old, originally from Poland, says he uses public transport to travel around the UK for his hiking trips, but he says he loves the Cairngorms the most.
“The bus from Ballater to Braemar was really fast, just 25 minutes that’s perfect for me,” he told me while shifting the heavy rucksack on his shoulders.
“I paid 18 quid for a ticket today and it’s very good to be honest, it’s very cheap.”
I couldn’t help but raise my eyebrows and he quipped back: “It is! It’s a very far distance and I think it’s fair…
“I like Stagecoach, they’re in the Fife area too and I use it there as well.”
Braemar to Ballater
I was back at the bus stop on Mar Road waiting for the 203 bus to Ballater at 11.40am, and again a big double-decker came trundling to a stop.
Since it was just under 30 minutes I stayed down the stairs and overheard some confusion as we were pulling to a stop in Ballater. One of the locals was looking to carry on to Aboyne, but she wasn’t sure if she should stay on the bus or not — but sure enough the bus was carrying on so she sat back down.
As I got off and walked along Golf Road I started chatting to Douglas Davidson, who had just been on the same bus as me.
The 83-year-old said he gets the bus from Braemar to Ballater at least twice a week to get to the Coop and other shops in the village. Douglas explained he doesn’t have a driving licence anymore and that is why he takes the bus.
“I think at the moment it is adequate,” he said. “I really do. But there was a spate where they weren’t turning up, or they were always running late.
“There was actually one bus that went on fire. But I must admit lately they’ve been pretty good. And the timetable change on August 19 just means there will be no more bus changes in Ballater…
“That has been a sore point.”
Parked cars line streets in Deeside village
As I wandered around Ballater I couldn’t help but notice so many parked cars.
They surrounded the church, the roads around about like Bridge Street, and in the free Church Square car park. Looking around, it felt as though there were more cars than people on the streets.
And most people I tried speaking to told me they all drive and don’t use the bus service at all.
However, I did start speaking to one elderly couple sitting on a bench sharing a flask of tea together. They had driven from Drumoak because they had a few errands to run and more stops planned than just Ballater, however, because they have a bus pass they use the service quite frequently.
The elderly couple agreed the bus is “much easier” for them than driving into Aberdeen now, particularly because of the bus gates, low emission zone and the stress of trying to work out where to park.
And they told me while it’s “no worries and no hassle” to take the bus right into Aberdeen city centre, there have been times it hasn’t turned up — including a time when she had to miss a dentist appointment.
‘It’s very expensive and too many stops’
However, not everyone I spoke to thinks the bus is quite as hassle free. Mr Parker, who lives in Ballater and doesn’t drive, uses the bus to get into Aberdeen.
“I wouldn’t call it reliable,” he said. “It’s quite often late, and sometimes doesn’t show up at all.
“I also think it takes too long and there’s too many bus stops in Banchory, it goes up the hill, then down the hill, then back up the hill and down the hill. It’s pretty tiresome if you do it quite often.”
According to the 36-year-old, it takes just shy of two hours to get to Aberdeen and he thinks it’s “very expensive” at £28 for an open return to the Granite City.
“I think people that think it’s fine probably have bus cards, over 60s and under 22s.” Chuckling he added: “I’d probably think it was fine too if I didn’t have to pay for it.
“And, I’d probably go into Aberdeen more if the bus was better and cheaper.”
From Ballater to Aboyne
At 2.15pm the 201 bus, again another double-decker, tightly strained around the corner onto Golf Road and I jumped on board once again flashing my day rider.
I saw Manon and her friend board the bus with their huge backpacks, they warmly greeted me and said they had enjoyed the castle.
This was such a short journey and like the others before had gone pretty smoothly.
What do you think about buses in Braemar, Ballater, Aboyne and Banchory? Let us know in the comments section below
‘We’re lucky to have a bus service’
But once in Aboyne, I quickly realised just how many cars were about with free car parks on Ballater Road and and Station Square, just like in Ballater.
I started chatting to Joyce Wright at the bus stop though, and I recognised her from the earlier confusion on the Braemar to Ballater bus.
She told me she uses the buses quite regularly, whether that’s for shopping or for just heading to another village for something different to do.
She said the shuttle bus between Ballater and Braemar is a “carry on” and she knows people who have been stuck waiting hours for the next service.
The pensioner added that it takes “nearly an hour” for the bus to get out of Aberdeen because of the many stops around Peterculter, even though two other buses serve the area.
“It’s very badly planned out,” Joyce said. “The drivers are lovely, it’s nae their fault.
“We’re lucky we have a bus service because Braemar is a long way from away really.
“It’s fine for us, if it did all stop it would be a nightmare. So you canna afford to complain too much.”
And with that, she was scrambling to get her bags together as the bus she’d been waiting on to take her back to Braemar pulled into the stop.
Aboyne to Banchory
With only two more buses to catch, I was starting to get a bit worried that my trip was going a bit too smoothly.
And while my 3.35pm bus from Aboyne to Banchory was late, thankfully it was only by 10 minutes, and although it was the busiest bus I’d been on I still managed to get a seat.
It was now after 4pm and a sudden bout of drizzly rain seemed to be driving everyone inside as I wandered around Banchory.
A local shop worker, who didn’t want to be named, told me she relies on the bus to get her to work in Banchory from Aberdeen.
She said at the weekends the bus service is normally fine, but during the week it’s “often late or doesn’t turn up”.
Her boss even has to drive to Aberdeen to pick her up when the buses don’t show up.
Buses in Deeside run smoother than in Buchan says visitors
Every year, Michelle Girling and Edna Grant stay in Banchory during the summer months with their husbands. The group from Peterhead use them to explore Deeside and get into Aberdeen.
Both praised the bus services in the area and said they use them because they all have their bus passes and it’s easier than driving. They weren’t quite as positive about the services in Peterhead — but that’s another story.
Edna admitted: “Some of them are dated, the single deckers are a bit past it, but if you get a double-decker it’s brilliant.
“Bus drivers on this route are very friendly, they’ll stop anywhere, no complaints.
“We’ve got nae qualms.”
Michelle added: “Especially now in Aberdeen with all these bus gates, working out where to park, how to get to the car parks, you’re cheaper getting the bus and it’s stress-free.”
The last leg: Banchory to Aberdeen
It was finally time for me to get my fifth, and last, bus home. I caught the 5.41pm 202 bus from Banchory to Aberdeen and it took 58 minutes.
It was probably the emptiest bus I’d been on all day, but it was yet again another big comfy service and I settled down with my book to relax for the hour.
The ride back to Aberdeen was smooth, although after speaking to some I realised just how many stops there truly were in Banchory… and can now understand why a 30 minute car ride can take up to an hour via the bus instead.
I decided to head out on a Saturday because I wanted to try speak to a mixture of locals and visitors, so I could see what the thoughts were from both sides.
I was surprised to hear from some visitors that the buses in the area were cheap and easy to use, but I also spotted a lot of private coaches taking people on tours of the area.
And the local reaction was quite mixed too, with some saying they were expensive and took too long while others really appreciated having a bus service, and had no issues with it at all.
In conclusion: just how easy was it to explore Deeside by bus?
Personally, I was pretty impressed with the service. As I mentioned, my mission was tightly planned and I knew I had to get certain buses or the whole day might have been scuppered.
Thankfully, I experienced absolutely no disruption, apart from the bus from Aboyne being 10 minutes late which didn’t make much of a difference.
It could well be that services are better on a Saturday and during the week they’re very different.
Getting the bus from each destination was easy enough and although the buses between Ballater and Braemar were once every two hours, the rest were all hourly which didn’t feel as bad.
Confusingly, a single to Braemar from Aberdeen is £22.50 according to the Stagecoach website. So it’s definitely cheaper to get a day rider at £18.30.
It is quite expensive, and I’m sure no one is likely to stop in three villages and a town all in one day…
It did take quite a bit longer than driving, and with free parking in Ballater and Aboyne, I’d still be more tempted to take the cheaper option and drive.
Especially because I was going with my partner taking the bus would work out at nearly £40 just for a day out, before you even think about spending money in all the beautiful shops and cafes sampling Deeside’s offerings.
Conversation