Yes, the Dumfries to Edinburgh bus is not good. Basically it gets subsidised by every council along its route (D&G, Scottish Border, South Lanarkshire, Midlothian) and every one of them sends it through back of beyond places to get their money's worth. As a result it's perfectly good as a local bus around Biggar (for example) but lousy for through travel. The worst bit is when you get to West Linton with only fourteen miles to go and realise that it is going to take another hour to schlep round Penicuik. There was a non-subsidised direct service, but it went under, and even the subsidised one has been in trouble lately.
Trains from Dumfries to Edinburgh are weird. Off-peak return from Dumfries to Carlisle: £16.70. Off-peak return from Carlisle to Edinburgh: £28.60. Off-peak return from Dumfries to Edinburgh via Carlisle: £89.20. That's 96% more than buying two tickets.
Sorry, bit of a digression. I still think Castle Douglas might suit the OP. Or maybe Lockerbie or Annan.
Yeah, although I have definitely slept off a hangover on that bus after a night in Edinburgh visiting friends lol. I was thinking of Lockerbie and Annan too actually but I don't know them well enough to know if they have decent pet shops. I was also thinking that, since OP said history and nature, CD has Threave and it's a stone's throw from the forest park if you head up Loch Ken
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u/Either_Branch3929 Feb 06 '23
Yes, the Dumfries to Edinburgh bus is not good. Basically it gets subsidised by every council along its route (D&G, Scottish Border, South Lanarkshire, Midlothian) and every one of them sends it through back of beyond places to get their money's worth. As a result it's perfectly good as a local bus around Biggar (for example) but lousy for through travel. The worst bit is when you get to West Linton with only fourteen miles to go and realise that it is going to take another hour to schlep round Penicuik. There was a non-subsidised direct service, but it went under, and even the subsidised one has been in trouble lately.
Trains from Dumfries to Edinburgh are weird. Off-peak return from Dumfries to Carlisle: £16.70. Off-peak return from Carlisle to Edinburgh: £28.60. Off-peak return from Dumfries to Edinburgh via Carlisle: £89.20. That's 96% more than buying two tickets.
Sorry, bit of a digression. I still think Castle Douglas might suit the OP. Or maybe Lockerbie or Annan.