Glasgow and the Bus Rally

[cessna152towser]

Our destination was the Scottish Vintage Bus Museum at Lathalmond in Fife, an old military naval stores depot. For this one weekend in the year, hundreds of buses and coaches old and modern from far and wide meet up with the museum's own collection of old buses and trains for the biggest bus rally in the country.

I'd known that this place was an old navy depot but even so I was surprised to find such a large boat several miles away from navigable water.

The latest buses and coaches were on show, like this 2009 Volvo with Acron coachwork by Van Hool.

This 1966 AEC Reliance was for sale at offers of around £3,000. It would be ideal for driving xmarkers around on tours of Scotland but where could I garage it within easy reach of my home?

This bus was an old friend, a 1961 Leyland PD3 of Western Scottish Motor Transport, on which I had often travelled in my younger days, so when I heard it was rostered for a round trip across the Forth Road Bridge I just had to go along.

The old double deckers had these bench seats upstairs, accessed by a sunken gangway on the right hand side, so that they could squeeze under low bridges.

A view of the Forth Rail Bridge from the top deck as we crossed the Forth Road Bridge between North Queensferry and Dalmeny, near Edinburgh.

Back at Lathalmond I spotted this Leyland National of Fishwick, from English Bloke's home town of Preston so I took a ride on it into Dunfermline.

Arriving in Dunfermline, I did not wait there, look what is peeking out from behind!

Yes it was an Ulsterbus from Northern Ireland, not exactly one you would expect to see on this route, and being 25% Northern Irish I just had to ride back to the rally on this one.
More to follow shortly

[starbkjrus]

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This 1966 AEC Reliance was for sale at offers of around £3,000. It would be ideal for driving xmarkers around on tours of Scotland but where could I garage it within easy reach of my home?

...snip

Alex,

I know you are a good driver and are studying for your bus license as a new "retirement" career but good heavens....

I've driven enough in Scotland to be very worried about riding in that on the roads to Caerlaverock Castle and Sweetheart Abby. I had enough trouble in a little Vauxhall. The Reliance or much less that Volvo monster would never fit on those roads; and where in the world would we park in Glencaple? We must have cheese and pickle sandwiches in the hotel pub. ith:

P.S. Oh and thanks for the pics. I love your photo journeys.