If I say “airport” and “orange”, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? If you said easyJet I don’t blame you, but Edinburgh Airport has a new orange operator in town.
Bright Bus, a brand ultimately owned by McGill’s, the largest independent bus company in the UK started operating services from the city centre to the airport at the start of the year, but the brand is by no means new to Edinburgh, having operated tourist sightseeing buses since 2019.
The service is a direct rival to the Lothian Bus service 100, which runs from the city centre to the airport.
Seeing as I needed to get to Edinburgh Airport to meet somebody I was not setting out to use Bright Bus, they just turned up first, and to be honest you can see them coming from a mile away.
The Route
The route is a simple one, but has changed slightly since my journey. Buses run between Waverley Bridge and Stance E at the Airport, with a journey time of approximately 30 minutes.
At the beginning stop of the route you will find a number of staff members kitted out in orange jackets and armed with orange leaflets, standing next to orange banners…orange is a big theme here to say the least!
My bus was already sitting waiting and I purchased my ticket from the driver who was very friendly and seemed to genuinely enjoy his job, no question was too simple and there was no rush or pressure placed on those who were visiting the city when it came to buying a ticket, so top marks for customer service!
The interior of the bus is, simple, but does exactly what it needs to, although it was abundantly clear that this bus used to be operated by First Group as the pink handles and framework was still showing, I wonder if painting them orange would be a step too far?
Thankfully for an airport bus it has a luggage rack right by the door, however, on my return journey I noticed every passenger walked right past it and kept their suitcases partially blocking the aisle.
If it were me personally I would have a member of staff at both ends of the journey, there were at least 3 at the airport itself instructing people to place their bags into the luggage rack, as leaving them sticking into the aisle seems like an accident waiting to happen.
This particular journey also highlighted something out with the control of the bus operators, that being the rather shocking state of the roads between the city and airport.
The ride quality once you get past Haymarket station up towards the junction to the airport is awful, and makes for a rather rattle filled ride, and can’t be great for the tyres and suspension either.
Despite the roads the journey took 29 minutes and deposited me at Stance F at the airport (you will sometimes get dropped off at another stance if it is busy), all that was left for me to do now was navigate Edinburgh Airport during early morning to reach International Arrivals 2.
For me, this is a great service at a great price, but there does seem to be something worth pointing out;
Bus Infrastructure at the Airport
37% of passengers at Edinburgh Airport arrive and depart by public transport (that works out to approximately 5.3 million passengers) and yet public transport still feels second place to private cars.
At key times the bus area can become congested with both buses and people, especially as arrivals are spread out across both sides of the building.
Public transport is a great tool for any airport to have, an Edinburgh has certainly used it to its advantage, but with 7.3 million journey expected by 2028 it could become another source of congestion, especially if the new access road is rejected by the council again.
Bright Bus Final Thoughts
Overall, this was a great service that seems to do most things right. My only gripe is with the previously mentioned luggage storage onboard.
Bright Bus are also marketing their sightseeing tours onboard, a simple, but effective marketing tool for those visiting for the first time, and a special ticket is available to visitors.
Bright Bus will sell you a return to the city from the airport, and unlimited tours for 7 days for £40, to purchase this all separately would be £72.50, so in my eyes this is an excellent value product.
I do wish Edinburgh Airport had much clearer signs from Domestic Arrivals and International Arrivals 2, as the current signs only seem to point you to the Lothian Service.
Some Need To Know Information
- A one way ticket is £4, and a return is £6.50
- Services run from 0300-0000 up to every 10 minutes.
- You can track your bus using the Midland Bluebird website.
- For more information visit https://www.brightbustours.com/
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George Nugent Travels 
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