First Midland Bluebird has unveiled a fresh look for its hourly B10 Glasgow-Balfron-Stirling Discovery Route buses, celebrating the communities and places of interest it serves.
The vehicles are adorned with iconic images including Glengoyne Distillery, Duke of Wellington statue and West Highland Way.
The revamp follows consultation with local people, stakeholders and businesses, and comes after local service changes to better meet the needs of the Balfron area.
It also offers connections with other services including the B9 Circular.
The buses have been rebranded in deep blue with a series of striking images and text depicting just some of the attractions and historical connections along the Discovery Route including:
• Glengoyne Distillery
• The Wallace Monument
• The Duke of Wellington statue – complete with cheeky traffic cone
• Stirling Castle
• Walkers on the West Highland Way – accessible via the stop at Milngavie Station
• The Buchanan Monument at Killearn
• Balfron – birthplace of Alexander Greek Thomson
The vehicles also feature the wolf symbol which depicts the folklore of Balfron and celebrates its public transport heritage. The village has had a bus depot for more than 90 years.
Alongside the B10, customers can also extend their enjoyment of Stirlingshire towns and villages by taking the B12 and C12 services beyond Balfron. With the option of connections to Stirling, customers can sit back and take in the magnificent views of Stirling Castle and the Wallace Monument as they approach the historic city.
First Midland Bluebird Managing Director, Andrew Jarvis, said: “The Discovery Route is a great service which we’ve rebranded to get across, in a strikingly visual way and through its name, the great things on offer when you board the service.
“It provides an important service for a diverse range of customers, from those on the daily commute and people travelling for leisure or shopping, through to tourists visiting Scotland for the first time.
“What’s unique about this service is that you can board the B10 at Buchanan Galleries in Glasgow and then enjoy some of Scotland’s great attractions, including the Glengoyne Distillery, the West Highland Way, picturesque Stirlingshire towns and villages and a host of great cafes and restaurants in places including Kippen.”
Recent other changes in response to feedback include the introduction of the B9 Balfron Circular Service – linking Balfron with Killearn, Croftamie, Drymen and Ballat – and a dedicated service for pupils taking part in after-school activities at Balfron High School.
First Scotland East/Midland Bluebird Limited runs local bus services throughout Central Scotland and West Lothian including inter-urban links to Edinburgh and Glasgow. The company employs around 700 staff and operates 260 buses and coaches carrying more than 16 million passengers a year. Its head office is based in Larbert, near Falkirk, and it also operates from four other locations.
