Travel from Glasgow to Edinburgh by Bus

Cheapest way to get from Edinburgh to Glasgow by bus

Updated July 2010

You can get from Glasgow to Edinburgh (or Edinburgh to Glasgow) by taking the Megabus (Scottish Citylink) buses or National Express coaches. The journey is 1 hour and 10-20 minutes approx. Travelling by bus is the cheapest way to get from Glasgow to Edinburgh with very cheap tickets:

Starting at £2 for Megabus/Citylink return tickets made up of 2 super single tickets.
Starting at £10.50 for National Express return tickets
Megabus/Citylink have the cheapest one-way bus fares, £1 (super single tickets). These are limited in number but most Megabus/Citylink singles for this route cost £3.50 if booked far enough in advance.

It's cheaper to travel between Edinburgh and Glasgow by bus than it is to travel by train. The only return train ticket comparable in price is the Off-peak Day Return priced at £10.70 which restricts you to travelling off-peak (after 09:15) and returning on the same day.

Tickets and times for Megabus (Citylink) and National Express bus services between Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Bus timetables for transport between Edinburgh and Glasgow

The is a very frequent service with buses leaving from Buchanan Bus Station in Glasgow or St. Andrews Bus Station in Edinburgh every 15 minutes or so. Megabus/Citylink and National Express operate a daytime and evening bus service with night buses operating on weekends.

Service 900 (Megabus/Citylink)

Bus times from Glasgow to Edinburgh (day/evening/night buses)

	Weekdays					Weekend
From Glasgow (buses approx every 15 mins)	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
First bus to Edinburgh	05:20	05:20	05:20	05:20	05:20	06:30	07:30	Book bus ticket
Last evening bus to Edinburgh	24:00	24:00	24:00	24:00	24:00	24:00	24:00	Book bus ticket
Night bus to Edinburgh	-	-	-	-	-	01:30, 03:00	01:30, 03:00	Book bus ticket

Bus times from Edinburgh to Glasgow (day/evening/night buses)

	Weekdays					Weekend
From Edinburgh (buses approx every 15 mins)	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
First bus to Glasgow	06:05	06:05	06:05	06:05	06:05	06:30	07:30	Book bus ticket
Last evening bus to Glasgow	24:00	24:00	24:00	24:00	24:00	24:00	24:00	Book bus ticket
Night bus to Glasgow	-	-	-	-	-	01:30, 03:00	01:30, 03:00	Book bus ticket

National Express coaches (NX539, NX536, NX534, NX336)

NOTE: These are long distance coaches coming from other parts of the UK and stopping in Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Bus times from Glasgow to Edinburgh (day/evening coaches)

	Weekdays					Weekend
From Glasgow (only 4 coaches a day)	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
First bus to Edinburgh	06:20	06:20	06:20	06:20	06:20	06:20	06:20	Book bus ticket
Last evening bus to Edinburgh	20:00	20:00	20:00	20:00	20:00	20:00	20:00	Book bus ticket
Night bus to Edinburgh	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	Book bus ticket

Bus times from Edinburgh to Glasgow (day/evening)

	Weekdays					Weekend
From Edinburgh (only 4 coaches a day)	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
First bus to Glasgow	06:45	06:45	06:45	06:45	06:45	07:00	07:00	Book bus ticket
Last evening bus to Glasgow	21:30	21:30	21:30	21:30	21:30	21:30	21:30	Book bus ticket
Night bus to Glasgow	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	Book bus ticket

NOTE: the schedule of buses may change without notice. Please double check with the Megabus/Citylink and National Express for the latest travel times for getting to Glasgow or Edinburgh.

First and last buses to Glasgow (Megabus/Citylink)

First buses to Glasgow

The first bus on a weekday leaves St Andrew's Bus Station at 06:05 and arrives at Buchanan Bus Station at 07:15.
The first bus on Saturdays departs St Andrew's Bus Station at 06:30 and gets at Buchanan Bus Station at 07:50.
The first bus on Sundays departs St Andrew's Bus Station at 07:30 and gets at Buchanan Bus Station at 08:45.

Last buses

The last bus to Glasgow (weekdays and weekends) leaves St Andrew's Bus Station at 24:00 and arrives at Buchanan Bus Station at 01:15.

Night buses

There are two night buses to Glasgow on weekends (Friday/Saturday night and Saturday/Sunday night) which leave St Andrew's Bus Station at 01:30 and 03:00 and arrive at Buchanan Bus Station at 02:40 and 04:10 respectively.

First and last buses to Edinburgh (Megabus/Citylink)

First buses to Edinburgh

The first bus on a weekday leaves Buchanan Bus Station at 05:20 and arrives at St Andrew's Bus Station at 06:35.
The first bus on Saturdays departs Buchanan Bus Station at 06:30 and gets at St Andrew's Bus Station at 07:50.
The first bus on Sundays departs Buchanan Bus Station at 07:30 and gets at St Andrew's Bus Station at 08:50.

Last buses

The last bus to Edinburgh (weekdays and weekends) leaves Buchanan Bus Station at 24:00 and arrives at St Andrew's Bus Station at 01:15.

Night buses

There are two night buses to Edinburgh on weekends (Friday/Saturday night and Saturday/Sunday night) which leave Buchanan Bus Station at 01:30 and 03:00 and arrive at St Andrew's Bus Station at 02:45 and 04:15 respectively.

How long does it take to get from Glasgow to Edinburgh by bus

The journey is 1 hour and 10-20 minutes approx to cover the 55 miles distance (85km).

How much does the bus ticket from Glasgow to Edinburgh cost

You can buy your bus ticket online for both Megabus (Scottish Citylink) and National Express.

Megabus/Citylink Bus fares

Single ticket: starting at £1 (super single ticket). Limited in number, though most singles start at £3.5
Return ticket: starting at £2 (2 super single tickets)

Booking fee of 50p applies.

Book Glasgow - Edinburgh Megabus bus tickets

National Express fares

Single ticket: starting at £8.90
Return ticket: starting at £10.50

Book Glasgow - Edinburgh National Express coach tickets

Where does the bus between Glasgow and Edinburgh stop

Bus stops for this route: Glasgow (Buchanan bus station), Baillieston, Harthill, Newbridge East, Ratho, Ingliston, Gogar, Maybury Junction, Drum Brae Roundabout, Corstorphine Station Rd End, Corstorphine Zoo Park, Beechmount Balgreen Rd, Murrayfield Corstorphine Rd Ice Rink, Roseburn Bridge, Haymarket Station, Shandwick Place, Princes St at Next, St Andrew's Sq Bus Station, St Andrew's Sq East Side Stop.

Where do the buses leave from?

All buses travelling between Glasgow and Edinburgh (Megabus/Scottish Citylink and National Express) leave from the following bus stations:

Address of Buchanan Bus Station

Killermont Street
Glasgow
Scotland
Postcode: G2 3NP
Tel: +44 (141) 353 2141

Address of St Andrew's Bus Station

St Andrew's Square
Edinburgh
Scotland
Tel: +44 (131) 5556363
Tel: +44 (131) 2253858

No exact postcode has been found for St Andrew's Bus Station in Edinburgh

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Visitor Comments on Edinburgh Attractions

Greyfriars Kirkyard

A pleasent enough place to wander through in the daytime but a forboding place to see in the dark of night. If you do visit at night, be sure to have a flashlight as there are numerous grave stones barely over the grass and it's easy to trip and fall over one.
The cemetery is home to the statue of the Greyfriars Bobby. The little dog that waited on the grave of his dead owner, waiting for him to come back to life for 10 years until he died.
Unfortunatly, the historical record disproves the myth of the Greyfriars Bobby waiting for his owner.

Calton Hill

Calton Hill is one of Edinburgh's best known landmarks, drawing attention to itself from just about every corner of the city. The unfinished Parthenon-type feature near its summit is a tribute to those who died in the Napoleonic wars. The Dugald Stewart Monument, the temple next to the observatory, was built in remembrance of the distinguished philosopher Dugald Stewart, and the highest point in Edinburgh can be reached by climbing the stares to the top of Nelson's Tower. The views from Nelson's Tower are fantastic, as is any vantage point on Calton Hill. Great views of the Castle, Princes Street, Arthur's Seat, Salisbury Crags, Leith and Portobello are on offer. A climb up Calton Hill is probably the best way to get to know Edinburgh's layout and witness its true beauty.

New Town

Charlotte Square, at the end of George Street, was designed by Robert Adam, and one of the houses, on the North side of the Square has been returned to its orginial splendour by the National Trust for Scotland, and is well worth a tour to give you a feel of what the city might have been like in Georgian Scotland.

John Knox House

The house has an outside stairway with intricate carvings and lots of gables. It is a typical example of an Old Town house. Knox is said to have addressed crowds in the street from a preaching window in his library.

Brass Rubbing Centre

As the rain poured, my teenage son and I were cozy in the Brass Rubbing Center. Excellently run by a friendly helpful woman who said she had been with the center for many years. The choices of rubbing possibilities were quite varied - something suitable for children all the way to the most experienced. We had a wonderful morning.

>> Back to Edinburgh Coach Travel guide index

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Edinburgh to rest of Scotland by coach Tickets and bus times for popular bus routes within Scotland from Edinburgh or Glasgow to Inverness, Aberdeen, Dundee and Perth with Megabus/Scottish Citylink.

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Also see:

Edinburgh coach tours Suggestions for tours from and to Edinburgh by private or public coach.

Glasgow - London coach travel Cheap fares and online tickets for getting from Glasgow to London by bus.

Edinburgh travel guide How to travel to and from Edinburgh by different means of transport.