Saturday 12 June 2004 Total content 20 photographs
Somewhat of a "bouncy" trip - to fit in a few different things that I wanted to do. Dundee to Monifieth, Ballumbie Castle, Craichie, Arbroath, back to Dundee, then to Scone Park & Ride, then Perth city centre, and back to Dundee. (Dundee-Perth was via Alyth & Blairgowrie in both cases!)

Last Monday, Scone Park & Ride opened. The site is off the Balgarvie roundabout on the A94, and has space for 53 cars to park free of charge. Passengers then board the Service 7 bus for £1.10 single or £5.90 for a weekly MegaRider - and travel to town. About 10 cars were seen during the day, and four were there when I arrived late-afternoon (by mid-evening they were all gone). However for first week (and on the basis of percentages) this is fairly good. Strangely the opening has not met the usual Stagecoach press machine, but P&KC did do a press release, as well as a new version of the Carse & Scone area timetable book. Service 7 has been extended to serve the site, and as a result now runs both ways for most of the Scone loop.

	Firstly, Ballumbie Castle Estate which is about one mile outwith the Dundee city limits in Angus. Services 78A-79C have recently been joined by new Service 80 to Dundee, and 81 to Forfar. Left Strathtay Dennis Dart 308 (N308 DSL) is seen leaving the estate on Poplar Drive. Right J P Mini Coaches Mercedes/Plaxton L647 DNA is seen on Poplar Drive, working the Dundee - Ballumbie Castle shoppers service 80. However the 1125 ex Dundee continues commercially to Forfar via Wellbank and Craichie.
	You've seen pictures of Strathtay service 27 (Forfar - Arbroath) often enough on this website, but here are two of Service 27 in more unusual photographic locations. Left Leyland Tiger 422 (HSK 792) seen in Craichie. Right Same vehicle seen in Arbroath High Street. A couple of journeys are extended to/from the High Street, primarily to serve the Gala bingo hall.
	Left Strathtay's Arbroath depot now have two Volvo B10B's - 606 (N606 GVS) has now joined 608, and it is seen here at Arbroath Bus Station heading north to Montrose. Right After that I made my way back to Dundee, then via Blairgowrie to Scone Park & Ride. At the roundabout before entering the park & ride, I snapped Smith & Sons Mercedes/Plaxton Cheetah ST 02 GDE. Seen at Balgarvie Roundabout on the A94.
	Scone Park & Ride opened last Monday, 7 June. I took a total of ten of images from around the site, and you can download a ZIP file of the lot by clicking here (it includes these two images on this page). Left Front sign of the Park & Ride site. Right Stagecoach Dennis Dart SLF/Alexander 33431 (X431 NSE) is seen here at Scone Park & Ride.
	Left Leyland Olympian 14706 was transferred from Fife to Perth several months ago, and since then has been only lightly used (i.e. until this point I'd only seen it do ONE crew change). Today it did better and did a return trip from Perth to Dundee and back on the 16, as well as doing a 34 to Stanley and back. Seen here in Mill Street.  Right Mercedes 40046 is seen here in Mill Street on Service 13 - as you can see not an Optare Solo. This is the 1700 ex South Street which comes off the 3/11 vehicle - so there was probably a Solo on the 13 earlier in the day.
	Left J P Mini Coaches Mercedes XIL 6472 is seen in Mill Street Perth, behind the theatre, on a private hire. Right Dennis Dart 32802 is seen in Perth High Street on the layover stand, between workings on Service 6. There has been an "A" added to the yellow track, which does not form part of the service number.
	Left As I mentioned a fortnight ago, Stagecoach have been using double deckers on a mid-afternoon Saturday bus on the 16. Here is MCW Metrobus 806 (BLS 424Y), the oldest double decker currently at Dundee, and a former Perth depot native when it was SM6! Seen in South Street Right Volvo B6LE 31496 (Formerly 496) has had knackered displays for many years now - although it seemed ok for a while. Back in the late 90's this bus was allocated to Park & Ride (with a board) on grounds of it's display. Here it's heading south to Moncrieffe/Craigie, not north to North Muirton, in Scott Street.
	Left Still in Scott Street, and B6LE 31494 has just done the 54B (see pic a few weeks back), which then does the 1735 Kinnoull Hill - then a rounder on the 14 to Pitcairngreen, a 23 to Aberfeldy and back, then probably something else. Anyway, it's about to take up the 11. The "via City Centre" is only really apt for school runs though. Right A fortnight ago I snapped Travel Dundee's TC8 - here's TC9 (SP 04 HRN) on Leonard Street approaching the bus station.
	Now here's something unusual. Smith & Sons don't often have anything other than the DAF's (and sometimes the Dart) out on Park & Ride. One of their new Sitcar bodied Mercedes, SP 04 EUY, could be seen on the Park & Ride Service 301 today though... not the best of shots but the sun was coming down. Left York Place, and Right Leonard Street are the locations.
	Left Volvo B10M 20176 (K576 LTS) is seen on an evening working of Service 15, which additionally serves Perth Bus Station as well as Almondbank and Pitcairngreen. This was the PS type that was fully refurnished about a year ago, and includes a nearside destination and number box (as opposed to just a number). Right Another view of Strathtay 962 (S962 KSR), this time in Perth Bus Station.