Just getting to city's biggest sports facilities is an adventure in itself

A surfing lesson at the Lost Shore attraction on the outskirts of EdinburghA surfing lesson at the Lost Shore attraction on the outskirts of Edinburgh
A surfing lesson at the Lost Shore attraction on the outskirts of Edinburgh
I am a big fan of Lothian Buses as I have said many times, but the company has got it wrong on its services – or lack of them – to two of the city’s biggest sporting facilities.

It’s easier to easy to get to Dunbar by public transport for a spot of surfing than it is to get to the new Lost Shore Surf Centre, and climbing Ben Nevis is a walk in the park compared to the torturous route you have to take to get to the city’s climbing arena.

A quick check on my phone shows that if I wanted to take my grandchildren to either venue by public transport, we would have to get two buses, then walk at least 20 minutes to reach our destination. A journey time of one hour and 14 minutes for a distance of about 7.5 miles. We would be so tired by the time we got there, the kids wouldn’t have much desire to climb a wall full of boulders. And the journey home after an afternoon climbing mountains – so to speak – would be horrendous. Far easier to nip across the road to the trampoline centre or bowling alley at Fountain Park.

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What I can’t work out is why the climbing arena is so badly served by buses. It has been open for nearly 20 years, has been owned by the city council since 2007, and after a rocky start (sorry) has become one of Scotland’s most successful sporting venues. Did no-one at Lothian Buses – or the council – notice that there was no direct bus route?

And it’s not just budding mountaineers and surfers who have to put up with a second-rate service from a first-class bus company. The long-suffering residents of Ratho have been short-changed by Lothian Buses for a long time. A recent petition calling for a direct bus link between the city centre and Ratho has attracted support from some city councillors, including transport chief, Councillor Stephen Jenkinson, which is all well and good. But Ratho needs a bus service, not sympathy. Only a few months ago, Lothian Buses was named UK Bus Operator of the Year at the National Transport Awards in London. Clearly no-one from Ratho was on the judging panel.

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