Lothian Country Buses
Lothian Country is a regional bus operator (sub-brand of Lothian Buses Ltd) running 14 scheduled routes across west Edinburgh and West Lothian, serving residents, commuters, healthcare visitors, and tourists with multi-zone fare capping and integrated Edinburgh Trams ticketing.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1919
- HeadquartersEdinburgh, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Lothian Country Buses does
Lothian Country is a regional bus service brand operated by Lothian Buses Ltd, a privately held Scottish bus operator founded in 1919 and headquartered in Edinburgh. The Lothian Country sub-brand was launched in 2022 to serve west Edinburgh and West Lothian, operating 14 scheduled routes (express X-series, standard, and night N-series) connecting towns such as Livingston, Bathgate, Whitburn, Broxburn, Queensferry, and Armadale to Edinburgh city centre and key healthcare and employment hubs. Customer segments include daily commuters, healthcare patients and visitors traveling to the Royal Infirmary and St. John's Hospital, and tourists using integrated connections to Edinburgh Airport via the Airlink service.
The company operates a multi-zone fare system spanning zones A-H, with payment options including TapTapCap contactless fare capping, the Bus & Tram mobile app, Ridacard season tickets, paper tickets, and One-Ticket multi-operator integrated ticketing. Technology infrastructure is built on real-time GPS-based bus tracking, a contactless payment engine, and a WordPress/WooCommerce/Django web stack with Google Analytics and Microsoft Clarity analytics. The broader Lothian Buses Ltd group encompasses complementary sub-brands including Lothian City Buses, Airlink Airport Express, NightBus, East Coast Buses, Lothian Motorcoaches, Eve Coaches, CoffeeHub, Special Services, Park & Ride, and Edinburgh Tours.
Lothian Country generates revenue through passenger ticket sales (single, day, night, and network tickets), recurring Ridacard subscriptions, and m-ticket bundle pre-purchases, with ancillary revenue streams from intermodal ticketing partnerships. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer across physical bus stops, TravelHub retail locations, the lothianbuses.com website, the Bus & Tram mobile app, and social media channels (Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram). Distribution includes direct bus operations, TravelHubs, online shop, and the One-Ticket reseller network. No institutional investors, parent company, or funding rounds are disclosed; the company operates as an independent private regional bus operator.
Lothian Country Buses firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Lothian Country Buses
- Legal name
- Lothian Buses ltd
- Website
- https://lothiancountry.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1919
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Lothian Country is a regional bus operator (sub-brand of Lothian Buses Ltd) running 14 scheduled routes across west Edinburgh and West Lothian, serving residents, commuters, healthcare visitors, and tourists with multi-zone fare capping and integrated Edinburgh Trams ticketing.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Lothian Country Buses industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Bus Transportation
- NAICS
- Bus and Other Motor Vehicle Transit Systems (485113), Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation (4852)
- SIC
- Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Suburban/Regional Commuter Bus Operators (TLAFAGAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Rural & Small-Town Intercity Scheduled Bus Operators (THAIADAF), Park-and-Ride / Express Commuter Bus Operators (TLAFAGAF), Regional Intercity Bus Operators (Scheduled) (THAIADAB)
Keywords
Where Lothian Country Buses is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Edinburgh
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Lothian Country Buses business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Passenger Ticket Revenue: Revenue generated from single journey tickets, day tickets, night tickets, weekly capping, and m-ticket bundles across all fare zones.
- Season Tickets (Ridacard): Unlimited journeys on day and night services in zones A-B only through prepaid season ticket.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Single Tickets - 1 zone |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Single Tickets - 2-3 zones |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Single Tickets - 4 zones |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Single Tickets - 5 zones |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Single Tickets - 6 zones |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Country DAY ticket |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | City&Country DAY ticket |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | City DAY ticket |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Night Single Tickets |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | City LATE ticket |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Country LATE ticket |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | City&Country LATE ticket |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Network ticket |
| Subscription | Weekly | City WEEK capping |
| Subscription | Weekly | Country WEEK capping |
| Subscription | Weekly | City&Country WEEK capping |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | m-Ticket Bundles |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Lothian Country Buses product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Lothian Country operates scheduled public bus services connecting west Edinburgh and West Lothian to Edinburgh city centre and surrounding towns across a multi-zone fare system (zones A-H). The service runs 14 named routes including express (X18, X19, X27, X28, X40), standard (43, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74), and night (N18, N28, N43) services, with fare collection through TapTapCap contactless capping, the Bus & Tram mobile app, Ridacard season tickets, and integrated One-Ticket multi-operator ticketing.
Product overview
Lothian Country is a bus service brand operated by Lothian Buses, providing reliable connections across west Edinburgh and West Lothian. The service operates a multi-zone fare system (zones A-H) with various ticket types including single tickets, day tickets (Country DAY, City&Country DAY, City DAY), night/late tickets, and weekly caps. Payment is handled through TapTapCap contactless capping, the Bus & Tram App, Ridacard season tickets, and One-Ticket for multi-operator travel. The network includes 15 named routes: express services (X18, X19, X27, X28), standard routes (43, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74), and night services (N18, N28, N43). The broader Lothian Buses group also includes Lothian Motorcoaches and Eve Coaches for private hire, TravelHubs for in-person service support, and CoffeeHub retail outlets.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Lothian Country: Bus services providing reliable connections across west Edinburgh and West Lothian, with regular services to and from Edinburgh.
Products and services
- Lothian Country Bus Services Scheduled bus transportation service operating 14 named routes (express X18, X19, X27, X28, X40; standard 43, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74; night N18, N28, N43) connecting Edinburgh city centre with Whitburn, Winchburgh, Bathgate, Queensferry, Armadale, Fauldhouse, Livingston, and surrounding West Lothian towns. For individual passengers, commuters, and visitors.
- Lothian Country Fares and Ticketing Multi-zone fare and ticketing product covering zones A-H with ticket types including Single Tickets, Day Tickets (Country DAY, City&Country DAY, City DAY), Night/Late Tickets, Network Tickets, Weekly Caps, and m-Ticket bundles. Payment channels include TapTapCap contactless, Bus & Tram App, Ridacard season tickets, paper tickets, and One-Ticket integrated ticketing. For individual passengers and multi-operator travellers.
- Ridacard Season Ticket Prepaid season ticket product offering unlimited journeys on Lothian day and night services in zones A-B. Distributed through TravelHub retail locations. For regular Lothian region commuters.
- Bus & Tram Mobile App Mobile application for purchasing discounted bundles of Country DAY and City&Country DAY m-tickets, managing contactless payments, and accessing real-time bus tracking and journey planning. For individual passengers using the Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams networks.
- TravelHub Service Centres Physical service centre locations where customers can obtain service information, purchase tickets, and top-up Ridacard season tickets. For individual passengers and customers needing in-person service.
- Lothian Motorcoaches Private Hire Private hire bus services for clients in Edinburgh, the Lothians and beyond, operated as a sub-brand of the Lothian Buses group. For groups, organisations, and private hire customers.
- Eve Coaches Private Hire
Companies that use Lothian Country Buses
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Lothian Country Buses technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Lothian Country Buses partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- One-TicketminorIntegrated ticketing partnership allowing customers to purchase tickets that can be used across multiple bus operators through the One-Ticket system. Provides seamless multi-operator travel options for passengers.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Lothian Country Buses competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Edinburgh Trams: Edinburgh's light rail operator, integrated with Lothian Buses ticketing (Network, City&Country DAY, weekly caps). Comparable as a multimodal partner on joint ticketing and customer journey experience, rather than a direct bus competitor.
Direct peers
- McGill's Scotland East: Major Scottish regional bus operator running scheduled services across central Scotland, including competing routes into Edinburgh and West Lothian. Highly comparable as a UK regional scheduled bus and coach operator with similar fleet, fare, and concession dynamics.
Broad incumbents
- First Bus: Large UK-wide bus operator with presence in Scotland. Comparable in offering scheduled regional and urban bus services, contactless ticketing, and app-based journey planning, but with broader geographic diversification than Lothian Country.
- National Express: Major UK coach and bus operator with intercity and airport services, including routes into Scotland. Comparable on scheduled coach operations and integrated ticket/payment systems, but with a national/international rather than regional commuter focus.
- Arriva (UK Bus): Large UK-wide bus operator with regional services across the country. Comparable in offering scheduled bus services, multi-zone fares, and mobile ticketing, though its Scottish footprint is more limited than its England-focused operations.
- Stagecoach: One of the UK's largest bus and coach operators with substantial Scottish operations, including routes overlapping Lothian Country's catchment. Comparable on scheduled bus operations, multi-zone fare systems, and concession-based regional services, but at significantly larger national scale.
Emerging players
- FlixBus: Long-distance coach operator running UK intercity routes including Scotland-England corridors. Comparable as a scheduled bus/coach operator with digital-first ticketing, but focused on intercity rather than suburban commuter services.
Regional players
- West Coast Motors: Independent Scottish bus and coach operator with scheduled and private hire services. Comparable as a regional UK bus operator with similar fleet type and service mix (scheduled + private hire), but based in western Scotland.
- Scottish Citylink (McGill's-owned): Intercity coach operator serving long-distance Scottish corridors, including connections feeding Edinburgh. Comparable as a scheduled Scottish bus/coach operator using a similar fare-zone and concession model, but focused on interurban rather than suburban commuter routes.
- Borders Buses: Regional bus operator serving the Scottish Borders into Edinburgh. Comparable in operating scheduled regional bus services with similar fleet and ticketing, but based in a different (Borders) geography than Lothian Country's West Lothian focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Lothian Country Buses social profiles
Digital presenceLothian Country Buses financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Lothian Country Buses leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Lothian Country Buses subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries10 records
Lothian Country Buses funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Lothian Country Buses M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Lothian Country Buses
What does Lothian Country Buses do?
Lothian Country operates scheduled public bus services connecting west Edinburgh and West Lothian to Edinburgh city centre and surrounding towns across a multi-zone fare system (zones A-H). The service runs 14 named routes including express (X18, X19, X27, X28, X40), standard (43, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74), and night (N18, N28, N43) services, with fare collection through TapTapCap contactless capping, the Bus & Tram mobile app, Ridacard season tickets, and integrated One-Ticket multi-operator ticketing.
Is Lothian Country Buses a public or private company?
Lothian Country Buses is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Lothian Country Buses founded?
Lothian Country Buses was founded in 1919. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Lothian Country Buses based?
Lothian Country Buses is headquartered in Edinburgh, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Lothian Country Buses make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Passenger Ticket Revenue is the primary driver. The others are season Tickets (Ridacard).
Who are Lothian Country Buses's main competitors?
Edinburgh Trams is listed as an others. McGill's Scotland East is listed as a direct peer. Broad incumbents are First Bus, National Express, Arriva (UK Bus) and Stagecoach. FlixBus is listed as an emerging player. Regional players are West Coast Motors, Scottish Citylink (McGill's-owned) and Borders Buses.
Does Lothian Country Buses have an API?
No public API is recorded for Lothian Country Buses.
What industry is Lothian Country Buses in?
Lothian Country Buses's product category is Public Bus Transportation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLAFAGAC, Suburban/Regional Commuter Bus Operators, with a secondary code of THAIADAF, Rural & Small-Town Intercity Scheduled Bus Operators. Its NAICS code is 485113 and its SIC code is 4100.