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Celebrating 100 years of Lothian’s NightBuses

For 100 years, Edinburgh’s Night Buses have adapted through war, deregulation, financial crises and even a global pandemic. Once designed for shift workers, they now power a 24/7 city – connecting places as far as Dunbar, Livingston and Penicuik.

The network is not just a transport system; it’s a city asset, enabling nightlife, events and social life to thrive. With more than 800,000 annual passengers, it remains one of Edinburgh’s greatest strengths – an example envied by many other cities.

NIGHTBUS BY NUMBERS
TIMELINE
FAQS ABOUT NIGHTBUS
SUBMIT A STORY
NEWS

NightBus by Numbers

In an average week, our NightBus network records around 10,000 miles’ worth of travel. That’s the equivalent of doing 1.4 laps of the moon’s circumference!

In 2024, more than 800,000 customer journeys were recorded on our NightBus network which equates to filling Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium nearly 12 times!

Our NightBus network is provided by buses operating out of 4 different garages:

Central, Longstone, Musselburgh and Livingston.

On a weekend night, there are 34 NightBuses working on our network.

A total of 26 NightBuses are out on the network on a week night.

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FROM 1925 TO 2025 - A TIMELINE

1919

Edinburgh Corporation’s transport department was founded, with the first motor bus service introduced this year.

1925

First night buses were introduced on 19 October (two winter-only services were in operation for workers, running from Leith Walk–Bruntsfield and Salisbury Place–Ardmillan).

The Mound, Edinburgh in 1925 when the city’s first night bus services were first introduced. (Credit: Capital Collections)

1930

Both night services were numbered and extended:

  • 25 Foot of Leith Walk – Morningside Station
  • 26 Salisbury Place – Balgreen Road

The city skyline is illuminated on 12 May 1937 on the occasion of the coronation of King George VI.

1939

NightBus services were suspended due to the outbreak of the Second World War.

Members of the Second World War Women's National Fire Service line up for inspection by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill on the Castle Esplanade in Edinburgh in 1942. (Credit: Capital Collections)

1946

Both night services were reinstated (25 was renumbered 28, and 26 was renumbered 29). They operated on weekday nights all year.

1947

A revised network of five routes was launched:

  • 1 Foot of Leith Walk – Firrhill
  • 2 Portobello Bath Street – Morningside Station
  • 3 Bonnington Terrace – Corstorphine
  • 4 Craigmillar – Crewe Road North
  • 5 Waverley – Sighthill

The Lawnmarket in 1950 (Credit: Capital Collections)

1955

A sixth route was added: 6 Gilmerton – Groathill Road North.

Despite carrying an incredible 400,000 passengers in 1955, the night network started to suffer from the same inexorable decline as day services, following the rise in popularity and affordability of the private car.

1960

A revised network of five circular routes was launched, operating in one direction. While at first glance these might have appeared circuitous, higher running speeds were achievable on roads free of congestion with the result that journey times were not unduly long:

  • 1 Lochend – Leith Walk – Princes St – Gorgie – Calder Rd – Corstorphine – Princes St – Lochend.
  • 2 Portobello – Piershill – Princes St – Tollcross – Polwarth – Oxgangs – Morningside – Princes St – Duddingston – Portobello.
  • 3 Leith Walk – Newhaven – Pilrig St – Princes St – Corstorphine – Drum Brae – Queensferry Rd – Princes St – Leith Walk.
  • 4 Hay Drive – Prestonfield – Bridges – Princes St – Stockbridge – Crewe Toll – Pennywell and return via outbound route.
  • 5 Hyvot Drive – Liberton – Newington – Bridges – Princes St – Broughton St - Canonmills – Granton Sq – Canonmills – Broughton St – Princes St – Bridges – Newington – Gilmerton – Hyvots Drive.

Lawnmarket in 1965. (Credit: Capital Collections)

1983

The decision was taken to expand the operation beyond the city boundary, exploiting new flexibility offered by the relaxed regulatory regime which was introduced prior to deregulation in 1986.

A revised and renumbered network was introduced including a weekend service. This was a major departure from the accepted practice of catering above all for workers, not those heading home after indulging in Edinburgh’s night life, now with later closing times following relaxation of licensing laws in 1977:

  • 101 Waverley Bridge – Gorgie – Stenhouse – Longstone – Wester Hailes – Riccarton – Currie – Juniper Green – Wester Hailes – Longstone – Slateford – Darly – Waverley Bridge.
  • 102 Waverley Bridge – Stockbridge – Comely Bank – Tollcross – Polwarth – Oxgangs – Fairmilehead – Comiston – Blackford – Marchmont – Brunstfield – Tollcross – Waverley Bridge.
  • 103 Waverley Bridge – Corstorphine – Drum Brae – Clerwood (request only) – Davidson’s Mains – Pennywell – Granton – Crewe Toll – Stockbridge – Waverley Bridge.
  • 104 Waverley Bridge – Leith Walk – Lochend – Northfield – Brunstane – Musselburgh – Portobello – Lochend – Leith Walk – Waverley Bridge.
  • 105 Waverley Bridge – Bridges – Marchmont – Newington – Gilmerton – Hyvots – Liberton – Niddrie – Duddingston – Willowbrae – Waverley Bridge.

1986

Following deregulation in 1986, Lothian Region Transport (LRT) was reconstituted as a commercial company. As night services were not wholly commercially viable, it fell to the local authority - Lothian Regional Council - to invite competitive tenders. These were won by Eastern Scottish, who become the city’s night bus operator for the first time.

1988

LRT negotiated an arrangement under which Alloa Brewery would provide financial support to bring back its previous night bus routes at weekends. These took effect in June 1988 and included a completely new route to Penicuik. Despite entreaties from LRT to the council to cancel the weekend contract with Eastern Scottish, this did not initially happen and for a while both operators ran weekend services, while Eastern Scottish continued to operate weekday buses under contract.

1990

LRT successfully win the contract for weekday night services, but on the council’s specified routes, markedly different from the weekend pattern. Some of these anomalies were addressed in 1992.

Weekend nights:

  • 101 Waverley Bridge – Gorgie – Stenhouse – Longstone – Wester Hailes – Riccarton – Currie – Balerno – Juniper Green – Slateford – Dalry – Waverley Bridge
  • 102 Waverley Bridge – Tollcross – Morningside – Fairmilehead – Oxgangs – Colinton – Polwarth – Tollcross – Waverley Bridge
  • 103 Waverley Bridge – Corstorphine – Drum Brae – Clerwood (request only) – Davidson’s Mains – Pennywell – Granton – Inverleith – Canonmills – Waverley Bridge
  • 104 Waverley Bridge – Meadowbank – Lochend – Portobello – Musselburgh – Wallyford – Prestonpans – Levenhall – Musselburgh – Brunstane – Willowbrae – Waverley Bridge
  • 105 Waverley Bridge – Bridges – Newington – Gilmerton – Old Dalkeith Road – Niddrie – Newcraighall – Duddingston – Northfield – Meadowbank – Waverley Bridge
  • 106 Waverley Bridge – Bridges – Newington – Lasswade Road – Gracemount – Burdiehouse – Loanhead – Deanburn – Penicuik and return direct via A701

Weekday nights (*indicates different route from weekend):

  • 201 Waverley Bridge – Gorgie – Stenhouse – Longstone – Wester Hailes – Riccarton – Currie – Balerno – Juniper Green – Slateford – Dalry – Waverley Bridge
  • 202 Waverley Bridge – Tollcross – Polwarth – Colinton – Oxgangs – Fairmilehead – Comiston – Blackford – Marchmont – Bruntsfield – Tollcross – Waverley Bridge
  • 203 Waverley Bridge – Corstorphine – Drum Brae – Clerwood (request only) – Davidson’s Mains – Pennywell – Granton – Crewe Toll – Stockbridge – Waverley Bridge
  • 204 Waverley Bridge – Leith Walk – Lochend – Northfield – Brunstane – Musselburgh – Levenhall – Portobello – Lochend – Leith Walk – Waverley Bridge
  • 205 Waverley Bridge – Bridges – Marchmont – Newington – Gilmerton – Hyvots – Liberton – Niddrie – Duddingston – Willowbrae – Waverley Bridge

2002

The night network was fully reworked and modernised with the launch of a new ‘Night Buses’ network. The previous circular routes were replaced with linear routes which more closely resembled their daytime equivalents and ran consistently throughout the week. The city centre departure point was moved from Waverley Bridge to Waverley Steps.

A sleek new brand was developed specifically for NightBuses – red text (a homage to the red intermediate screen that had been used for decades) on black with a yellow half-crescent moon. This could be found on timetable leaflets and posters and was also deployed on the front and side panels of buses, raising the profile of the network across the city in a way it had never been before.

A red ‘N’ was also adopted as a prefix to the service number to highlight to passengers that the service charged different fares. The night fare increased from £1.60 to £2.00. Rebranded as ‘Night Ticket’, it provided unlimited travel across the night network, building on the transfer ticket previously available since 1982.

Initially six services were launched in July:

  • N16 Waverley Steps – Torphin
  • N22 Airport – Waverley Steps – Ocean Terminal
  • N25 Waverley Steps – Balerno
  • N26 Clerwood – Waverley Steps – Prestonpans
  • N33 Waverley Steps – Burdiehouse
  • N37 Silverknowes – Waverley Steps – Penicuik

These were quickly supplemented in October by:

  • N27 Waverley Steps – Fairmilehead
  • N44 Balerno – Waverley Steps – Tranent

2004

The local authority’s financial support that had continued for some elements of the NightBuses network was withdrawn, with a commitment by Lothian to continue to develop the operation commercially and provide services as part of a wider social dividend. In the years that followed further new services were launched and by 2007, patronage had increased from just over 100,000 in 2001 to over 750,000.

2008

Edinburgh, a long-established centre of excellence for banking and finance, was particularly hard hit during the global financial crash. The nighttime economy suffered significantly as people reigned in their finances and prioritised spending on essentials.

Lothian reacted quickly to changes in demand to retain a viable operation and reductions to night services would follow, with the impacts felt for several years, and passenger numbers not returning to similar levels until 2015.

N37 pictured in 2010 (Credit: Lothian Buses)

2013

A new ‘Day&Night’ Ticket was introduced (now ‘LATE’ Ticket) aimed at the evening leisure market, and Ridacard was extended to include Night Buses at no additional charge.

Lothian NightBus on Princes Street in April 2014 (Credit: Lothian Buses)

2016

A new era for Night Buses began with the launch of East Coast Buses services N106 and N124 to Dunbar and North Berwick respectively. The services were initially branded NightHawk to help distinguish their tiered fare structure.

Celebrating the launch of N106 (Credit: Lothian Buses)

2018

Following the successful introduction and proven demand for East Coast Buses night services, Lothian Country service N28 is introduced between Edinburgh and Livingston.

2020

The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and government advice to ‘stay at home’ changed every element of hitherto established societal habits and travel patterns. Just like the financial crash of 2008, the hospitality sector and nighttime economy were particularly hard hit and in effect, cancelled. Night Buses were effectively surplus to requirements, and all were suspended on 29 March.

Following government guidance, all NightBus services were cancelled in March 2020 with a ‘critical services’ network in operation across day services to keep vital links open for key workers.

2021+

The road out of the pandemic was a long and difficult one, especially for the hospitality sector, with several false starts. Night services were reintroduced in September 2020 however it took several years for the sector to re-establish itself.

2024

This year proved another high waterline for the night network, with the hospitality and events sector experiencing a post-pandemic surge despite what was fast becoming a difficult economic landscape against a growing cost of living crisis. In 2024 the night network operated a record 20 routes across Edinburgh and the Lothians carrying well over 800,000 passengers – the highest ever recorded.

2025

Fare products and brands were harmonised across the Lothian group, with all services now simply branded NightBuses. Still representing excellent value, the night single is increased to £3.50, its first increase since 2008.

By comparison, in 2002 the price of a pint matched the night fare but today that same pint costs more than £5.00!

October 2025 marks 100 years of our NightBus network!

FROM 1925 TO 2025 - A TIMELINE

1919

Edinburgh Corporation’s transport department was founded, with the first motor bus service introduced this year.

1925

First night buses were introduced on 19 October (two winter-only services were in operation for workers, running from Leith Walk–Bruntsfield and Salisbury Place–Ardmillan).

The Mound, Edinburgh in 1925 when the city’s first night bus services were first introduced. (Credit: Capital Collections)

1930

Both night services were numbered and extended:

  • 25 Foot of Leith Walk – Morningside Station
  • 26 Salisbury Place – Balgreen Road

The city skyline is illuminated on 12 May 1937 on the occasion of the coronation of King George VI.

1939

NightBus services were suspended due to the outbreak of the Second World War.

Members of the Second World War Women's National Fire Service line up for inspection by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill on the Castle Esplanade in Edinburgh in 1942. (Credit: Capital Collections)

1946

Both night services were reinstated (25 was renumbered 28, and 26 was renumbered 29). They operated on weekday nights all year.

1947

A revised network of five routes was launched:

  • 1 Foot of Leith Walk – Firrhill
  • 2 Portobello Bath Street – Morningside Station
  • 3 Bonnington Terrace – Corstorphine
  • 4 Craigmillar – Crewe Road North
  • 5 Waverley – Sighthill

The Lawnmarket in 1950 (Credit: Capital Collections)

1955

A sixth route was added: 6 Gilmerton – Groathill Road North.

Despite carrying an incredible 400,000 passengers in 1955, the night network started to suffer from the same inexorable decline as day services, following the rise in popularity and affordability of the private car.

1960

A revised network of five circular routes was launched, operating in one direction. While at first glance these might have appeared circuitous, higher running speeds were achievable on roads free of congestion with the result that journey times were not unduly long:

  • 1 Lochend – Leith Walk – Princes St – Gorgie – Calder Rd – Corstorphine – Princes St – Lochend.
  • 2 Portobello – Piershill – Princes St – Tollcross – Polwarth – Oxgangs – Morningside – Princes St – Duddingston – Portobello.
  • 3 Leith Walk – Newhaven – Pilrig St – Princes St – Corstorphine – Drum Brae – Queensferry Rd – Princes St – Leith Walk.
  • 4 Hay Drive – Prestonfield – Bridges – Princes St – Stockbridge – Crewe Toll – Pennywell and return via outbound route.
  • 5 Hyvot Drive – Liberton – Newington – Bridges – Princes St – Broughton St - Canonmills – Granton Sq – Canonmills – Broughton St – Princes St – Bridges – Newington – Gilmerton – Hyvots Drive.

Lawnmarket in 1965. (Credit: Capital Collections)

1983

The decision was taken to expand the operation beyond the city boundary, exploiting new flexibility offered by the relaxed regulatory regime which was introduced prior to deregulation in 1986.

A revised and renumbered network was introduced including a weekend service. This was a major departure from the accepted practice of catering above all for workers, not those heading home after indulging in Edinburgh’s night life, now with later closing times following relaxation of licensing laws in 1977:

  • 101 Waverley Bridge – Gorgie – Stenhouse – Longstone – Wester Hailes – Riccarton – Currie – Juniper Green – Wester Hailes – Longstone – Slateford – Darly – Waverley Bridge.
  • 102 Waverley Bridge – Stockbridge – Comely Bank – Tollcross – Polwarth – Oxgangs – Fairmilehead – Comiston – Blackford – Marchmont – Brunstfield – Tollcross – Waverley Bridge.
  • 103 Waverley Bridge – Corstorphine – Drum Brae – Clerwood (request only) – Davidson’s Mains – Pennywell – Granton – Crewe Toll – Stockbridge – Waverley Bridge.
  • 104 Waverley Bridge – Leith Walk – Lochend – Northfield – Brunstane – Musselburgh – Portobello – Lochend – Leith Walk – Waverley Bridge.
  • 105 Waverley Bridge – Bridges – Marchmont – Newington – Gilmerton – Hyvots – Liberton – Niddrie – Duddingston – Willowbrae – Waverley Bridge.

1986

Following deregulation in 1986, Lothian Region Transport (LRT) was reconstituted as a commercial company. As night services were not wholly commercially viable, it fell to the local authority - Lothian Regional Council - to invite competitive tenders. These were won by Eastern Scottish, who become the city’s night bus operator for the first time.

1988

LRT negotiated an arrangement under which Alloa Brewery would provide financial support to bring back its previous night bus routes at weekends. These took effect in June 1988 and included a completely new route to Penicuik. Despite entreaties from LRT to the council to cancel the weekend contract with Eastern Scottish, this did not initially happen and for a while both operators ran weekend services, while Eastern Scottish continued to operate weekday buses under contract.

1990

LRT successfully win the contract for weekday night services, but on the council’s specified routes, markedly different from the weekend pattern. Some of these anomalies were addressed in 1992.

Weekend nights:

  • 101 Waverley Bridge – Gorgie – Stenhouse – Longstone – Wester Hailes – Riccarton – Currie – Balerno – Juniper Green – Slateford – Dalry – Waverley Bridge
  • 102 Waverley Bridge – Tollcross – Morningside – Fairmilehead – Oxgangs – Colinton – Polwarth – Tollcross – Waverley Bridge
  • 103 Waverley Bridge – Corstorphine – Drum Brae – Clerwood (request only) – Davidson’s Mains – Pennywell – Granton – Inverleith – Canonmills – Waverley Bridge
  • 104 Waverley Bridge – Meadowbank – Lochend – Portobello – Musselburgh – Wallyford – Prestonpans – Levenhall – Musselburgh – Brunstane – Willowbrae – Waverley Bridge
  • 105 Waverley Bridge – Bridges – Newington – Gilmerton – Old Dalkeith Road – Niddrie – Newcraighall – Duddingston – Northfield – Meadowbank – Waverley Bridge
  • 106 Waverley Bridge – Bridges – Newington – Lasswade Road – Gracemount – Burdiehouse – Loanhead – Deanburn – Penicuik and return direct via A701

Weekday nights (*indicates different route from weekend):

  • 201 Waverley Bridge – Gorgie – Stenhouse – Longstone – Wester Hailes – Riccarton – Currie – Balerno – Juniper Green – Slateford – Dalry – Waverley Bridge
  • 202 Waverley Bridge – Tollcross – Polwarth – Colinton – Oxgangs – Fairmilehead – Comiston – Blackford – Marchmont – Bruntsfield – Tollcross – Waverley Bridge
  • 203 Waverley Bridge – Corstorphine – Drum Brae – Clerwood (request only) – Davidson’s Mains – Pennywell – Granton – Crewe Toll – Stockbridge – Waverley Bridge
  • 204 Waverley Bridge – Leith Walk – Lochend – Northfield – Brunstane – Musselburgh – Levenhall – Portobello – Lochend – Leith Walk – Waverley Bridge
  • 205 Waverley Bridge – Bridges – Marchmont – Newington – Gilmerton – Hyvots – Liberton – Niddrie – Duddingston – Willowbrae – Waverley Bridge

2002

The night network was fully reworked and modernised with the launch of a new ‘Night Buses’ network. The previous circular routes were replaced with linear routes which more closely resembled their daytime equivalents and ran consistently throughout the week. The city centre departure point was moved from Waverley Bridge to Waverley Steps.

A sleek new brand was developed specifically for NightBuses – red text (a homage to the red intermediate screen that had been used for decades) on black with a yellow half-crescent moon. This could be found on timetable leaflets and posters and was also deployed on the front and side panels of buses, raising the profile of the network across the city in a way it had never been before.

A red ‘N’ was also adopted as a prefix to the service number to highlight to passengers that the service charged different fares. The night fare increased from £1.60 to £2.00. Rebranded as ‘Night Ticket’, it provided unlimited travel across the night network, building on the transfer ticket previously available since 1982.

Initially six services were launched in July:

  • N16 Waverley Steps – Torphin
  • N22 Airport – Waverley Steps – Ocean Terminal
  • N25 Waverley Steps – Balerno
  • N26 Clerwood – Waverley Steps – Prestonpans
  • N33 Waverley Steps – Burdiehouse
  • N37 Silverknowes – Waverley Steps – Penicuik

These were quickly supplemented in October by:

  • N27 Waverley Steps – Fairmilehead
  • N44 Balerno – Waverley Steps – Tranent

2004

The local authority’s financial support that had continued for some elements of the NightBuses network was withdrawn, with a commitment by Lothian to continue to develop the operation commercially and provide services as part of a wider social dividend. In the years that followed further new services were launched and by 2007, patronage had increased from just over 100,000 in 2001 to over 750,000.

2008

Edinburgh, a long-established centre of excellence for banking and finance, was particularly hard hit during the global financial crash. The nighttime economy suffered significantly as people reigned in their finances and prioritised spending on essentials.

Lothian reacted quickly to changes in demand to retain a viable operation and reductions to night services would follow, with the impacts felt for several years, and passenger numbers not returning to similar levels until 2015.

N37 pictured in 2010 (Credit: Lothian Buses)

2013

A new ‘Day&Night’ Ticket was introduced (now ‘LATE’ Ticket) aimed at the evening leisure market, and Ridacard was extended to include Night Buses at no additional charge.

Lothian NightBus on Princes Street in April 2014 (Credit: Lothian Buses)

2016

A new era for Night Buses began with the launch of East Coast Buses services N106 and N124 to Dunbar and North Berwick respectively. The services were initially branded NightHawk to help distinguish their tiered fare structure.

Celebrating the launch of N106 (Credit: Lothian Buses)

2018

Following the successful introduction and proven demand for East Coast Buses night services, Lothian Country service N28 is introduced between Edinburgh and Livingston.

2020

The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and government advice to ‘stay at home’ changed every element of hitherto established societal habits and travel patterns. Just like the financial crash of 2008, the hospitality sector and nighttime economy were particularly hard hit and in effect, cancelled. Night Buses were effectively surplus to requirements, and all were suspended on 29 March.

Following government guidance, all NightBus services were cancelled in March 2020 with a ‘critical services’ network in operation across day services to keep vital links open for key workers.

2021+

The road out of the pandemic was a long and difficult one, especially for the hospitality sector, with several false starts. Night services were reintroduced in September 2020 however it took several years for the sector to re-establish itself.

2024

This year proved another high waterline for the night network, with the hospitality and events sector experiencing a post-pandemic surge despite what was fast becoming a difficult economic landscape against a growing cost of living crisis. In 2024 the night network operated a record 20 routes across Edinburgh and the Lothians carrying well over 800,000 passengers – the highest ever recorded.

2025

Fare products and brands were harmonised across the Lothian group, with all services now simply branded NightBuses. Still representing excellent value, the night single is increased to £3.50, its first increase since 2008.

By comparison, in 2002 the price of a pint matched the night fare but today that same pint costs more than £5.00!

October 2025 marks 100 years of our NightBus network!

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Simplify your late night travel

Most of our night services run from around midnight until 4.30am every day with tickets from £3.50.
VIEW THE NIGHTBUS ROUTE MAP
VIEW TICKET INFO ON NIGHTBUS PAGE

Lothian has partnered with Strut Safe to provide additional support after your late-night travels. Strut Safe is a friendly voice to keep you company and help you feel safe until you are through the door.

Together, we’re committed to enhancing your experience in Edinburgh, ensuring you feel supported and connected as you navigate the city late at night. 

Visit The Strut Safe Website

FAQs about NightBus

Q. What times do your NightBuses operate?

A. Our NightBus network operates from midnight to 04:30 each day, seven days a week.

Q. Can I use my Ridacard on NightBuses?

A. Yes! Ridacards offer unlimited travel across our city network including NightBuses.

Q. I’m a frequent traveller on both day and night bus services. What’s the easiest, most cost-effective way for me to pay for my travel?

A. With capped contactless – TapTapCap – just tap the same card or device all day/night and the following morning we’ll charge you for the journeys you’ve made, automatically applying the cheapest daily or weekly cap depending on the journeys you’ve made. Keep using that same card or device or all week and once you’ve reached one of our weekly caps, which run from Monday to Sunday, you won’t pay any more for the rest of the week. Learn more on our TapTapCap page.

Q. I have a National Entitlement Card (NEC) – is this valid on NightBuses?

A. NECs are not valid on NightBuses, as the NightBus network is a premium service.

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Submit a Story

We love hearing from customers who’ve got a story to tell about their travels on our network. From surprise engagements to impromptu singalongs, if you’ve got a memorable tale to tell from your time on board a NightBus please get in touch via the form below!

Name

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