Lothian’s annual Driver of the Year competition took place on Wednesday 6 May at Ingliston, bringing together colleagues from across the business to compete for a chance to represent the business at the UK finals in September.
New for this year, representatives from the emergency services joined us at the Royal Highland Centre. Scottish Fire and Rescue, the Scottish Ambulance Service and Police Scotland were all in attendance, giving visitors and participants the opportunity to speak with crews, explore emergency vehicles and appliances, and learn more about the close working relationships Lothian has with our emergency service partners.
The competition itself was closely contested, with 22 drivers taking part in a series of challenges including an obstacle course, theory test and road test. As always, there was a strong sense of friendly competition throughout the day, with everyone enjoying the opportunity to put their skills and professionalism to the test.
Following a delicious barbecue lunch prepared and served by Lothian’s in-house catering team, scores were tallied and the prize-giving ceremony got underway.
Our 2026 winners
First Place – Alex Fleming-Ruse (East Coast Buses)
Second Place – Colin Kelly (East Coast Buses)
Third Place – CK McLeod-Bain (Longstone)
Lothian Overall Winner – CK McLeod-Bain (Longstone)
East Coast Buses Overall Winner – Alex Fleming-Ruse
Edinburgh Bus Tours Overall Winner – Andrew McQuater
Lothian Country Overall Winner – Harvey Stroud
Garage of the Year – East Coast Buses
David Cameron, Head of Operations, said: “Every year our Driver of the Year competition is a fantastic opportunity to recognise the incredible skill, professionalism and dedication shown by our drivers each day across the network, and this year has been no exception.
“We have approximately 2,000 drivers who do an incredible job day in and day out delivering for more than 2 million customers a week, and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank them for their dedication and ongoing support for our business.
“Well done to everyone who put themselves forward in this year’s competition, and huge congratulations to Alex, Colin and CK – I know they’ll do us proud in Blackpool this autumn.”
