Ember have launched more routes to Fort William and Great Glen to Inverness, Oban, plus up to Thurso.
You can book bikes onto the buses, most of which have side loading bike racks for a few bikes on each bus, a few are just in the hold but they have tie downs. A big step up from Scotrail as you can prebook easily...
From Ember:
Can I bring my bike onboard?
We're happy to carry bikes, including e-bikes. You can reserve a bike space whilst booking your ticket. Folding bikes don't need to be booked.
We'll either carry your bike on board in the wheelchair space or underneath in the hold. Wheelchair users always take priority over bikes in the wheelchair space so you may need to move your bike if a wheelchair user boards at an intermediate stop. There should be plenty of space underneath but in case of any issues, the wheelchair user will still have priority and we'll work to find you an alternative solution. We can't guarantee your bike will be carried upright and it is carried at your own risk (but we've carried thousands of bikes without incident).
We'd appreciate if your bike is clean. If it's really dirty, please stick it in a bike bag. Folding bikes don't need to be booked, just turn up and get on. If you have a particularly large bike (e.g. a tandem), send us the dimensions before booking so we can check it will fit.
You must have the App to book / monitor. Do be aware that they can run ahead of schedule so having the app and live map is essential.
If you are Scottish resident and have Saltire Entitlement card (disabled, retired etc) then it is FREE.
This is absolutely brilliant for anyone doing a variety of cycle tours, gravel and long distance routes, mountain biking trips, hill walks and more. You can get to Calmac out to Hebrides, or even onto Orkney and Shetland ferries with Northlink. A
Thanks for the heads up, I don't drive so this is really cool. Looks like I could get from Aberdeen to Ballater and Aboyne easily with my bike now.
Ember really are excellent, I can get some horrendously early service at the side of the A9 near Gleneagles and be at Bridge of Orchy for 6:30am, it opens up so many more options for big routes.
I just worry that they're expanding too fast, don't know how all these routes and the frequency of service can be sustainable!
Thanks - great news. I’m 60 in a few months so look forward to using this a bit more. Let’s hope 13thfloormonk's fears aren’t borne out.
I need to look at my bucket list for the year and pick all the routes that require an Ember for a start 😂
Might also try and use them for a stage of my very occasional commute to Newcastle, I'm done paying the 'Gleneagles tax' for catching a train from a station named after a posh hotel 🙄
Might also try and use them for a stage of my very occasional commute to Newcastle, I'm done paying the 'Gleneagles tax' for catching a train from a station named after a posh hote
Ember have taken over my travels from Scotrail, particularly to Glasgow. I am now told that the new Park and Ride in south Stirling will include Ember stopping - and it is literally at the end of my road...
Might also try and use them for a stage of my very occasional commute to Newcastle, I'm done paying the 'Gleneagles tax' for catching a train from a station named after a posh hote
Ember have taken over my travels from Scotrail, particularly to Glasgow. I am now told that the new Park and Ride in south Stirling will include Ember stopping - and it is literally at the end of my road...
I don't want to sound like a creep but given your garden position and that little bit of info i reckon i can steal your bikes 🤣
Used Ember when visiting family in Scotland last year. Excellent service, great value, really useful app.
Might also try and use them for a stage of my very occasional commute to Newcastle, I'm done paying the 'Gleneagles tax' for catching a train from a station named after a posh hote
Ember have taken over my travels from Scotrail, particularly to Glasgow. I am now told that the new Park and Ride in south Stirling will include Ember stopping - and it is literally at the end of my road...
I don't want to sound like a creep but given your garden position and that little bit of info i reckon i can steal your bikes 🤣
Dammit. Time to stop revealing so much online.....
🫣
You must have the App to book / monitor.
Ember is providing a fantastic service, but just to confirm that you don't need to download an app to book tickets/track your bus. You can do that on their website (if you aren't keen on having loads of apps on your phone)
They are cheap and serves lots of places that previously had no or very poor public transport
am I right in thinking there's only 2 bike spaces?
Ember have been stopping at the park and ride at junction 10 of the M9 for a while now...are they planning another park and ride on the south side? (Listen to me trying to make this place posh with a south side!)
am I right in thinking there's only 2 bike spaces?
In the disabled / ramp / side door area. But they will stow more underneath the bus, and the one time we used it they had some ropes and straps to secure.
Ember is providing a fantastic service, but just to confirm that you don't need to download an app to book tickets/track your bus. You can do that on their website (if you aren't keen on having loads of apps on your phone)
However you really should book in advance, don't assume they will stop at every stop if not booked, some are advanced booking stops only.
(although to their credit the driver did screech to a halt in the layby outside Gleneagles station when Scotrail cancelled a morning service at short notice, I sprinted to the layby and flagged the bus down instead)
Has anyone any experience of Ember drivers being willing to drop at spots between official stops. Thinking Altnafeadh in Glen Coe for example.
No, but my saviour on the morning of the cancelled train did have to do a lot of fiddling with his phone/sat nav thing, I think they are tracked in some way so might be reluctant to do anything unofficial.
Love it, I've just checked and for the low low price of £30.50 I can get an 8am bus to Inverness, arriving 11am, giving me a 10.5hr window to ride the Loch Ness 360 trail and catch the 21:27 bus home.
Pretty awesome single day itinerary right there 😎