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Trossachs Explorer Pilot Wraps Up: Over 5,000 Passengers Choose Lower-Carbon Travel in National Park  

The pilot of the Trossachs Explorer Shuttle Bus, launched by Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority, has come to an end, having welcomed 5,137 passengers during its run from 1st July to 30th September 2024. Having exceeded expectations, the hope is that similar public transport services will operate in 2025, subject to appropriate funding being secured. 

The transport pilot is one of the first projects announced as part of the new National Park Partnership Plan which sets out a long-term vision for the National Park as a thriving place that is nature positive and carbon negative, with more sustainable transport to and around the Park playing an important part. 

Of the millions of visitors to the National Park each year, 79% travel by car*. The dominance of car travel is one of the biggest sources of carbon emissions in the National Park and puts huge pressure on popular locations and their communities, with parking and congestion. 

Having run seven days a week between key visitor locations, including Aberfoyle and Callander, the Trossachs Explorer made it easier for visitors and locals to access some of the Park’s most scenic areas without needing a car. The pilot also linked with services from Stirling and Glasgow to enhance car-free accessibility. Impressively, 52% of passengers travelled for free under the National Concession Card schemes, including young people under 22 and those over 60, highlighting the bus’s success in opening up the Trossachs to a diverse range of audiences.  

Kenny Auld, Head of Visitor Services for Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority, said: “The Trossachs Explorer pilot has exceeded our expectations, proving that there’s a clear demand for more sustainable travel options in the Park. It has helped to improve access for those without cars, given people a choice and freedom to travel, and has shown that more sustainable, reliable public transport has a key role in our goal of becoming a Net Zero National Park by 2035.  

“We’ll now take our learnings from the pilot and work closely with partners and communities through our Mobility Partnership programme to identify future pilots and develop more longer-term sustainable transport options ensuring services meet the needs of residents, businesses, and visitors while protecting the Park’s natural environment. We hope to see similar public transport services return in 2025, subject to appropriate funding being secured.” 

Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, Mairi Gougeon said: “The Trossachs Explorer has improved local access and opened up the National Park to a more diverse range of visitors and with more than 5000 people using the service, it demonstrated there is demand for more sustainable travel options. 

“We want people to visit our National Parks, but we must make sure we protect their natural beauty and tackle climate change. I am delighted that this pilot was so successful, ensuring that local residents and visitors could still enjoy the most beautiful and remote areas without using their cars.” 

The pilot service focused on one area of the National Park and now serves as a valuable proof of concept for how more sustainable rural transport can support both visitors and local communities. Income generated from the pilot will be reinvested in future sustainable transport research and development, with the hope of expanding services like the Trossachs Explorer in the years to come. 

A newly appointed National Park Mobility Partnership Manager will play a key role in bringing stakeholders together to create a multi-year delivery programme. This partnership approach will help to secure the investment, expertise and resources needed to deliver an efficient, inclusive, and lower-carbon transport system across the National Park, contributing to the overall vision of a thriving, nature-positive, and carbon-negative Park. 

For many, the service was not just about convenience—it was a new way to experience the National Park, offering an opportunity to enjoy the natural beauty of the area. The shuttle bus helped provide car-free access and gave people a choice to travel, in a way which helps support the Park’s sustainability goals, and provided an economic boost by making it easier for visitors and locals, including staff to reach businesses, with over 75 local businesses and community organisations within the area engaged to support its delivery. 

Trossachs Explorer user Alan from Paisley said: “I used the Trossachs Explorer for a day trip to Callander from my home in Paisley, journeying via Glasgow and Aberfoyle on Midland Bluebird X10A. As well as the beautiful journey in itself, this allowed me 5 hours in Callander, time to do the 3 Bridges Walk to Dunmore Hill Fort, with time afterwards to have a meal at the Riverside Inn and a potter about the shops in the town. 

“As someone who cannot drive a car but who enjoys walking in the great outdoors, I have long been frustrated by the great difficulty I have in accessing many of the most beautiful parts of Scotland due to the lack of bus services in so many rural and scenic areas, and the lack of connectivity with routes into these areas. The Trossachs Explorer summer bus has been a very good example of what can be achieved with a bit of joined up thinking. It allowed me to enjoy a day out in a very beautiful part of our country, and also meant I spent money in local businesses.  

“I very much hope that the Trossachs Explorer will return next summer season and I will certainly use it again if it does.” 

The service was punctual and reliable, with 97% of scheduled services running on time – a testament to the hard work and training of the dedicated drivers, with 16 drivers specially trained to operate on the route. 

The Trossachs Explorer pilot was operated by Midland Bluebird and supported with funding from BMW UK, as part of its Recharge in Nature partnership with UK National Parks. Funding was also received from Paths for All’s Smarter Choices, Smarter Places Open Fund, on behalf of Scottish Government and Transport Scotland. 

*2019/20 National Park Visitor Survey 

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