Lothian buses, route 26:
Is the route of the devil. It has the longest range of any bus in Edinburgh, and has a 4 hour+ round-trip time. One end of the line is toward the Northwest of the city, and the other is to the Southeast, at a place called Seton sands. It was there that I was aiming for.

From where I lived at the time (Heriot-Watt university campus - the most Westerly point of any bus route except the airport) it was about a 2 1/2 hour drive at the best of times.

What I didn't realize was that there are, in fact, two different routes that this bus can take. One is the direct (though slow due to a vastly excessive number of stops) route. The second route, however, is like something even Escher couldn't dream up. It curls around every single tiny little sodding village in the East of Scotland, appearing to pull closer and closer to Seton. You can confirm this because there's a big, obvious landmark in the form of Cockenzie power station.

I don't know how it does it but every single time you could swear that you're within touching distance of the end of the line, the bus lurches down another dirt track leading in the opposite direction. You stay on, though, because you're convinced that if he's gone to all this trouble, he must surely end up there sooner or later.

He doesn't.

He comes within about 300 yards, then turns around and heads back to the centre of town again.

By the time you realize you should get off, it's too late. You're trapped.

Four hours I spent on the that bus with a three year old screaming in my ear and my leg feeling like it would melt from the heat of the sun through the window.

Never again. I'm getting a car this year.
( MatJ LOOK, Mon 29 Jun 2009, 14:08, 8 replies)

This confuses me
In my day (a year or two back) the 26 was solely for the Queen Margaret Uni. For Hairy Twat you use the 25 or 35??

Also the 26 was remarkably clean, regular and actually had decent passengers most of the time!
( whenanimalsattackhumans clad in global hypercolour, Mon 29 Jun 2009, 14:51, closed)

Kind of
The 25, 34 and 45 actually come to campus. I normally take the 25 to Princes street then the 26 from there.
( MatJ LOOK, Mon 29 Jun 2009, 15:51, closed)

Ah I see
I've never had to take the 26 any further East than Princes Street apart from one or two rare occasions.

Edinburgh is a fucking magic city to live in. Would do again A++++
( whenanimalsattackhumans clad in global hypercolour, Mon 29 Jun 2009, 16:40, closed)

It's like the one time
I hopped off a 25 stuck in traffic and walked down the road to a bus stop. The same 25 pulled up and I thought "Great! A 26" and got on.

I only realized my mistake about 5 miles down the line.
( MatJ LOOK, Mon 29 Jun 2009, 19:45, closed)

Lothian 26
*nods head in agreement*

Have travelled on this service 5 or 6 times to visit a friend and I can honestly say those journeys have been above average.

Clean and regular, just how I like them.
(Goldbringer last attempted regicide on, Mon 29 Jun 2009, 20:00, closed)

Yep
The 26 seems to get the nice shiny new buses first.
(SirJonDangerous and his pony-sized bumblebee, Tue 30 Jun 2009, 11:57, closed)

Nicely written
*click*
( chart cat has an itch, Tue 30 Jun 2009, 3:42, closed)

Nicely written
but I live in Cockenzie and this is nonsense. The 26 takes the quickest possible route out to Port Seton. If you were aiming for Seton Sands, well that is where it turns round.
(SirJonDangerous and his pony-sized bumblebee, Tue 30 Jun 2009, 11:56, closed)