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Xplore Aberdeen, a McGill's Company

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Stan Drews

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Resuwen said:
Doubt it - Dundee still has some ancient Geminis to clear out first
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Those ‘ancient’ Geminis were all upgraded to Euro6 emission levels and are normally allocated primarily to school contracts plus the off-peak infill work that a few of them also do.
 
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markymark2000

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Looks like there will be a new Aberdeen Open Top Tour starting soon. McGills are currently hiring for Open Top Bus drivers from the Aberdeen Depot

www.mcgillsscotlandeast.co.uk

Open Top Tour Drivers

www.mcgillsscotlandeast.co.uk www.mcgillsscotlandeast.co.uk
We’re looking for great individuals to join our driving team at our Aberdeen depot as Open Top Tour Drivers.
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(Lots of corporate guff and nothing else about the route and so I've only quoted this small part)
 
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Volvodart

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stevenedin said:
Nice to see an open top tour for Aberdeen as well :)
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You would have expected First Aberdeen to be running open top tours with the Tall Ships be here and the great success of the two tours when they were here before, with evening tours being added to cope with demand.
 
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Where did the previous First open top buses go? I seem to remember Old Aberdeen, the beach, Union Street and Hazlehead Park but beyond that I can’t remember? I wonder if the new McGill’s will run a similar route or if they have other plans.
 
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Volvodart

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Red Onion said:
Where did the previous First open top buses go? I seem to remember Old Aberdeen, the beach, Union Street and Hazlehead Park but beyond that I can’t remember? I wonder if the new McGill’s will run a similar route or if they have other plans.
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The problem was that they wanted an hourly frequency, which meant not that much could be covered with one bus.
 
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Volvodart

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New open-top tour bus to show off Aberdeen in ‘whole new light’ amid tourism boom

www.pressandjournal.co.uk

Exclusive: New open-top tour bus to show off Aberdeen in 'whole new light' amid tourism boom

Dubbed the Aberdeen Adventurer, the new bus will aim to dazzle the thousands of tourists flocking to the north-east by showing off the Granite City's most famous sights.
www.pressandjournal.co.uk www.pressandjournal.co.uk
Dubbed the Aberdeen Adventurer, the new bus will aim to dazzle the thousands of tourists flocking to the north-east by showing off the Granite City's most famous sights.

Aberdeen tour bus
The bright orange tour bus will be up and running within weeks, giving visitors a chance to see the most of Aberdeen. Image: Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce.

By Denny Andonova
April 7 2025, 6:00 am

Abrand new open-top tour bus will hit the streets of Aberdeen within weeks as city leaders try to capitalise on the recent influx of international tourists.

Tourism head honchos in the Granite City have been pondering the idea of introducing a hop on-hop off bus for several years.

The concept has proven popular in destinations across the world – including Edinburgh and Glasgow – and offers people an easy way to see the best bits of the city they are visiting.

And with thousands of tourists expected to flock to the north-east this year, business chiefs thought it was the perfect time to launch the Aberdeen Adventurer.


German tourists outside the St Machar Bar during a trip to Aberdeen in 2023. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson
They hope this will further boost the upcoming Tall Ships and Offshore Europe events, which will bring scores of people from around the globe.

This is on top of the nearly 70 cruise ships planned to dock at the city’s South Harbour in the next five months – packed with hundreds of eager international tourists.

Who is launching the Aberdeen tour bus?
The project is a partnership between McGill’s Xplore, Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce, VisitAberdeenshire and Aberdeen Inspired.

Bosses say the service will “show off the Granite City in a whole new light”, giving locals and visitors a chance to explore all of Aberdeen’s must-see landmarks.

The Adventurer’s first trip around the city will be on April 18.

The route for the new Aberdeen tour bus.
Image: Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce.
It will run every day from then on, with six rotations per day.

The bright orange open-top bus will stop at 10 designated spots every 90 minutes, while the full tour is estimated to last about 75 minutes for those who don’t hop off.

VisitAberdeenshire chief executive Chris Foy said such sightseeing tours entice tourists into staying longer and exploring more – which is exactly what they want for Aberdeen.

Meanwhile, area director for McGill’s Buses, Stephen Riggans, hopes the tour bus will give visitors an “unforgettable adventure” in the city.


There has been an influx of cruise ship visitors in Aberdeen for the last few years. Image: Darrell Benns/DC Thomson
He added: “This new open-top tour will complement the many fantastic things to see and do in Aberdeen, offering a fresh and exciting way to experience its incredible history, breathtaking architecture, and stunning coastline.”

Where will Aberdeen tour bus stop?
The Aberdeen Adventurer’s route includes 10 stops across the city, which have been specifically chosen for their proximity to major attractions.

There will be stops on Broad Street, Old Aberdeen, Pittodrie, Aberdeen Beach, Fittie, Guild Street, Duthie Park, Queens Road, the Music Hall and His Majesty’s Theatre.


Tourists on an excursion to St Machar Cathedral in 2023. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson
The aim is to help tourists see as much of Aberdeen as possible – from the picture-postcard fishing village to the medieval King’s College and St Machar’s Cathedral.

Visitors will also be able to find the best bars, restaurants and shops in the area by scanning a barcode, which will be placed on the Aberdeen Adventurer leaflets.

And they will be encouraged to share their experience on Instagram using the hashtag AberdeenAdventurer.

The leaflet for the new Aberdeen tour bus.
Image: Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce.
How much will a day ticket cost?
Like other tour buses, people will be able to buy a day ticket and hop on and off wherever they like and however many times they wish to during their trip.

Tickets will be priced at £15 for adults, £10 for concessions and students, and £8 for children between five and 15.

The leaflet for the new Aberdeen tour bus.
Image: Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce.
Those under five will travel for free when accompanied by an adult, and there will also be family tickets for two adults and up to three children for £32.

Visitors will be able to buy these on the bus or by scanning the tour bus QR code.


Each ticket will come with a set of headphones, which will tell the story of all the landmarks along the route in several different languages.

Ticket holders will also have access to a range of offers from local businesses – including BrewDog, Mackies 19.2, Aberdeen FC, Codona’s, venues on Shiprow and The Terrace Bar and Café.


Venues on Shiprow will offer discounts to those with tour bus tickets. Image: Darrell Benns/DC Thomson
Council finance convener, Alex McLellan, said: “This provides a real opportunity for the increasing number of visitors to our city to see everything our city has to offer.”

AGCC chief executive, Russell Borthwick, added: “We’ve devised an amazing route and a first-class new product for visitors to the Granite City. See you on board
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danielhogg2005

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Volvodart said:
New open-top tour bus to show off Aberdeen in ‘whole new light’ amid tourism boom

www.pressandjournal.co.uk

Exclusive: New open-top tour bus to show off Aberdeen in 'whole new light' amid tourism boom

Dubbed the Aberdeen Adventurer, the new bus will aim to dazzle the thousands of tourists flocking to the north-east by showing off the Granite City's most famous sights.
www.pressandjournal.co.uk www.pressandjournal.co.uk
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I noticed in the article that on the timetable leaflet that was shown in the article it had an advert for the FLY service but it said that it was a Aberdeen to Edinburgh Airport direct, are we also looking at them extending it now?

Image Attached:Screenshot_20250407_074626_Chrome.jpg
 
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computerSaysNo

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danielhogg2005 said:
I noticed in the article that on the timetable leaflet that was shown in the article it had an advert for the FLY service but it said that it was a Aberdeen to Edinburgh Airport direct, are we also looking at them extending it now?

Image Attached:View attachment 177927
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Somebody on Facebook brought this up as well. I don't have any clarification unfortunately but my immediate thoughts are that there aren't enough passengers to sustain four long distance operators long term on the Aberdeen to Dundee/Edinburgh corridor.
 
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Stan Drews

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There is a new FLY Aberdeen service coming soon, which will offer the same fast, direct service to the airport that has seen the FLY Dundee service become so successful.
 
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route101

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I wonder if it will be existing Dundee services extended to Aberdeen.
 
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GregSRHST

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Stan Drews said:
No, they are new direct services, in addition to the current Fly Dundee timetable.
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I wonder if there would be scope to make it an Aberdeen Airport to Edinburgh Airport service with drop offs/pick ups(to go north) in Dundee?

Getting to Aberdeen airport from Dundee can be a bit tedious (via train or bus) at the moment.

Unsure how much customers there would be to be honest, but might encourage more travel from Aberdeen airport for people from Dundee.
 
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Volvodart

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GregSRHST said:
I wonder if there would be scope to make it an Aberdeen Airport to Edinburgh Airport service with drop offs/pick ups(to go north) in Dundee?

Getting to Aberdeen airport from Dundee can be a bit tedious (via train or bus) at the moment.

Unsure how much customers there would be to be honest, but might encourage more travel from Aberdeen airport for people from Dundee.
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If they did this, they could also stop at the park and ride near the airport as it might be handy for some passengers not wanting to come into Aberdeen city centre if they were being dropped off.
 
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Volvodart said:
If they did this, they could also stop at the park and ride near the airport as it might be handy for some passengers not wanting to come into Aberdeen city centre if they were being dropped off.
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That is true. The amount of people from Aberdeenshire they might catch with this to go to Edinburgh could be huge. (I'm not sure on the parking rules at the the park and ride)
 
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CN04NRJ

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Third time in as many days I've seen an E400 on the Dundee(?) run, is there a shortage of coaches?

20250503_192548.jpg
 
kez19

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CN04NRJ said:
Third time in as many days I've seen an E400 on the Dundee(?) run, is there a shortage of coaches?

View attachment 179360
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8907 is currently tracking on bustimes... seems to have been running from Union Street Dundee to Edinburgh today

I'm only using bustimes as a guide here, but seems Xplore Dundee has 7 coaches in total to run both operations for Aberdeen and the Dundee runs?
 
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I have been noticing the Fly Aberdeen buses stopping at Coupar Angus Road just off the Kingsway in Dundee. Presumably that is just for driver changes? I know that the Aberdeen to Edinburgh Airport route is "direct" but that would be a brilliant pick up location for people who live in the North of Dundee and do not want to trail into the city centre to catch the Fly Dundee bus.
 
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GregSRHST said:
I have been noticing the Fly Aberdeen buses stopping at Coupar Angus Road just off the Kingsway in Dundee. Presumably that is just for driver changes? I know that the Aberdeen to Edinburgh Airport route is "direct" but that would be a brilliant pick up location for people who live in the North of Dundee and do not want to trail into the city centre to catch the Fly Dundee bus.
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Yes, that is correct, the driver change-overs take place on Coupar Angus Road.
 
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Volvodart

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The open top bus used for the cup winners parade on Sunday, 9323, has had the vinyls removed and it currently on the AT1 Aberdeen open top tour in the state it arrived in Aberdeen. The usual 8924 started off today.
 
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GregSRHST

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Volvodart said:
The open top bus used for the cup winners parade on Sunday, 9323, has had the vinyls removed and it currently on the AT1 Aberdeen open top tour in the state it arrived in Aberdeen. The usual 8924 started off today.
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Anyone got any before/after pictures of the livery?

Would the vinyls have been applied before the final or is that something they do quickly overnight once Aberdeen won the cup?
 
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