Busman’s holidays with a difference
S COTTISH COLUMN
Anyone considering a staycation with bus interest when the current pandemic-related travel restrictions are eased might find what they want at the Bus Stop in East Lothian.
Readers of a certain age will remember how common it was 50 years ago or more to find old buses converted into caravans in many rural parts of the country, particularly more remote areas, often parked at the edge of a field, with no supporting facilities within sight.
Many of those buses were of great interest, as they frequently dated from pre-war years.
Although using the same basic equipment, i.e. old buses, the Bus Stop at Bankrugg Farm near Gifford offers a different holiday experience. The project, to create tourist accommodation and increase local employment, was part-funded with a grant from the Scottish government and European Union Tyne Esk Leader 2014-20 programme.
The farm is also home to the Gifford Transport Group, with its collection of preserved buses from east of Scotland fleets. These are housed in a shed on the farm, other than for a few weeks in summer when the shed is required for the grain harvest and the buses are stored outdoors. The group members were the in…
