ScotTravel came about after Stephanie filled her phone memory. When we looked at what was using the space, we found hundreds of photos. They were all of the same thing: the tiny, high-up departure board at our local bus stop. She had been taking photos so she could zoom in and try to see when the bus was due. The board was too small to read from the pavement. The only way to get the information was to photograph it and zoom.
That is not good enough. So we built ScotTravel.
What ScotTravel Does
ScotTravel is high-contrast, privacy-focused bus information for Scotland. Enter a postcode, street and town, or bus stop code. Get live departures. No zooming. No squinting. No filling your phone with photos of a tiny screen.
Search by Postcode or Address
Type a Scottish postcode (e.g. G12 8AA) or street and town (e.g. Sauchiehall Street Glasgow). We find nearby stops for you. Pick one. See the buses.
All the Features
We are really pleased with what we have built. Here is what ScotTravel offers:
- Stop code display: When viewing departures, the stop code is shown clearly so you can memorise it or share it for next time.
- Favourite stops: Save frequently used stops to "My stops" for quick access. Stored on your device only. No account needed.
- Change stop: Easy navigation to pick a different stop or search again.
- Widen search: If no stops are found nearby, you can widen the search radius (up to 2 km) for rural areas.
- Platform and onward stops: When the data provides them, we show stand numbers and the next stops on each route.
- DUE emphasis: Buses arriving soon are highlighted. No pulse, no animation. Just clear, bold text that works for low vision users.
- Graceful failure: If the API fails, we show cached data with a "Last known" timestamp so you are not left with nothing.
- Short-term caching: Departures are cached for 90 seconds to reduce API calls. Click Refresh to get fresh data.
- Optional auto-refresh: Turn on to refresh every 90 seconds while viewing a stop.
- Keyboard shortcut: Press / to focus the search box.
- Screen reader support: aria-live announcements when departures load or refresh.
- Six colour schemes: Same theme cycling as the rest of the site. Pick what works for your eyes.
Privacy First
No GPS. No tracking. Your IP is proxied through our server so Traveline Scotland never sees it. We do not store your searches. We do not know where you live. You get bus times. We get nothing from you.
What Is Next
We have loads of ideas for future features. Journey planning: "I want to go to Glasgow from Paisley." Train data. More. For now, ScotTravel focuses on bus departures and does it well. We are super pleased with it.
If you have ever squinted at a tiny departure board or filled your phone with photos of bus times, ScotTravel is for you. No signup. No account. Just type where you are, pick your stop, and see when the bus is due.