Gamrie's ‘Doon the Brae’ bus service is saved

GARDENSTOWN’S vital bus link with Macduff and Banff is set to continue serving Gamrie’s Seatown area after oper­ators Stagecoach Blue­bird bowed to pressure from residents and ­announced it is to con­tinue the No 273 ‘Doon the Brae Service’ and extend its reach to the fishing village’s New Ground area indefinitely.

Earlier this ­summer, the bus operator launched a three-month trial which saw the ser­vice extended beyond its usual Main Street turning point to New Ground, a few hundred metres from Gamrie’s harbour, after villagers expressed concerns over the company’s plans to make major revisions to its route into and out of Gardenstown.

Speaking to the Banff­shire Journal, which backed the residents’ protest, a spokesman for Stagecoach Bluebird said: “Our vehicles are currently serving New Ground in Gardenstown and will continue to serve this area provided the access road is passable.

“Various discussions have taken place with Aberdeenshire Council regarding this issue, and we’ve been constantly monitoring the situation to ensure the safest oper­ation of the route at all times, and this practice will continue as long as required.”