Dumfries & Stewartry CAMRA Sub-Branch
A Guide to using Public Transport to visit our Real Ale pubs
This guide is intended as a planning aid to help you visit pubs in our area and public transport is an excellent way of getting around. All the places where pubs are located are accessible by public transport with any potential difficulties noted in the Bus Services section below.
As always when planning pub visits it is important to check opening hours. It is equally important to check that public transport will not only get you to your destination but will also be available for any onward journey.
Real Ale is usually available in the pubs listed in the Pub Guide on this website but can’t be guaranteed. The availability of real ale in pubs can change for a variety of reasons. If you are planning to visit a pub solely for real ale then it might be advantageous to contact the premises in advance to check on availability.
Please note that our area is largely rural. Mobile phone reception continues to improve but it is still possible to find yourself in a location where the signal is poor.
Train
Train services on the Glasgow to Carlisle line via Kilmarnock link Dumfries with Annan, Gretna Green, Sanquhar and Kirkconnel.
Lockerbie has train services to Carlisle, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Motherwell.
Bus
Bus services in our area offer a variety of ticket options including single, return and day tickets. Bus drivers will be able to advise on the best ticket for your planned journey and any potential restrictions on their use e.g. some tickets may not be accepted by all bus companies.
Some bus routes have limited or no evening and Sunday services. Careful planning is the key to visiting many friendly and welcoming pubs in our area.
Dumfries
The majority of real ale pubs in Dumfries are within walking distance of each other. The few exceptions are reachable by bus and this information can be found in the pub descriptions on WhatPub.
Most bus services going out of town depart from the Whitesands. Local bus services for Dumfries town generally depart from Burns Statue or Great King Street. Various bus services also stop on Buccleuch Street, the Railway Station and the Loreburn Centre.
Bus services from Dumfries go to the following towns and villages:
Annan, Auldgirth, Carsethorn, Castle Douglas, Clarencefield, Dalbeattie, Dalry, Gatehouse of Fleet, Gretna, Haugh of Urr, Kippford, Kirkcudbright, Lockerbie, Moffat, Moniaive, New Abbey, New Galloway, Sanquhar, Thornhill, Torthorwald.
The following longer distance routes operate to and from Dumfries. If you are unsure where any of these services will stop you are advised to check with the driver or bus operator, Stagecoach.
X74 - Glasgow via Moffat. This service observes all stops between Dumfries and Moffat. From Moffat to Glasgow there are limited stops at Abington Services, Lesmahagow and Hamilton.
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Dumfries & Stewartry CAMRA Sub-Branch
A Guide to using Public Transport to visit our Real Ale pubs
101 - Edinburgh via Moffat, Abington, Biggar. This service operates three times per day in each direction, Monday to Saturday, once a day on Sunday.
102 - Edinburgh via Auldgirth, Thornhill, Abington, Biggar. This service operates once per day in each direction.
500/X75 - Stranraer via Castle Douglas, Gatehouse of Fleet, Newton Stewart.
Bus Services
Annan
79 - Clarencefield, Dumfries, Gretna, Longtown (connection to Langholm), Carlisle.
179 - Gretna, Longtown (connection to Langholm), Carlisle. No evening or Sunday service.
379 - Gretna. No evening or Sunday service.
383 - Ecclefechan, Lockerbie. No evening or Sunday service.
123 - Langholm. This service goes once a day, Monday to Saturday, in each direction and departs from Langholm in the morning. Departure from Annan is at 12:55. If you intend to use this bus you are advised to check the timetable carefully and ensure that any plans for a return journey or onward travel are possible.
Auldgirth
102 - Dumfries, Thornhill, Abington, Biggar, Edinburgh. This service operates once per day in each direction.
236 - Dumfries, Thornhill. No evening service. Limited Sunday service.
246 - Dumfries, Thornhill, Sanquhar. Limited evening service.
Carsethorn
372/372a - New Abbey, Dumfries, Sandyhills, Kippford, Dalbeattie. Journeys to Kippford and Dalbeattie may involve a change of bus in Sandyhills. Limited evening service. No Sunday evening service. No evening service to Kippford and Dalbeattie.
Castle Douglas
500/X75 - Dumfries, Gatehouse of Fleet, Newton Stewart, Stranraer.
501 - Haugh of Urr, Dalbeattie, Dumfries, Kirkcudbright. No Sunday evening service.
502 - Dumfries, Kirkcudbright. No evening service.
503 - Dumfries. No evening or Sunday service.
520 - New Galloway, Dalry. No evening or Sunday service. Visitors intending to travel on this bus are advised to carefully check the timetable and pub opening times.
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Dumfries & Stewartry CAMRA Sub-Branch
A Guide to using Public Transport to visit our Real Ale pubs
Clarencefield
79 - Dumfries, Annan, Gretna, Longtown (connection to Langholm), Carlisle.
Dalbeattie
501 - Dumfries, Haugh of Urr, Castle Douglas, Kirkcudbright. No Sunday evening service.
505 - Dumfries, Kirkcudbright. No evening or Sunday service.
372/372a - Kippford, Sandyhills, Carsethorn, New Abbey, Dumfries. Journeys towards Dumfries may involve a change of bus in Sandyhills. No evening service.
Dalry
Visitors to Dalry are advised to carefully check the timetable and pub opening hours. It is also important to check and confirm that any onward travel arrangements are possible, particularly if using the last bus of the day.
520 - New Galloway, Castle Douglas. No evening or Sunday service. The last bus to New Galloway and Castle Douglas leaves at 16:22.
521 - New Galloway, Castle Douglas. Monday to Friday service, once a day in each direction. The last bus of the day from Dalry to Castle Douglas, Monday to Friday, is at 18:01. In addition there is a Wednesday and Saturday afternoon service from Dumfries scheduled to arrive at 14:23. This service terminates at Laurieston and does not go to Castle Douglas.
Ecclefechan
382 (McCalls) - Gretna, Springfield, Lockerbie. No evening service.
382 (Houstons) - Carlisle, Gretna, Springfield, Lockerbie. No evening service.
383 - Annan, Lockerbie. No evening or Sunday service.
Gatehouse of Fleet
431 - Kirkcudbright. No evening or Sunday service.
500/X75 - Castle Douglas, Dumfries, Newton Stewart, Stranraer.
Gretna
79 - Dumfries, Clarencefield, Annan, Longtown (connection to Langholm), Carlisle.
179 - Annan, Longtown (connection to Langholm), Carlisle. No evening or Sunday service.
379 - Annan. No evening or Sunday service.
382 (McCalls) - Springfield, Ecclefechan, Lockerbie. No evening service.
382 (Houstons) - Springfield, Ecclefechan, Lockerbie, Carlisle. No evening service.
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Dumfries & Stewartry CAMRA Sub-Branch
A Guide to using Public Transport to visit our Real Ale pubs
Haugh of Urr
501 - Dalbeattie, Dumfries, Castle Douglas, Kirkcudbright. No Sunday evening service.
Kippford
372/372a - Dalbeattie, Sandyhills, Carsethorn, New Abbey, Dumfries. Journeys towards Dumfries may involve a change of bus in Sandyhills. No evening service.
Kirkcudbright
431 - Gatehouse of Fleet. No evening or Sunday service.
501 - Dumfries, Dalbeattie, Haugh of Urr, Castle Douglas. No Sunday evening service.
502 - Castle Douglas, Dumfries. No evening service.
505 - Dumfries, Kirkcudbright. No evening or Sunday service.
Langholm
95 - Carlisle, Longtown (connection to Annan). The 79/179 bus service from Carlisle to Annan stops in Longtown.
122 - Annan. This service goes once a day, Monday to Friday, in each direction on school days only. The bus leaves Langholm at 15:37. If you intend to use this bus you are advised to check the timetable carefully.
124 & 112 towards Lockerbie. Monday to Saturday only. No evening or Sunday service. It may be possible to travel from Langholm to Lockerbie by changing buses in Eskdalemuir. Careful planning is needed if you intend to use this route along with confirmation that the service is operating.
124 (Andersons) - Langholm to Eskdalemuir.
112 (McCalls) - Eskdalemuir to Lockerbie.
Lockerbie
81/381 - Torthorwald, Dumfries.
380 - Moffat. No evening service.
382 (McCalls) - Gretna, Springfield, Ecclefechan. No evening service.
382 (Houstons) - Carlisle, Gretna, Springfield, Ecclefechan. No evening service.
383 - Ecclefechan, Annan. No evening or Sunday service.
112 & 124 towards Langholm. Monday to Saturday only. No evening or Sunday service. It may be possible to travel from Lockerbie to Langholm by changing buses in Eskdalemuir. Careful planning is needed if you intend to use this route along with confirmation that the service is operating.
112 (McCalls) - Lockerbie to Eskdalemuir. On Monday to Friday the connecting service with the last bus from Eskdalemuir leaves at 17:20. On Saturday the connecting service with the last bus
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Dumfries & Stewartry CAMRA Sub-Branch
A Guide to using Public Transport to visit our Real Ale pubs from Eskdalemuir leaves at 15:20.
124 (Andersons) - Eskdalemuir to Langholm. The last bus of the day, Monday to Friday, is at 18:00. On Saturday the last bus leaves Eskdalemuir at 16:40.
Moffat
74 - Dumfries
X74 - Dumfries, Glasgow. The X74 observes all stops between Dumfries and Moffat. Between Moffat and Glasgow there are limited stops at Abington Services, Lesmahagow and Hamilton.
101 - Dumfries, Abington, Biggar, Edinburgh. This service operates three times per day in each direction, Monday to Saturday, once a day on Sunday.
380 - Lockerbie. No evening service.
Moniaive
202 - Dumfries, Thornhill. No evening or Sunday service
212 - Thornhill. No evening or Sunday service.
New Abbey
372/372a - Dumfries, Carsethorn, Sandyhills, Kippford, Dalbeattie. Journeys to Kippford and Dalbeattie may involve a change of bus in Sandyhills. Limited evening service. No Sunday evening service. No evening service to Kippford and Dalbeattie.
New Galloway
Visitors to New Galloway are advised to carefully check the timetable and pub opening hours. It is also important to check and confirm that any onward travel arrangements are possible, particularly if using the last bus of the day.
520 - Dalry, Castle Douglas. No evening or Sunday service. The last bus to Castle Douglas leaves at 16:34.
521 - Castle Douglas. Monday to Friday service, once a day in each direction. The last bus of the day from New Galloway to Castle Douglas, Monday to Friday, is at 18:10. In addition there is a Wednesday and Saturday afternoon service from Dumfries scheduled to arrive at 14:31. This service terminates at Laurieston and does not go to Castle Douglas.
Sanquhar
221 - Wanlockhead. No evening or Sunday service.
246 - Thornhill, Auldgirth, Dumfries. Limited evening service.
Springfield
15 minute walk from Gretna Green station
382 (McCalls) - Gretna, Ecclefechan, Lockerbie. No evening service.
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Dumfries & Stewartry CAMRA Sub-Branch
A Guide to using Public Transport to visit our Real Ale pubs
382 (Houstons) - Carlisle, Gretna, Ecclefechan, Lockerbie. No evening service.
Thornhill
102 - Auldgirth, Dumfries, Abington, Biggar, Edinburgh. This service operates once per day in each direction.
202 - Moniaive, Dumfries. No evening or Sunday service.
212 - Moniaive. No evening or Sunday service.
236 - Auldgirth, Dumfries. No evening service. Limited Sunday service.
246 - Auldgirth, Dumfries, Sanquhar. Limited evening service.
Torthorwald
81/381 - Dumfries, Lockerbie
Wanlockhead
Visitors to Wanlockhead are advised to carefully check the timetable and pub opening hours. It is also important to check and confirm that any onward travel arrangements are possible, particularly if using the last bus of the day.
221 - Sanquhar. No evening or Sunday service.
30/31 - Leadhills, Abington, Lanark. Last bus departs at 19:35. No Sunday service. This service is operated by Stuarts Coaches on behalf of Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT).
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Dumfries & Stewartry CAMRA Sub-Branch
A Guide to using Public Transport to visit our Real Ale pubs
Useful Links
Bus timetables can be downloaded from the Dumfries and Galloway Council website along with train information. Train timetables are also available from the appropriate rail service providers. Apps and online sources of public transport information can also aid planning.
Dumfries & Galloway Council https://www.dumgal.gov.uk/timetables
Traveline Scotland https://www.travelinescotland.com/lts/#/travelInfo
National Rail https://www.nationalrail.co.uk
Strathclyde Partnership for Transport http://www.spt.co.uk
Stagecoach Telephone: 01292 613541 https://www.stagecoachbus.com/plan-a-journey
Houston’s Coaches Telephone: 01576 203874 https://www.houstonscoaches.co.uk/timetables/
McCalls Coaches Telephone: 01576 204309 http://www.mccallscoaches.com/timetables/
Stuarts Coaches Telephone: 01555 773533
Andersons of Langholm Telephone: 01387 380553
Please note that the information in this guide was correct at the time of publication and that Dumfries & Stewartry CAMRA cannot accept responsibility for any changes that may occur in bus and train timetables. Nor can we guarantee that all pubs listed will continue to dispense real ale.
How you can help keep this up to date If you notice any errors, omissions or changes to services, or anything else that would improve the accuracy and usefulness of this guide please e-mail [email protected]
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