Rural Scottish village says new bus timetable leaves residents isolated after operator exit

Residents of Glentrool in rural southern Scotland say a newly introduced bus timetable has left the village feeling cut off, days after Stagecoach ceased most of its services in Dumfries and Galloway and new contracts began on August 7. The council and regional transport agency have acknowledged the concerns and said they are seeking ways to refine the network as passenger numbers remain low. The changes come amid a broader shake-up of services across the region, with the operator of last resort stepping in to keep essential routes running.

On Saturdays, the first bus to Newton Stewart arrives in the market town at 11:30 a.m., and the last bus back leaves Glentrool at 11:35 p.m.—five minutes after the first bus would have arrived in the village on the return journey. Previously, residents could catch a return service as late as 17:20 on non-school days, a pattern that now appears unavailable for many who depend on public transport for appointments, shopping, or simply getting around. In Glentrool, a village that relies heavily on the bus for mobility, that timetable gap has stoked concerns about isolation among elderly residents who do not drive and rely on scheduled services for essential trips.

The discord over the timetable was raised by local residents who contacted Your Voice Your BBC News with details of the new schedule. The shift follows Stagecoach’s withdrawal from the region amid a contract dispute that ended the bulk of its services. Officials say new contracts were awarded to a mix of operators and the council itself in the wake of the withdrawal, with the aim of ensuring continued connectivity despite staff and routing adjustments. The council noted that the changes were driven by low passenger numbers and were part of a larger network that endured a lengthy transition period.

Jayne Mee, a Glentrool resident, described the impact as especially acute for an aging population. “Our village is quite remote and a lot of our residents are elderly—some don’t drive,” she said. “We all rely on the bus service in one way or another—to get to appointments, to get to shops, to get to work, or just to get out.” Mee said the timetable split between school days and non-school days did not work in practice. “On non-school days we simply cannot use the service to Newton Stewart because the last bus back is five minutes after the first bus in—utterly ridiculous,” she added, stressing the sense of frustration and inconvenience among neighbors who once had a reliable return connection.

The broader community in Newton Stewart and surrounding towns has echoed those concerns. Susan Hutton, a retiree who now volunteers with visiting nursing homes in Newton Stewart, said the changes could reverberate through the wider community. “We are stranded, there’s no doubt about it. It’s a beautiful place and we welcome people coming up here and it’s great, but we are stranded if there’s no bus,” she said. “There’s chatter on the bus in the morning, you know, it’s massive—it's a massive thing to people and we’re trying to stop loneliness in the community—this is not helping at all.”

Andy Smith, who previously used the service to socialise in Newton Stewart, described the loss of the evening return as a blow to social life. “There were a couple of bars on the main street that were beneficiaries financially of us getting in there and we could use a bus home—that bus has now disappeared,” he said. “We can still get into town—not at the same time—but we’d not have a bus home at all. We used to have the 17:20 but that’s no longer run, so no access to a bus service for getting home—that’s our biggest problem. To me it’s a loss of the socialising experience.”

Another resident, Andy Dowell, who has lived in Glentrool for more than 50 years and does not drive, said the timetable change had undermined longer-standing travel patterns. He relied on the service to shop and to connect with rail trips from nearby Girvan. “I’ve got a rail card here which I renewed on 14 July just before this coming and I can’t use it—I can’t go on the train, I can’t get home,” he said. “So that’s redundant now, just about.” He estimated that a taxi could cost around £15, a sum that increases quickly when regular trips are needed.

Officials from Dumfries and Galloway Council, along with transport agency SWestrans, issued a joint statement acknowledging the concerns in Glentrool—especially outside of school term times and on Saturdays. The statement noted that the new network has involved 45 long-term contracts and an investment of about £2.66 million to provide “reliable public transport.” It argued that without this investment, and without DGC Buses stepping in to run services across Wigtownshire as the region’s operator of last resort, the area risked having no services at all. While the timetable may not meet every resident’s needs, officials said it was implemented in response to low passenger numbers and that the council is actively seeking feedback to refine the network.

Images captured in the region illustrate both the rural setting and the bus network’s reach.

The council’s plan to address gaps includes a public engagement campaign designed to collect feedback on improving timetables, routes, and connections. Officials stressed that the review process is ongoing and promised continued dialogue with residents and bus users as a key part of refining the network. The aim, they said, is to balance operating costs with the needs of communities that depend on public transport for daily life, access to education, healthcare, and social activities.

Another image from the region shows rail and bus connections in a rural setting, underscoring the broader challenge of coordinating transport across modes in sparsely populated areas.

As the consultation continues, residents in Glentrool and nearby communities are watching closely to see whether adjustments can restore a more practical timetable without sacrificing the financial viability that keeps routes operational. The issue highlights a common tension in rural transport policy: how to sustain services in areas with low passenger numbers while preserving essential access for residents who have limited mobility options. Council officials emphasized that any refinements will be guided by data, user input, and the region’s broader transport strategy.

The discussion also reflects a broader context in which rural transport across the UK has faced significant upheaval as operators exited and new contracts were drawn up. In Dumfries and Galloway, the shift signaled a transition period intended to prevent service gaps, but residents warn that without timely adjustments, the region’s most vulnerable populations could bear the costs—in social terms and in practical daily life. The council’s campaign to refine the network will continue to seek input on how best to restore connectivity while ensuring the network can be funded and sustained over the long term.

For now, Glentrool residents remain hopeful that continued feedback will lead to changes that restore practical Saturday returns, better align weekday school-day services with community needs, and reduce the sense of isolation that has accompanied the region’s service realignment. Officials say the dialogue is ongoing, and the aim is to deliver a timetable that serves both the village’s elderly residents and the broader community without compromising reliability or financial stability.