McGill’s Group has expanded into the coach holiday market by launching Loch Lomond Travel.
The new subsidiary, which will be headed up by former Tartan Travel Managing Director Chris Bond, is awaiting imminent delivery of 25 new touring coaches.
Mr Bond will work alongside McGill’s Group Chief Executive Officer Ralph Roberts to develop the business, which is already listing several tours for booking on its website and will launch its 2024 brochure at the end of February.
The move furthers recent expansion from the group, which is owned by Scottish brothers Sandy and James Easdale. The McGill’s Buses arm has been joined by Xplore Dundee, which was purchased from National Express in 2020, and First Scotland East, which was bought in 2022.
McGill’s handles scheduled coach operations via its partnership with FlixBus, while its Bright Bus Tours has recently expanded in the Scottish capital to comprise a service to Edinburgh Airport.
Pick-up locations in Scotland will include Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee, while Carlisle is the only one in England.
Tours currently being offered include the North Coast 500, Lewis and Harris, In Search of the Northern Lights and The Greatest Railway Journey in the World on the Jacobite Train from Fort William to Mallaig. However, the business intends to expand throughout the UK.
In addition to the 25 new vehicles, the operation will have access to the 100-plus coaches of McGill’s other subsidiaries.
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