119-597: Stagecoach Group is a transport group based in Perth, Scotland . It operates buses and express coaches in the United Kingdom . Stagecoach was originally founded in 1976 as Gloagtrotter , a recreational vehicle and minibus hire business. During the early 1980s, it took advantage of the deregulation of the British express coach market , launching services from Dundee to London using second-hand Neoplan coaches, competing against
238-614: A garrison city and undergoing major social and industrial developments during the First World War, Perth remained relatively unchanged. In 1829, with the settlement of the Swan River Colony, in Western Australia , Sir George Murray wanted it to be named Perth after the place where he was born. The ship Parmelia sailed to Australia to found the new settlement. The old Municipal Buildings were completed in 1881, although
357-525: A tressure flory-counter-flory. The shield is supported by a double-headed eagle and the motto is Pro Lege Rege et Grege ( Latin : For the Law, King and People). The coat of arms dates back to at least the 14th century, and is first recorded, as described, on a seal of 1378. Red and silver are the colours of John the Baptist , the town's patron saint, and the lamb is his symbol. The double-headed eagle, originally
476-468: A "former city", like Brechin and Elgin . Yet road signs around the borders used the term "The City of Perth", and directional signs within indicated "City Centre". In June 2007, Alex Salmond , then the First Minister of Scotland , backed a campaign to confer city status on Perth, saying it should be granted "at the next commemorative opportunity". The local authority, Perth and Kinross , stated that
595-604: A 90% shareholding, commenced operating the InterCity East Coast franchise; the franchise was terminated early three years later as it was unable to fulfil the agreed payments. During April 2019, private equity house Variant acquired Stagecoach's US division in exchange for $ 271 million. In April 2019, Stagecoach was disqualified from participating in three rail franchise competitions by the Department for Transport after it submitted non-compliant bids. During September 2021, it
714-460: A Roman symbol, may refer to a former Roman settlement called " Bertha " near where Perth now stands. The double-headed eagle was adopted as the supporter of the arms of Perth and Kinross when that council area was created in 1975. In 1891, the population of Perth was 30,768. In 1901, it was 32,872, an increase of 2,104 in ten years. According to the 2001 UK Census , Perth had a total population of 43,450. A more recent population estimate of
833-534: A competition enquiry instructed Stagecoach to sell some of its Scottish coach services. Stagecoach was also active in the passenger rail market, having a 49% stake in Virgin Rail Group . During 2007, the group were successful in their bid for the new East Midlands franchise, which had been created by amalgamating the previous Midland Mainline franchise with the eastern part of the former Central Trains franchise. During July 2007, Stagecoach commenced operating
952-716: A deal was agreed between the boards of the two companies: however, it was subject to both shareholder approval and regulatory scrutiny. To satisfy the Competition & Markets Authority , Stagecoach had planned to sell Megabus, its 35% shareholding in Scottish Citylink and the Falcon Coaches part of Stagecoach South West to ComfortDelGro . Having originally recommended shareholders accept the National Express offer, in March 2022
1071-476: A later tram-train service to Rotherham . Future plans included schemes to Dore , Fulwood and Maltby ; following consultations, a reduced scheme with an extension to Broomhill was being considered as of 2017. The concession expired in March 2024, with the operation of Supertram returning to the public sector. Stagecoach ran the South West Trains franchise from February 1996 to August 2017. It retained
1190-473: A limited network of services for passengers with essential travel needs. However, due to declining passenger numbers as a result of the restrictions, all services were suspended from 6 April 2020. Services restarted nearly three months later on 1 July, on about a quarter of route mileage and with reduced frequencies. As a result of the discovery of a new, more transmissible variant and the implementation of tighter restrictions prohibiting travel in many areas of
1309-433: A motor to move downwards and upwards while the programming would be played from a DVD drive at the driver's dashboard. The service was phased out in the summer of 2006, due to a lack of interest in purchasing headphones , available at vending machines in the major stations and also via on-board vendors before a journey. The headphone jack was compatible with any headphone, removing any reason to buy those offered. Also, by
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#17328452069881428-514: A number of so-called " no-frills " services across the United Kingdom and the United States. Applying the business model of the low-cost carrier air lines, these services aim to offer cheaper alternatives to the established operators in the bus, coach and rail markets, by reducing costs, and offering extremely low fares for the earliest bookings, rising nearer the journey time: Magic Bus was
1547-703: A permanent English base within Scotland, Edward III forced six monasteries in Perthshire and Fife to pay for the construction of stone defensive walls, towers and fortified gates around the city in 1336. These defences were the strongest of any city in Scotland in the Middle Ages. The last remnant of the wall can be seen in Albert Close, near to the main entrance to the Royal George Hotel . King James I of Scotland
1666-522: A point where a river crossing or crossings coincided with a slightly raised natural mound on the west bank of the Tay (which at Perth flows north–south), thus giving some protection for settlement from the frequent flooding. Finds in and around Perth show that it was occupied by the Mesolithic hunter-gatherers who arrived in the area more than 8,000 years ago. Nearby Neolithic standing stones and circles followed
1785-402: A population of about 47,430 in 2018. There has been a settlement at Perth since prehistoric times . It is a natural mound raised slightly above the flood plain of the Tay. The area surrounding the modern city is known to have been occupied ever since the arrival of Mesolithic hunter-gatherers . Nearby Neolithic standing stones and circles date from about 4,000 BC , a period that followed
1904-585: A price war with National Express in autumn 2004. Competition intensified in 2007 when Megabus transferred its London terminus from the Green Line Coach Station into the main Victoria Coach Station . A national network links more than 550 routes, including many of the UK mainland's cities, with 11,000 cross-country journeys every week as of 2022 . National Express operates coach services direct to
2023-626: A scheduled British Rail InterCity sleeper service. Virgin Rail Group operated the CrossCountry franchise as Virgin CrossCountry from January 1997 until November 2007 when it passed to Arriva . Virgin Trains East Coast , in which Stagecoach held a 90% shareholding, operated the InterCity East Coast franchise from March 2015 to June 2018. The group has held a 49% stake in Virgin Rail Group since October 1998. Virgin Rail Group operated
2142-604: A subsidiary of the British multinational public transport company Mobico Group . Most services are subcontracted to local coach companies. The company's head office is in offices above Birmingham Coach Station . Pursuant to the Transport Act 1968 , the National Bus Company was formed as a holding company for the many state-owned local bus companies. Many of these companies also operated coach services, which were initially branded as National . The National Express brand
2261-478: A venue for several high-profile concerts over the years, including Morrissey , as well as Conservative Party conferences. The hall is currently being converted into a new heritage and arts attraction. The new-wave band Fiction Factory formed in Perth, and had some success with their hit " (Feels Like) Heaven " in 1984. The song, which reached number six in the charts, was their biggest hit. The Perth Festival of
2380-428: A £10 million redevelopment to house new studio space, a youth theatre, construction workshop and a series of front of house performance areas and new main entrance from Mill Street in addition to the main focus of the conservation and restoration of the historic Victorian auditorium. Perth Concert Hall, which opened in 2005, was built on the site of the former Horsecross Market. Perth City Hall has been used as
2499-500: Is a low cost, " no-frills " intercity coach service launched in the United Kingdom by Stagecoach in 2003, on 10 April 2006 in the United States, and in 2009 within Canada. Its main rival in the UK is National Express , who have had to lower their prices to compete with Megabus. In the US, Megabus/Eastern Shuttle's main rival is BoltBus , which is 50% owned by Stagecoach rival FirstGroup . In the UK,
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#17328452069882618-428: Is leased to various train operators. Porterbrook was privatised via a management buyout before being purchased by Stagecoach for £825 million during August 1996. The acquisition garnered some public controversy and political criticism for the low value returned to the taxpayer. In April 2000, Stagecoach sold Porterbrook to the British banking group Abbey National in exchange for £1.44 billion. In 1997, Stagecoach
2737-461: Is noted for its lively nightlife, with dozens of bars and several nightclubs. Perth has hosted the National Mòd in 1896, 1900, 1924, 1929, 1947, 1954, 1963, 1980 and 2004. The Category A listed St John's Kirk , on St John's Place, is architecturally and historically one of the most significant buildings in Perth. The settlement of the original church dates back to the mid-12th century. During
2856-619: Is stimulating employment. The largest employer in the city is Perth and Kinross Council which employ 6,000 people. Other main employers include NHS Tayside , SSE plc , and Perth College UHI (part of the University of the Highlands and Islands ). The leading international transportation company Stagecoach Group also has its global headquarters in the city. Perth was formerly headquarters of insurance firm General Accident ; however, since General Accident merged with Norwich Union to form Aviva ,
2975-661: Is the Church of Scotland , which is organised through the Presbytery of Perth. It has nine churches throughout the city. The largest of these is St John's Kirk, in St John's Place . The second most popular Christian denomination is the Roman Catholic Church , which has three churches in the city organised through the Diocese of Dunkeld . There is also St Mary's Monastery , at Kinnoull on
3094-527: Is the use of London Victoria Coach Station . On 14 November 2005, the Megabus concept was extended to certain rail services, with the introduction of Megatrain between London and Southampton , and London and Portsmouth , using a dedicated carriage on selected South West Trains services. It was later extended to some Virgin Trains services (since withdrawn) and to selected East Midlands Trains services. In 2009,
3213-567: The Elim Pentecostal Church , the Salvation Army and several smaller Protestant churches. There is also a Quaker community in the city, as well as a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . The Perth Islamic community meet at a mosque on Glasgow Road. The number of adherents to these religions is in decline. In the 2011 census, almost 40% of respondents indicated that they did not adhere to any religion. Situated at
3332-734: The InterCity West Coast franchise as Virgin Trains West Coast from March 1997 until December 2019. In 1999, Stagecoach purchased the school bus operations of Sunbus in the Cairns , Ipswich and Sunshine Coast regions of Queensland . These were sold in 2002 to: In 1994, Stagecoach created a bus-operating subsidiary in Hong Kong which operated residential bus services. It ceased operation in April 1996. During 1999, Stagecoach planned to become
3451-742: The Manchester Metrolink tram network. In January 2009, Stagecoach purchased Preston Bus , a former rival in the Lancashire area. In November 2009, the Competition Commission intervened, ordering Stagecoach to sell Preston Bus after it had adversely affected competition in the area. In October 2010, Stagecoach expanded further by re-acquiring East London and Selkent , Stagecoach's former London bus operations. During August 2011, Stagecoach sold its Manchester Metrolink concession to RATP Group halfway through its ten-year contract to operate
3570-801: The Manchester Piccadilly to East Didsbury Wilmslow Road bus corridor route in Manchester , but also in Newcastle upon Tyne and East Scotland (as Magic Mini). In 2008 Stagecoach Merseyside introduced a Magic Bus service competing with themselves and Arriva North West on the busy route 14 corridor, Magic Bus 14C runs every 7/8 minutes between City Centre and Broadway. By 2012, only the Manchester Magic Bus remained, these being upgraded from Volvo Olympians and Dennis Dragons to Alexander ALX400 and East Lancs bodied Dennis Trident 2s . Megabus
3689-514: The 1990s by purchasing ex NBC and SBG bus companies that had been purchased via management buyouts and employee-owned corporations when privatised. In 1988, Stagecoach withdrew from the long-distance express coach market, selling its operations to National Express. During the privatisation of British Rail , Porterbrook was formed as one of three rolling stock companies owning around a third of passenger railway locomotives, multiple units and coaching stock running on Network Rail 's system which
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3808-489: The 1990s. However, in late 2004 National Express launched NXTV or National Xpress Television . Rather than showing a whole film as on an aircraft, NXTV would instead show various episodes of British television series such as A Touch of Frost , My Family and Top Gear , all of which were commissioned by ITV and the BBC . The service was displayed on small monitors situated above the overhead luggage compartments, powered by
3927-562: The 540 between London and Manchester via Milton Keynes . These are due to enter service in 2024. National Express also runs ten Caetano Boa Vista bodied Scania K410 double decker coaches on its network, all of which are operated by Edwards Coaches . The first six entered service with National Express mainly for use between London Victoria and Luton Airport in October 2016, with the additional four later purchased by Edwards Coaches during 2018. National Express had previously standardised on
4046-451: The 800th anniversary of the city in 2009 should create "a foundation for Perth to bid for formal city status". Perth was one of the 26 bidders for city status to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012. On 14 March 2012, Perth's city status was successfully reinstated, along with Chelmsford and St Asaph . It became Scotland's seventh city. The Queen visited Perth on 6 July 2012, for what
4165-910: The Arts is an annual collection of art, theatre, opera and classical music events in the city. The annual event lasts for a couple of weeks and is usually held in May. In recent years, the festival has broadened its appeal by adding comedy, rock and popular music acts to the bill. Perth also has a number of twin cities around the world. These are: Aschaffenburg in Germany, Bydgoszcz in Poland, Haikou , Hainan in China, Perth in Australia, Perth in Canada, Pskov in Russia and Cognac in France. Perth
4284-487: The Barraqueiro bus company, but another part, serving the area to the west of Lisbon, became Stagecoach Portugal in 1995. A further portion still operates as Vimeca – Viação Mecânica de Carnaxide. During June 2001, Stagecoach announced the sale of their Portuguese operations to ScottURB for £14 million. In October 1996, during Stagecoach's International buying spree, it made its most important international acquisition at
4403-697: The Lea Interchange Bus Company Limited license. Later in August, Stagecoach acquired the London operations of the HCT Group after the company had fallen into administration , with Stagecoach acquiring a further 160 buses, 17 TfL route contracts and two bus garages from the acquisition. Stagecoach Group plc was listed on the London Stock Exchange . Founder Brian Souter and his sister Ann Gloag were
4522-456: The Levante IIIA introduced from late 2022. After having initially trialled a Yutong TCe12 on airport service A9 during 2020, National Express is to introduce a Yutong GTe14 tri-axle battery electric coach on a four-week trial operating Stansted Airport services from March 2024. The company also purchased 25 Van Hool Altano TDX21 coaches for services 040 between London and Bristol, and
4641-605: The Megabus network covers most of the island of Great Britain, although some routes offer only one journey per day. Originally operated using high capacity, but older coach-seated vehicles, most services are now operated with new modern single or double deck coaches. In the United States, services radiate from Chicago and New York City, but the networks are not connected. In both the UK and the US, to cut costs, most services use on-street bus stops, rather than pay for access to coach stations (except in cases where pre-existing routes were converted to Megabus lines). A notable exception to this
4760-535: The Megabusplus concept was introduced, under which certain trips are begun on a train and are then completed on a bus. Unlike the original Megatrain concept, this service is available seven days a week. In September 2005, Stagecoach and ComfortDelGro announced a joint venture in the provision of express coach services in Scotland, ending intense competition between ComfortDelGro's subsidiary Scottish Citylink and Stagecoach subsidiaries Megabus and Motorvator . Under
4879-417: The Perth and Kinross District Council moved to the former head office of General Accident at No. 2 High Street in 1984. Today, Perth serves as a retail centre for the surrounding area. This includes a main shopping centre— St John's Centre —along with a pedestrianised high street and many independent and specialist shops. The city also has "an embarrassing abundance of public houses ". Main employers in
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4998-622: The Scottish average of 30.1. Perth Museum and Art Gallery , at the eastern end of George Street, is recognised as one of the oldest provincial museums in Scotland. Another museum, known as the Fergusson Gallery, has, since 1992, been located in the Category A listed former Perth Water Works building on Tay Street . This contains the major collection of the works of the artist John Duncan Fergusson . Perth Theatre opened in 1900. It underwent
5117-648: The St John's Centre. Independent retailers can be found on George Street, St John Street, Princes Street, Methven Street, the Old High Street and Canal Street. A £3 million pound project for the High Street and King Edward Street provided new seating, lighting and the laying of natural stone in 2010. A retail park, constructed in 1988, exists to the north-west of the city centre on St Catherine's Road, and provides eight purpose-built units. McEwens department store
5236-471: The Traffic Commissioner, brought new opportunities for the company and services were launched from Dundee to London using second-hand Neoplan coaches. For a while, the company offered a very personal service with Brian Souter doing the driving and Ann Gloag preparing sandwiches and other snacks for the passengers. Between 1981 and 1985, the company grew significantly, successfully competing against
5355-581: The UK capital. During 2007, Stagecoach was awarded the East Midlands franchise . In July 2007, it commenced operating the Manchester Metrolink tram network. During January 2009, Stagecoach purchased Preston Bus , a former rival in the Lancashire area, but was promptly compelled to sell it by the Competition Commission . In October 2010, it expanded further by re-acquiring East London and Selkent , Stagecoach's former London bus operations. During March 2015, Virgin Trains East Coast , in which Stagecoach held
5474-419: The UK via the acquisition of the recently-privatised leasing company Porterbrook ; it sold the company on four years later. In 1997, Stagecoach was awarded the franchise to operate the recently privatised Sheffield Supertram system. In 1998, it purchased Prestwick Airport . Following the sale of its London bus operations to Macquarie Bank in 2006, Stagecoach UK Bus concentrated on the bus market outside
5593-453: The altar of Our Lady. Another Category A listed building is the former King James VI Hospital , built in 1750 on the site of the former Perth Charterhouse , which was burned in 1559 during the Reformation. National Express Coaches National Express , also abbreviated NX , is an intercity and inter-regional coach operator providing services throughout Great Britain . It is
5712-602: The average demography of Scotland, Perth has low proportions of people born outside the European Union , but has both higher proportions born within the European Union and those over 75 years old. Christianity is the most common religion in the city. In Census 2011, over half of the population of the council area of Perth and Kinross stated that they belonged to one of the Christian denominations. The most popular denomination
5831-524: The board of directors withdrew the recommendation in favour of a takeover offer from a DWS managed investment fund. Following this, Stagecoach instead sold Megabus and Falcon Coaches to Scottish Citylink and increased its shareholding in the joint venture to 37.5% in return. In June 2022, Stagecoach purchased London bus operator Tower Transit 's Lea Interchange garage, with Stagecoach London taking on 150 buses and 11 Transport for London bus route contracts; operations from Lea Interchange are managed under
5950-430: The business was sold to Infratil and rebranded as NZ Bus . Stagecoach carried out bus operations in the northeastern and midwestern United States and in eastern Canada. Businesses were focused on commuter services, and included tour and charter, sightseeing, local, and school bus operations: In December 2018, Stagecoach announced it had agreed to sell all of its North American operations to Variant Equity Advisors with
6069-726: The centre of Perth.Temperatures extremes since 1960 have ranged from −18.6 °C (−1 °F) in January 1963 to 32.0 °C (90 °F) in July 2022. However, a temperature of −21.7 °C (−7 °F) was recorded on 14 November 1919. As well as this, the temperature reached 31.1 °C (88.0 °F) on 28 June 2018. The coldest temperature recorded in recent years is −17.8 °C (0 °F) in December 2010. However, nearby Strathallan reported −18.0 °C (0 °F) in February 2021. In an average year,
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#17328452069886188-435: The church at the centre of the parish was dedicated to St John the Baptist . Perth was referred to as "St John's ton" up until the mid-1600s with the name "Perthia" being reserved for the wider area. At this time, "Perthia" became "Perth Shyre" and "St John's ton" became known as Perth. Perth's Pictish name, and some archaeological evidence, indicate that there must have been a settlement here from earlier times, probably at
6307-666: The city by King William the Lion in the early 12th century. The city became one of the richest burghs in the country, engaging in trade with France, the Low Countries , and the Baltic countries , and importing goods such as Spanish silk and French wine. The Scottish Reformation had a strong impact on the city: the Houses of the Greyfriars and Blackfriars , two of Perth's four monastic institutions at
6426-407: The city has been recorded as 44,820 in 2008. The demographic make-up of the population is much in line with the rest of Scotland. The age group from 30 to 44 forms the largest portion of the population (22%). The median age of males and females living in Perth was 37 and 40 years respectively, compared to 37 and 39 years for those in the whole of Scotland. The place of birth of the city's residents
6545-416: The city now include Aviva , Royal Bank of Scotland and Scottish and Southern Energy . Perth forms part of the county constituency of Perth and Kinross-shire , electing one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom by the first past the post system. Pete Wishart of the Scottish National Party (SNP) is the MP for Perth and Kinross-shire . For
6664-401: The commission, some Citylink routes were sold to Parks Motor Group in early 2008. Perth, Scotland Perth ( [ˈpɛrθ] ; Scottish Gaelic : Peairt [pʰɛrˠʃtʲ] ) is a centrally located Scottish city , on the banks of the River Tay . It is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and is the historic county town of Perthshire . It had
6783-411: The company announced that it would legally challenge the disqualification. The group rebranded again in February 2020, with a new set of liveries introduced for the group's British bus operations. Three colour schemes were to be used to reduce customer confusion: During September 2021, it was reported that rival company National Express entered into talks to acquire Stagecoach Group. In December 2021,
6902-489: The country, services were significantly reduced by the end of December 2020. On the implementation of a third national lockdown in January 2021, services were again suspended from 11 January. Eleven weeks later, limited services again resumed on 29 March. National Express tickets are available through a variety of sources. Most tickets are booked on-line through both the company's own website and many third party sites. Telephone bookings are also available as are tickets through
7021-468: The deal concluded in April 2019. Stagecoach Portugal had its origins in the re-privatisation of Portuguese bus and coach operation, which had been nationalised after the 1974 Revolution . In 1990, the nationalised Rodoviária Nacional was split into ten components. In the capital, Lisbon , Rodoviária de Lisboa was the chief operator outside the city itself, where Carris provided city bus and tram services. The name of Rodoviária de Lisboa survived as part of
7140-477: The decline of the local whisky industry, the city diversified its economy, building on its long-established presence in the insurance industry to increase its standing in the banking industry. The name "Perth" derives from a Pictish word for "wood" or "copse", related to the Welsh "perth", meaning "hedge" or "thicket". During much of the later medieval period, it was known colloquially by its Scots-speaking inhabitants as "St John's Toun" or "Saint Johnstoun" because
7259-509: The double-deck variant of the MCW Metroliner for 'Rapide' coach services in 1980s, however by January 2007, the double-decker coach fleet had been reduced to 12 Neoplan Skyliners , all of which were later withdrawn from National Express service following a speeding driver overturning a Skyliner on an M25 motorway sliproad, causing the deaths of three passengers. In April 2001 National Express phased out its on-board catering service, having already phased out its on-board television service in
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#17328452069887378-416: The eastern edge of the city, which is home to a Redemptorist congregation. The Scottish Episcopal Church is organised through the Diocese of St Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane and has two churches in the city ( St Ninian's Cathedral and Church of St. John the Baptist ). There are several other Christian churches in the city; these include the Methodist Church , Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland ,
7497-427: The firm and expanded the business into bus hire. In 1982, following the collapse of his marriage to Ann, Robin Gloag sold his ownership stake in the business and ceased any involvement. Around this time, the company would benefit greatly from the deregulation of the British express coach market in the early 1980s ; specifically, the Transport Act 1980 , which freed express services of 35 miles and over from regulation by
7616-407: The first no-frills brand of Stagecoach. It was first used in red lettering on ex London Regional Transport AEC Routemasters , otherwise painted in Stagecoach stripes, in competition in Glasgow. Later, an allover blue with yellow lettering was adopted, on older service buses with simple fares and no travel passes, usually operated on routes with strong competition from other operators, most notably on
7735-405: The following brands that extend across operating divisions. The Stagecoach Group number their buses using a system that applies for the life of the bus or until it is sold, as follows: Stagecoach commenced operating the new East Midlands Trains franchise in November 2007 that took over all of Midland Mainline 's and some of Central Trains services. During August 2019, it ceased operating when
7854-435: The franchise for three years from February 2004 and for a further 10 years from February 2007. The franchise passed to First MTR South Western Railway on 20 August 2017 In 1992, shortly before the privatisation of British Rail , Stagecoach Rail briefly operated a modest InterCity operation between Aberdeen and London. Two British Railways Mark 2 passenger carriages were re-branded in Stagecoach colours and attached to
7973-446: The franchise was taken over by Abellio East Midlands Railway . In July 2007, Stagecoach took over the operation of Manchester Metrolink on a 10-year fixed-term management contract, beating competition from Keolis , Serco and Transdev , to make it the biggest tram operator in the UK. This system was the first modern tram system in the United Kingdom, opening just before the Sheffield system in 1992. Nearly 18 million people ride on
8092-505: The group's Perth headquarters. The group was also rebranded in December 2000, with a new 'beachball' logo designed by Edinburgh design house McKinstrie Wilde Millhouse and a new fleet livery designed by Ray Stenning's Best Impressions design company for the group's buses. The new livery for regional operations consisted of 'swoops' on a grey base that retained the previous livery's red, orange, blue and white colours, while Stagecoach London buses maintained base red with blue and orange 'swoops' to
8211-470: The introduction of farming from about 4,000 BC , and a remarkably well preserved Bronze Age log boat dated to around 1,000 BC was found in the mudflats of the River Tay at Carpow to the east of Perth. Perth developed from an initial plan of two parallel streets: High Street and South Street , linked by several vennels leading north and south. The names of these vennels have historic origins, and many—such as Cow Vennel and Fleshers ' Vennel—recall
8330-401: The introduction of farming into the area. Close to Perth is Scone Abbey , which formerly housed the Stone of Scone (also known as the Stone of Destiny), on which the King of Scots were traditionally crowned. This enhanced the early importance of the city, and Perth became known as a "capital" of Scotland due to the frequent residence there of the royal court. Royal burgh status was given to
8449-465: The investiture of Kings of Scots. That same year, Oliver Cromwell came to Perth following his victory in the Battle of Dunbar and established a fortified citadel on the South Inch , one of five occupation forts built to control Scotland. The restoration of Charles II was not without incident, and with the Act of Settlement in 1701, came the Jacobite uprisings. The city was occupied by Jacobite soldiers in 1689, 1715 and 1745. In 1760, Perth Academy
8568-526: The kingdom (along with such places as Berwick-upon-Tweed , Aberdeen and Roxburgh ), a residence of numerous craftsmen, organised into guilds (the Hammermen and Glovers, for example). Perth also carried out an extensive trade with France, The Low Countries and the Baltic Countries with luxury goods being brought back in return, such as Spanish silk and French pottery and wine. The royal castle (on or near
8687-411: The largest bus company in China through joint ventures, equity stakes and partnerships, and confirmed the £181 million acquisition of Hong Kong's Citybus . Stagecoach acquired control of Citybus Group , which provided franchised bus services on Hong Kong Island and to and from Hong Kong International Airport as well as non-franchised services throughout Hong Kong, in March 1999 and then completed
8806-464: The largest shareholders with a combined 26% shareholding at April 2019. The following is a breakdown of the Stagecoach operating divisions. The centre of each operating region is shown in parentheses. Legal company names are listed alongside the trading names for that company. Bus division operations are as follows: Apart from the ordinary bus operations and no-frills services, the UK bus division has
8925-406: The middle of the 12th century, the church was allowed to fall into disrepair, when most of the revenues were used by David I to fund Dunfermline Abbey . The majority of the present church was constructed between 1440 and 1500. Though much altered, its tower and lead-clad spire continue to dominate the Perth skyline. The Church has lost its medieval south porch and sacristy , and the north transept
9044-623: The modern double decker buses back on Kenyan roads. During October 1998 a consortium of investors led by Karanja Kabage as chairman acquired Kenya Bus Services from Stagecoach Holdings which owned 95% of the business. Stagecoach New Zealand was a wholly owned part of the Stagecoach Group, which provided bus services in Auckland , Wellington and the Hutt Valley and nine ferry routes in Auckland. It
9163-428: The network. In December 2013, Stagecoach bought King's Lynn based Norfolk Green . During March 2015, Virgin Trains East Coast , in which Stagecoach held a 90% shareholding, commenced operating the InterCity East Coast franchise. The East Coast franchise was terminated on 23 June 2018 after it was revealed that Stagecoach had overbid and were thus unable to make the agreed franchise payments. During December 2018, it
9282-479: The office has been primarily used as a call centre . Perth's city centre is situated to the west of the banks of the River Tay. The pedestrianised portion of the High Street, which runs from the junction of St John Street to Scott Street, is the main focus of the shopping area. The centre has a variety of major and independent retailers. The major retailers are largely based on the High Street, St John Street and in
9401-527: The privatisation of Citybus on 17 July 1999. In June 2003, the operation was sold to Chow Tai Fook Enterprises , the parent company of the major rival operator New World First Bus . In November 1991, Stagecoach Holdings (as it was named then), bought United Transport's shareholding in Kenya Bus Services. During its tenure, Stagecoach rapidly expanded the fleet, introducing the Express Services and
9520-410: The purchase of Scotland's Prestwick Airport in exchange for £41 million. By the summer of 1999, the company was rumoured to have been offered some £80 million for Prestwick. In January 2001, Stagechoach opted to sell the airport for £33 million to concentrate on surface transport. In late 2000, Stagecoach UK's bus operations were rationalised into twelve subsidiary companies managed from
9639-577: The purposes of the Scottish Parliament , Perth forms part of the constituencies of Perthshire North and Perthshire South and Kinross-shire . These two constituencies were created in 2011 as two of the nine constituencies within the Mid Scotland and Fife electoral region. Each constituency elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the first past the post system of election, and
9758-693: The rear of the bus. A blue-based standard interior for new buses was also introduced, with the first UK buses featuring the group's new identity entering service in January 2001. On 21 November 2005, Stagecoach announced the sale of its New Zealand operations to Infratil . On 14 December 2005, Stagecoach purchased Barnsley based Traction Group ( Yorkshire Traction ) for £26 million, and also assume Traction's £11 million debt. Traction operated 840 buses in South and West Yorkshire (Yorkshire Traction, Barnsley & District, Yorkshire Terrier ), Lincolnshire ( RoadCar ) and Angus ( Strathtay Scottish ). Traction
9877-423: The region elects seven additional members to produce a form of proportional representation. Perthshire North is currently represented by John Swinney ( SNP ) and Perthshire South and Kinross-shire is currently represented by Jim Fairlie ( SNP ). Perth's Sheriff Court , on Tay Street, is a Category A listed building . The building was designed by London architect Sir Robert Smirke , built in 1819 and stands on
9996-481: The site of Gowrie House, the place where a plot to kill King James VI was hatched in 1600. Perth is also home to a large prison, HM Prison Perth . The classic definition of Perth has been as a city. In the late 1990s, the UK Government and the devolved Scottish Executive re-examined the definition of a city and produced a list of approved cities, from which Perth was omitted. It was therefore considered to be
10115-419: The site of the major Augustinian abbey of the same name founded by Alexander I (1107–1124), enhanced Perth's early importance. Perth was considered the effective capital of Scotland, due to the frequent residence of the royal court. Royal burgh status was awarded to the city by King William the Lion in the early 12th century. During the 12th and 13th centuries, Perth was one of the richest trading burghs in
10234-457: The site of the present multi-storey car park adjacent to the new council offices), was destroyed by a flood of the Tay in 1209, one of many that have afflicted Perth over the centuries. It was never rebuilt, and Perth was protected at this time only by partial walls and an inventive water system, Perth Lade , sourced from the River Almond , which divided and flowed to the north on one side and
10353-507: The southern extremity of a spacious and fertile plain, Perth itself is flat (as are the areas immediately to the north, east and west), but it is nestled between the following hills (includes distance from Perth and summit height): As with most of the British Isles , Perth has an oceanic climate ( Köppen Cfb ) with cool summers and mild winters. The nearest Met Office weather station is at Strathallan , around 5 mi (8 km) from
10472-629: The system a year. Stagecoach sold the Metrolink business to RATP Group in August 2011. Stagecoach operated the Sheffield Supertram under a concession from the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive between 1997 and 2024. Its average daily ridership is 33,700, equalling more than 12 million per year, well above expectations. At the time of the concession's expiry, there were three light rail transit lines and
10591-555: The system. The franchise, which expired in March 2024, was operated under the Stagecoach Supertram brand, the company having responsibility for the operation and maintenance of the tram system. When Stagecoach took over the system, it was struggling, both financially and in terms of attracting passengers; patronage subsequently rose from 7.8 million recorded passenger journeys in 1996/97, to 15.0 million during 2011/12. In 1998, Stagecoach diversified into another transport sector via
10710-531: The terminal for all major UK airports, 24 hours a day, with 1,100 airport services every day, including East Midlands , Gatwick , Heathrow , Luton and Stansted . The Airport brand was created in 2003 when the National Express image brand was updated, merging the former Airlink, Flightlink, Jetlink and Speedlink brands. Following the introduction of guidance from the UK Government on avoiding non-essential travel, services were replaced from 24 March 2020 with
10829-495: The terms of the joint venture, the Stagecoach Group acquires a 35% stake in Scottish Citylink Coaches Ltd, with Citylink assuming certain rights to the Megabus and Motorvator brands in Scotland. The Competition Commission ruled in October 2006 that the joint venture substantially reduced competition and that evidence suggested some routes were already experiencing higher fares as a result. Though no firm conclusion
10948-463: The then state-owned National Express Coaches and Scottish Citylink . Stagecoach entered local bus operation with the acquisition of McLennan of Spittalfield, near Perth. Its early success allowed Stagecoach to take advantage of the privatisation of the national bus groups. Several firms were purchased from London Regional Transport , the National Bus Company , Scottish Bus Group and various city councils. The company consolidated its operations during
11067-446: The then state-owned National Express Coaches and Scottish Citylink . Stagecoach purchased several recently-privatised national bus groups from London Regional Transport , the National Bus Company , Scottish Bus Group and various city councils, as well as pursuing those that had opted for management buyouts and employee-owned corporations . During August 1996, Stagecoach acquired roughly one-third of all passenger rolling stock in
11186-424: The time of the Reformation, were ransacked after a sermon given by John Knox in St John's Kirk in 1559. The 1701 Act of Settlement brought about Jacobite uprisings. The city was occupied by Jacobite supporters on three occasions: in 1689, 1715 and 1745. The founding of Perth Academy in 1760 helped to bring major industries to the city, including the production of linen , leather, bleach and whisky . Perth
11305-919: The time, buying Swebus AB , the bus-company arm of the Swedish State Railways (SJ), for 1.2 billion kronor ($ 164 million), which also included operations in Denmark, Finland and Norway. The operations in Norway included only city and regional traffic in three minor cities around lake Mjøsa , but several unsuccessful bids on operators in the Oslo area led to Stagecoach selling out to Norgesbuss during April 1997. The Danish operations never proved profitable, and were sold to Combus in autumn of 1997. The operations in Finland were more successful, and were in April 1998 renamed Stagecoach Finland. In spring of 1997, Swebus Express
11424-464: The trades associated with their foundation. South Street was originally terminated at its eastern end by Gowrie House (site of today's Perth Sheriff Court ). Upon its demolition in the early 19th century, direct access was granted to the river. The presence of Scone two miles (3 km) northeast, the main royal centre of the Kingdom of Alba from at least the reign of Kenneth I (843–858), and later
11543-588: The traditional channels tickets of National Express ticket offices at coach stations, third-party agents at bus stations and travel agents. Since 2013, tickets have also been available for purchase from the Post Office . National Express offers several discounts to customers. National Express and its franchisees operate a limited number of coach types, primarily standardising on the Caetano Levante body on Mercedes-Benz , Scania and Volvo chassis. The Levante
11662-408: The warmest day rises to around 27 °C (81 °F), and about four days exceed 25 °C (77 °F). The strength of Perth's economy lies in its diversity, with a balance of large companies, the public sector, a broad range of small and medium-sized enterprises and many self-employed business people. The development in renewable energy , insurance, manufacturing, leisure , health and transport
11781-517: The west and south on the other, eventually joining the Tay. King Edward I brought his armies to Perth in 1296, and with only a ditch for defence and little fortification, the city fell quickly. Stronger fortifications were quickly built by the English, and plans to wall the city took shape in 1304. They remained standing until Robert the Bruce 's recapture of Perth in 1312. As part of a plan to make Perth
11900-529: Was 95.42% United Kingdom (including 87.80% from Scotland), 0.52% Republic of Ireland, 1.18% from other European Union countries, and 1.88% from elsewhere in the world. The economic activity of residents aged 16–74 was 57.10% in full-time employment, 12.90% in part-time employment, 6.08% self-employed, 3.29% unemployed, 2.37% students with jobs, 2.84% students without jobs, 14.75% retired, 4.93% looking after home or family, 5.94% permanently sick or disabled, and 4.07% economically inactive for other reasons. Compared with
12019-432: Was announced that private equity house Variant would acquire Stagecoach Group's US division in exchange for $ 271 million; the sale was completed in April 2019. In April 2019, Stagecoach was disqualified from participating in three rail franchise competitions by the Department for Transport after it submitted non-compliant bids for the East Midlands , South Eastern and West Coast Partnership franchises. One month later,
12138-604: Was assassinated in Perth in 1437, by followers of Walter Stewart, Earl of Atholl , at Blackfriars church . In May 1559, John Knox instigated the Scottish Reformation at grass-roots level with a sermon against 'idolatry' in the burgh kirk of St John the Baptist. An inflamed mob quickly destroyed the altars in the kirk, and attacked the Houses of the Greyfriars and Blackfriars, and the Carthusian Priory. Scone Abbey
12257-419: Was awarded the franchise to operate the recently privatised Sheffield Supertram system, from the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive , who owned the system. Stagecoach bought the remaining 27 years of a 30-year franchise in exchange for £1.15 million, which was substantially below the anticipated £80 million that the councils had hoped to raise to help pay off the accumulated debts to build
12376-529: Was dedicated to St John the Baptist . This name is preserved in the name of the city's football club, St Johnstone F.C. The city often refers to itself using the promotional nickname "Gateway to the Highlands ", a reference to its location. Today, Perth serves as a retail centre for the surrounding area, and in 2018 the city was named "Scotland's Food Town of 2018" by the Scottish Food Awards. Following
12495-401: Was designed between 2003 and 2005 by Portuguese coachbuilder Salvador Caetano and National Express exclusively for use on the network, equipped with a wheelchair lift at the front entrance door, and could be built on either two or three axles depending on chassis configuration. The most recent tri-axle Levante III was introduced onto the network in July 2018, with an updated version named
12614-458: Was drawn, regulators are to consult the two companies about what they need to do to comply with competition regulations and they have indicated that this will likely lead to the forced divestment of some services to an independent operator. The ruling was criticised by Stagecoach as leaving vital services in limbo and jeopardising Scotland's intercity coach network, making it unable to compete effectively with rail and private car journeys. To satisfy
12733-518: Was first used in 1974, although the coach services continued to be operated by the individual companies. Coach services were deregulated under the Transport Act 1980 , and buses by the Transport Act 1985 . In March 1988 National Express was privatised in a management buyout . In July 1989, the company bought ATL Holdings (with operations in Sheffield ) and a 50% share in Yelloway Trathen, which
12852-498: Was floated on the London Stock Exchange . In its early years, National Express had little competition in the long-distance coach market. A number of operators attempted to compete with the company after deregulation in 1980, the largest being the British Coachways consortium, but most had ceased to compete by the end of the decade. However, in 2003, Stagecoach introduced Megabus , a no-frills service whose £1 fares sparked
12971-437: Was fortuitously placed to become a key transport centre with the coming of the railways, and its first station was built in 1848. Perth has been known as "The Fair City" since the publication of the novel Fair Maid of Perth by Scottish writer Sir Walter Scott in 1828. During the later medieval period the city was also called St John's Toun or Saint Johnstoun by its inhabitants—a reference to its principal church, which
13090-470: Was founded, and major industry came to the city, now with a population of 15,000. Linen , leather, bleached products and whisky were its major exports. Given its location, Perth was perfectly placed to become a key transport centre with the coming of the railways. The first railway station in Perth was built in 1848. Horse-drawn carriages became popular in the 1890s; they were quickly replaced by electric trams of Perth Corporation Tramways . Despite being
13209-537: Was in business on St John's Street for almost 150 years. It closed in March 2016. Before the credit crisis , Perth's economy was growing at 2.6% per year, considerably above the Scottish average of 2.1%. Since the credit crisis, growth has slowed considerably, though still remained above the Scottish average. The Perth economy is ranked in the Top 10 enterprising demographics in Scotland , with an average of 42.6 registered enterprises per 10,000 residents putting it well above
13328-615: Was renamed Trathens Travel Services . In August 1989, the Eurolines services from London to Alicante , Barcelona and Paris were purchased from the tour operator Wallace Arnold , and the express services (with 29 coaches) in Scotland and to London from Stagecoach . These were operated under the Caledonian Express brand. In June 1991, National Express was sold to the Drawlane Group. In December 1992, National Express Group plc
13447-523: Was reported that rival company National Express entered into talks to acquire Stagecoach. In May 2022, a rival takeover offer from a DWS managed investment fund bought Stagecoach. The origins of Stagecoach Group can be traced back to 1976, at which point Ann Gloag and her husband Robin Gloag established a small recreational vehicle and minibus hire business called Gloagtrotter based in Perth, Scotland . Ann's brother, Brian Souter , an accountant, joined
13566-518: Was sacked shortly afterwards. The regent of infant Mary, Queen of Scots , her mother Marie de Guise , was successful in quelling the rioting but presbyterianism in Perth remained strong. Perth played a part in the Covenanting struggle and Perth was sacked for two days by Royalist troops after the Battle of Tippermuir in 1644. In 1651, Charles II was crowned at nearby Scone Abbey, the traditional site of
13685-551: Was shortened during the course of the 19th century during street-widening. A rare treasure, a unique survival in Scotland, is a 15th-century brass candelabrum or chandelier, imported from the Low Countries . The survival of this object is all the more remarkable as it includes a statuette of the Virgin Mary . It is thought to have been hung in the Skinner's aisle. An inventory of 1544 lists another hanging brass chandelier as an ornament of
13804-466: Was started as an intercity coach service between several cities in southern parts of Sweden, sporting the Stagecoach livery of the time. Stagecoach in 1998 announced that it had bid for several rail franchises in Sweden. On 27 October 1999, Stagecoach revealed that it was going to sell Swebus to Concordia Bus for £100 million, to refocus its bus operation on the United States and Asia. Stagecoach operate
13923-463: Was the culmination of the Scottish leg of her Diamond Jubilee tour. Her previous visit to the city had been to open the Perth Concert Hall , in 2005. The coat of arms of Perth is a gules shield depicting an argent Paschal lamb , reguardant and or haloed, holding under its right foreleg a flagpole topped with a cross, to which is attached a banner azure a saltire argent, all within
14042-688: Was the largest bus company in New Zealand when sold. Stagecoach NZ started operations when the firm acquired Wellington City Transport, including the Hutt Valley suburban bus operations of the New Zealand Railways Road Services , branded CityLine , in the 1990s. Following this initial acquisition Stagecoach also purchased Eastbourne Buses, The Yellow Bus Company in Auckland and a controlling interest in Fullers Auckland. In November 2005,
14161-461: Was the largest remaining privately owned independent bus operator in the UK. Following the sale of its London bus operations to Macquarie Bank in 2006, Stagecoach UK Bus concentrated on the bus market outside the UK capital, focusing on organic growth and exploring acquisition options. In September 2005, following competition with its Megabus coach operation, Stagecoach launched a joint venture with Scottish Citylink coaches. During October 2006,
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