478 Dunoon–Portavadie
The 478 is a bus route in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, which runs between Dunoon and Portavadie via Tighnabruiach and Kames. It is operated by West Coast Motors, which was established in 1921. Strathclyde Partnership for Transport inaugurated the route, along with that of the 477 and 479, in October 1993.
| 478 | |
|---|---|
An Optare Solo M880SL running the 478 route in Tighnabruiach in 2006 | |
| Overview | |
| Operator | West Coast Motors |
| Began service | 1993 |
| Route | |
| Start | Dunoon Pier |
| Via | Tighnabruiach Kames |
| End | Portavadie |
| Length | 28 miles (45 km) |
Given the distance covered by the route (28 miles (45 km)), it only runs eight times a day, Monday to Saturday (four in the morning and four in the afternoon). The first bus departs Dunoon Pier at 5:48 am (terminating at Tighnabruiach's Royal an Lochan hotel; the second run is the first to terminate at Portavadie ferry terminal); the last one at 5:30 pm. The journey takes between an hour and an hour and a half. On weekdays, additional stops in Dunoon, Hunters Quay, Ardnadam and Sandbank occur in the mid-afternoon to support the release of children from local schools.
The route is noted for its long stretches of single-track roads with scattered passing places, especially along the B836 between Sandbank and Auchenbreck, at the junction with the A886 Colintraive–to–Strachur road.
The drivers of the 477, 478 and 479 have dubbed their routes the "Bermuda Triangle" due to their complexity and remoteness.