We provide free home to school (HTS) transport for East Lothian pupils who live more than two miles away from their local primary or secondary school.
The pupil's home address is defined as being that of their parent or legal guardian, not the address of a childminder or relative who may care for them on school days. In the event of parental separation, the home address is defined as the address of the guardian receiving the Child Benefit payment.
Free school transport is not available if you choose to send your child to a school that isn't their local primary or secondary school.
Applying before the schools go back on 14 August 2024
Contact the Home To School Transport team at hometoschool@eastlothian.gov.uk for advice on how to submit an electronic application form for HTS transport. Paper applications are no longer issued.
Applying in term time
Contact your school office for advice on how to submit an electronic application form for HTS transport. Paper applications are no longer issued.
Smartcards
From August 2024 secondary school pupils should use their Young Person’s Under 22 free bus travel pass, either via their Young Scot card or their National Entitlement Card, for home to school transport on public buses. It’s important each student has a valid card with an up-to-date photo. To order a new/replacement card or to update your photo - visit https://getyournec.scot/nec/ or contact your school office or local library will also be happy to support families.
Code of conduct
Download the code of conduct.
National travel
Some families may feel their young person is not ready to have the freedoms of national free travel. If this is the case, contact our home to school transport team: hometoschool@eastlothian.gov.uk before school returns, or your school office in term time, and ask for the card to be programmed with only the council home to school transport program. This means your child will still have access to their funded home to school transport, but not the wider national bus network.
It is essential you make sure your young person's travel card is valid and active before August 2024. It is a parent/carer responsibility to ensure their young person can access free home to school travel on public transport.
Please note: this only applies if your child travels to school using public transport. If they are on a contracted home to school bus service, they will continue to receive a pass for travel.
Smartcards are in use on the following routes:
Musselburgh Grammar School
Whitecraig pupils travelling to Musselburgh Grammar - bus times
S1 toS3
|
Pick up point
|
Time
|
Service
|
Contractor
|
Whitecraig Crescent
|
7:50am
|
|
East Coast Buses
|
S4-S6
|
Pick up point
|
Time
|
Service
|
Contractor
|
Whitecraig Crescent
|
8:03am
|
|
Prentice Coaches
|
Wallyford Pupils travelling to Musselburgh Grammar - bus times
| S1-S3 and S6 |
| Pick up point |
Time |
Service |
Contractor |
| Wallyford Terminus |
7:58am |
44 |
Lothian Buses |
| S4 and S5 |
Pick up point
|
Time
|
Service
|
Contractor
|
Wallyford Terminus
|
8:10am
|
|
Lothian Buses
|
Preston Lodge High School
Longniddry pupils travelling to Preston Lodge - bus times
S1-S4
|
Pick up point
|
Time
|
Service
|
Contractor
|
Johnny Cope Road
|
7:59am
|
128 East Coast Buses
|
Longniddry Rail Station
|
8:08am
|
S5-S6
|
Pick up point
|
Time
|
Service
|
Contractor
|
Longniddry Rail Station
|
8:04am
|
124 East Coast Buses
|
Cunningham Court
|
8:06am
|
Port Seton and Cockenzie S6 pupils travelling to Preston Lodge - bus times
Pick up point
|
Time
|
Service
|
Contractor
|
Port Seton – Fishers Road
|
7:58am
|
26 Lothian Buses
|
Port Seton – School lane
|
8:00am
|
Blindwells Pupils travelling to Preston Lodge - bus times
Pick up point
|
Time
|
Service
|
Contractor
|
Blindwells
|
8:08am
|
26 Lothian Buses
|
Ross High School
Elphinstone pupils travelling to Ross High School - bus times
Pick up point
|
Time
|
Service
|
Contractor
|
Elphinstone
|
8:15am
|
110 Prentice Coaches
|
Macmerry pupils travelling to Ross High School - bus times
S1-S4
|
Pick up point
|
Time
|
Service
|
Contractor
|
Macmerry
|
8:05am
|
X6 East Coast Buses
|
S5-S6
|
Pick up point
|
Time
|
Service
|
Contractor
|
Macmerry
|
8:00am
|
108 Prentice Coaches
|
North Berwick High School
Gullane pupils travelling to North Berwick High School only - bus times
S4 - S6
|
Pick up point
|
Time
|
Service
|
Contractor
|
Gullane, Goose Green
|
7:57am
|
125 East Coast Buses
|
S1-S3
|
Pick up point
|
Time
|
Service
|
Contractor
|
Gullane, Goose Green
|
7:52am
|
125 East Coast Buses
|
Ballencrief, Drem, West Fenton and Dirleton pupils travelling to North Berwick High School - bus times
Pick up point
|
Time
|
Service
|
Contractor
|
Longniddry Station
|
7:38am
|
127 East Coast Buses
|
Drem Station
|
7:47am
|
Fenton Barns
|
7:50am
|
Dirleton Castle
|
8:05am
|
Kilduff / Athelstaneford pupils travelling to North Berwick High School - bus times
Pick up point
|
Time
|
Service
|
Contractor
|
Kilduff
|
7:50am
|
121 Eve Coaches
(separate coach)
|
Athelstaneford
|
7:52am
|
Prora
|
7:57am
|
Drem
|
8:03am
|
Fenton Barns
|
8:06am
|
East Fenton
|
8:06am
|
Kingston
|
8:11am
|
Highfield
|
8:13am
|
Aberlady pupils travelling to North Berwick High School only - bus times
Pick up point
|
Time
|
Service
|
Contractor
|
Aberlady, The Pleasance
|
7:48am
|
126 East Coast Buses**
|
Aberlady, Poplar House
|
7:50am
|
** due to capacity on service 126, S5-S6 pupils are asked to use service X5 for return journey
Dunbar Grammar
Pick up point
|
Time
|
Service
|
Contractor
|
Monks Muir
|
7:54am
|
X7 East Coast Buses
|
Mainstream transport between home and school
To use a home to school contracted route you need a valid pass for travel issued by East Lothian Council (show and go card).
Transport services
East Lothian Council, Penston House, Macmerry Industrial Estate, EH33 1EX
Email: hometoschool@eastlothian.gov.uk
