Arriva Serving Scotland

Arriva came to have a presence in Scotland as a result of several purchases and mergers, with a management buyout of Clydeside Scottish eventually leading to that company becoming a part of the giant Arriva group. All subsidiary companies of the group were forced to adopt Arriva’s Aquamarine and Cotswold Cream livery, along with the Arriva fleet name; this was coupled with a region-specific strapline of ‘Arriva serving …’ The Scottish operations were detached from the other regions, and the company struggled in the face of ferocious opposition from the country’s independents and eventually retreated south of the border.

David Devoy, a former employee of Arriva in Scotland, tells the story of another fascinating chapter of history in the Scottish bus scene with his superb collection of previously unpublished photographs.