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Private company

McKindless

Former Scottish bus operator

McKindless was a Scottish bus operator, operating a number of bus routes throughout Greater Glasgow, Scotland. The company was based in Newmains and had a depot in Parkhead.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1987Founded1
  • HeadquartersNewmains1

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McKindless P336 JND
Photo: Arriva436, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons4

McKindless was a Scottish bus operator, operating a number of bus routes throughout Greater Glasgow, Scotland. The company was based in Newmains and had a depot in Parkhead.2

The story

McKindless was founded in Newmains by Vincent and Margaret McKindless. It started as a small operation in 1987 with a few buses, a lorry and two coaches. Its aim was to provide school contracts and private hires but quickly moved into local bus operation. The first routes operated were:

68 West Crindledyke – Hamilton

61 Bonkle – Newarthill

66 Bonkle – Hamilton

56 Shotts – Hamilton

These services were operated with ex-Highland Scottish front-engined Ford R1114s and Leyland Nationals. In 1994 the routes and buses were bought by Kelvin Central Buses.

From 1996 Mckindless started a commuter shuttle between Wishaw and Glasgow, restarted the original routes and from 1997 started services to Cleland and Lanark.

In 2000, the company expanded again by opening a depot in Rutherglen and started operating a route with Glasgow city centre – Bishopbriggs – Kirkintilloch. By 2005 they had opened a new purpose-built depot in Parkhead and started route 62. The 62 route became their best route being very busy and operated by low floor vehicles.

From Wikipedia’s article on McKindless, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3

Products and brands

Former services

Parkhead (formerly Rutherglen)

62: Glasgow – Clydebank – Faifley

67: Glasgow – Rutherglen – Cambuslang – Blantyre – Hamilton – Fairhill – Little Earnock (Hamilton)

75: Milton – Glasgow (used to operate to Kennishead before it was cut back to City Centre)

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80 Glasgow – Springburn – Kirkintilloch – Harestanes

Newmains

6: Motherwell – North Motherwell (Motherwell Local)

9: Hamilton or North Motherwell – Motherwell – Wishaw – Cleland

10: Cleland – Waterloo

21/X21: Lanark – East Kilbride

22: Coltness – Overtown

24: Wishaw/Coltness Circular (Main St, Dryburgh Rd, Coltness Terminus, Dryburgh Rd, Kenilworth Ave)

31: Hamilton – Larkhall – Lanark

41: Hamilton – Wishaw – Lanark

44: Wishaw – Bellshill via Cleland (also operated to Overtown at some point)

56: Hamilton – Wishaw – Shotts

68: Newmains – Hamilton (also operated to North Motherwell, Peacock Cross (Hamilton) and Bellshill at some point)

93: Cleland – Forgewood

X1: Glasgow – West Crindledyke

X2: Glasgow – Cleland

Former fleet

When it closed McKindless owned 110 vehicles comprising a large number of makes and models. They operated six regular frequency routes with a peak vehicle requirement of 65. Recent additions included several Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 Darts with Euro 4 low emission engines. Other vehicle types used include MCW Metrobus and Leyland Olympian double deckers and various single deckers such as Dennis Darts, Volvo B6s and Optare Excels.

In late 2006 the company bought its first new vehicles: two BMC Falcons and a King Long single-decker. Their three express services were run with Volvo B10M and Dennis Javelin coaches. Three older vehicles, a Bristol Lodekka, an MCW Metrobus and an AEC Routemaster, were preserved by the company. McKindless had also bought ex-Hutchison Optare Excels to use on local routes in Wishaw, still in the livery of their previous. In July 2009, McKindless loaned an Alexander Dennis Enviro400 double-decker for demonstration purposes.

Steady investment resulted in the operator providing 100% low-floor vehicles on their local service routes in Lanarkshire since 2007, while operations in Glasgow were nearly 100% low floor by 2009.

From Wikipedia’s article on McKindless, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3

Timeline

  1. 1987Founded Founded1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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