Representatives from the UK’s first all-electric intercity bus service were at The Rockfield Centre on Sunday to give out more information and scout for job-seeking drivers wanting to get behind the wheels of their ultra-modern coaches.
Based in Edinburgh, the zero-emission service already runs routes between Dundee, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Fort William and Inverness with stops at multiple towns and villages in between.
Ember, on the road since 2019, also has direct services to airports in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen.
Team Ember was at Rockfield with a state-of-the-art coach so people could have a first-hand look - whether interested in getting a job or just finding out more about its routes.
Ember’s head of Scotland Andy Mason said its initial service from Oban to Inverness was set to be launched in a month’s time with routes to Edinburgh, Glasgow and both city’s airports following soon after.
The infrastructure to charge up the buses is already in place and waiting at Longsdale Coach and Car Park although the buses will all leave from the town centre, he added.
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Ember have been running zero-emission services from Edinburgh, Dundee and Glasgow since 2020, and we’ve since expanded into many other towns and cities, including running services to and from Fort William since April 2025.
"We’re opening in more locations across Scotland this year, and Oban’s particularly exciting given the many outdoor activities in the area and the useful onward ferry connections.
"We’ll announce full details of the planned routes across the region in the coming weeks, but the first services (known as the E14) will connect Oban to Inverness, and a number of other communities on that route," said Andy.
He added: "Our initial services will be ’Express’ services with limited stops, calling at places like Fort William and Fort Augustus on the way. Once we have a fully registered service approved, it’s very likely that we’ll add other communities along the way."
Ember hopes to recruit eight to 10 drivers for its new Oban-area services.
As well as updating its tracking system every second so "no one needs to hang around in the rain wondering where there bus is," well-behaved pets will also be welcome onboard for free and passengers will have access to 5G wi-fi at no cost, said Andy.
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