These pages are written to help you make quick changes that might just enable you to get to your destination sooner.
If you are happier to have more time allowed for changing buses then you may prefer to use the Stagecoach Journey Planner.
There are four Stagecoach Express Buses from Edinburgh that you might sensibly use - the X59 and its partner the X59A (which travel via Glenrothes) - and the X58 and X61 (which travel via Kirkcaldy).
If Edinburgh is busy and express buses are running late then it's best just to take which ever bus comes first for as far as makes sense. Your target route should be via Ferrytoll, Halbeath Park & Ride and Glenrothes to St Andrews for Crail (as that's the fastest route), but if it's easier to go along the coast via Kirkcaldy and Leven then that's not much slower.
When buses are running late from Edinburgh - which they often are - you need to think how the bus you manage to catch will meet up with other buses and maybe stay on the bus you have caught longer than you otherwise would.
Here are the times for buses when everything is running to timetable:
The 06:25 X59 from Edinburgh Bus Station gets to Halbeath Park & Ride at 07:12 - you should be able to change to a JET787 departing Halbeath at 07:15 getting to St Andrews at 08:17 where you can change to the 08:35 95 getting to Pinkerton Road at 09:05.
The 06:50 X58 from Edinburgh Bus Station gets to St Andrews at 09:20 to catch the 09:25 95 getting to Pinkerton Road at 09:55. Any more than 5 minutes late and you are probably better waiting in Leven for the 95 an hour later...
The 07:00 X59 from Edinburgh Bus Station gets to St Andrews for 09:00 where you can catch an 09:25 95 getting to Pinkerton Road at 09:55.
The 07:20 X61 from Edinburgh Bus Station gets to Anstruther Harbour at 09:52 - cross the road for a 95 at 10:31 getting to Pinkerton Road at 10:49.
The 07:30 X59A from Edinburgh Bus Station gets to Halbeath Park & Ride at 08:17 where with a tight change there is an X24 at 08:18 getting to St Andrews at 09:30 for the 10:25 95 getting to Pinkerton Road at 10:55. If you miss the X24 connection you should be able to catch the later X59 for the same 95 in St Andrews.
The 07:55 X59 from Edinburgh Bus Station gets to St Andrews for 09:55 where you can catch a 10:25 95 getting to Pinkerton Road at 10:55.
The 07:55 X58 from Edinburgh Bus Station gets to Leven at 09:45 and St Andrews at 10:25 - just missing both connections with the 95 - so you are better catching the X59 that departs at the same time... but, if the direct X59 to St Andrews is missing then catching this and changing in Leven should get you to Pinkerton Road for 11:49.
The 08:05 X59 from Edinburgh Bus Station gets to Glenrothes at 09:16 where an X24 at 09:45 will get you to St Andrews for 10:30 and a long wait for the 11:25 95 getting to Pinkerton Road at 11:55 - or you could pick up the following X61 from Halbeath instead and get there at 11:49.
The 08:25 X61 from Edinburgh Bus Station gets to Anstruther Harbour at 10:57 - cross the road for a 95 at 11:31 getting to Pinkerton Road at 11:49.
The 08:35 X59A from Edinburgh Bus Station misses the X24 at Halbeath and travels via Cowdenbeath, getting to Glenrothes later than the following X59 - so it's better to catch that.
The 08:45 X59 from Edinburgh Bus Station gets to St Andrews at 10:45 for the 95 at 11:25 getting to Pinkerton Road at 11:55.
The 08:55 X58 has similar problems to the one an hour earlier, you typically get off in Leven at 10:45 where you visit a cafe or shop while waiting for the 95 at 11:40 getting to Pinkerton Road at 12:49. (Or stay on the X58 to St Andrews to do your shopping there and get to Pinkerton Road at 12:55.)
The 09:10 X59 from Edinburgh Bus Station gets to Glenrothes for 10:21 where a 44 at 10:35 will get you to Leven Bus Station for 11:00 and the same 95 at 11:40 getting to Pinkerton Road at 12:49.
The 09:25 X61 from Edinburgh Bus Station gets to Anstruther Harbour at 11:57 - cross the road for a 95 at 12:31 getting to Pinkerton Road at 12:49.
An 09:55 X59 gets to St Andrews for 11:55 and a connection with the 95 departing at 12:25 and getting to Pinkerton Road at 12:55.
This gives you the feel for how these buses work, for much of the day the X59 at 5 minutes to the hour and is simplest and fastest - just needing a change in St Andrews. The X58 departs at the same time but has worse connections. The X61 doesn't work too badly, with a connection in Anstruther getting to Crail slightly earlier than waiting for the direct X59.
An intermediate X59 once it settles down to departing at 15 minutes past the hour connects well with the X24 at either Halbeath Park & Ride or Glenrothes, but the X24 arrival in St Andrews doesn't really suit the 95 timetable - in the same way, the X61 arrives in Leven or Anstruther at a poor time for connections with the 95 - but perhaps you need to do some shopping in Anstruther (or Leven) on the way?
There is an additional choice every 2 hours - starting with the X59 at 10:15 arriving at Halbeath at 11:02 where there is a JET787 at 11:10 getting to St Andrews at 12:12 for the 95 at 12:25 getting to Pinkerton Road at 12:55 - this connection repeats for the X59 at 12:15 and 14:15.
And there is the interloper of an X59A at 35 minutes past the hour which usually only goes as far as Glenrothes - but if Edinburgh is busy may provide a useful way to get out of the city.
Anyway, these services repeat hourly for much of the day (except for connections with the 14:40 95 from Leven - which on Monday to Thursday schooldays waits an extra 12 minutes at Waid Academy - if you catch the 11:55 X58 or 12:25 X61 from Edinburgh you will want to stay on to St Andrews to avoid this) and then:
The 13:55 X59 from Edinburgh gets to St Andrews at 15:55 but the 95 doesn't depart until 16:35 and it gets to Pinkerton Road at 17:05.
The 14:15 X59 from Edinburgh gets to Halbeath at 15:02 - the 15:10 JET787 from Halbeath should get you to St Andrews for 16:12 - if you miss that, catch the X24 at 15:18 which gets to St Andrews at 16:30 to hopefully catch the 95 at 16:35 and get to Pinkerton Road at 17:05. If everything runs to time this is about the quickest version of this trip you can make! But you might end up missing a connection and being an hour later - these are the risks you take...
The 14:25 X61 from Edinburgh gets to Anstruther Harbour at 16:57 - cross the road for the 95 at 17:31 getting to Pinkerton Road at 17:49.
The 14:55 X59 from Edinburgh gets to St Andrews at 16:55 for a 17:30 95 getting to Pinkerton Road at 18:00.
The 14:55 X58 doesn't get to St Andrews until 17:30 - probably missing the 17:30 95 getting to Pinkerton Road for 18:00 - so it's better to change at Leven, getting off at 16:50 for the 95 at 17:40 getting to Pinkerton Road at 18:49.
The 15:25 X61 from Edinburgh gets to Anstruther Harbour at 18:16 - cross the road for the 95 at 18:31 getting to Pinkerton Road at 18:49.
The 15:55 X59 from Edinburgh gets to St Andrews 18:13 for the 18:50 95 getting to Crail High Street at 19:15.
The 15:55 X58 gets to St Andrews at 18:45 for the 18:50 95 getting to Crail High Street at 19:15 - if this bus runs late change in Leven instead for a 19:19 arrival in Crail.
The 16:25 X61 gets to Leven at 18:30 for the 19:20 95 getting to Crail High Street at 20:19.
The 16:55 X59 gets to St Andrews at 19:13 for the 19:50 95 getting to Crail High Street at 20:15.
The 16:55 X58 gets to St Andrews at 19:45 for the 19:50 95 getting to Crail High Street at 20:15 - if this bus runs late change in Leven instead for a 20:19 arrival in Crail.
The 17:15 X59 gets to Halbeath at 18:20 for the 18:24 X24 arriving at St Andrews at 19:35 for the 19:50 95 getting to Crail High Street at 20:15. If you prefer you can choose to change in Glenrothes at 18:50.
The 17:25 X61 gets to Leven at 19:28 - you need to wait until 20:20 for a 95 getting to Crail at 21:19.
The 17:55 X58 gets to Leven at 19:45 for the 20:20 95 getting to Crail at 21:19.
The 18:15 X59 gets to St Andrews at 20:14 for the 20:50 95 getting to Crail at 21:15.
The 18:25 X58 gets to Leven at 20:15 for the 20:20 95 getting to Crail at 21:19. There is a risk that you might miss this connection and be in Crail an hour later.
The 18:35 X59A gets to Halbeath at 19:22 for an X24 at 19:24 arriving in St Andrews at 20:35 for the 95 at 20:50 arriving in Crail at 21:15. This change is tight but there is a JET787 departing Halbeath at 19:30 which gets to St Andrews at 20:31 for the 20:50 95 getting to Crail at 21:15. So you have two chances to get to Crail on time.
The 18:55 X61 gets to Leven at 20:40 and a long wait for the 21:20 95 getting to Crail at 22:19.
The 19:15 X59 gets to St Andrews at 21:13 for the 21:50 95 getting to Crail at 22:15.
The 19:25 X58 gets to Leven at 21:15 for the 21:20 95 getting to Crail at 22:19. Again there is a risk of missing this connection and being an hour later.
The 19:40 X59A gets to Glenrothes at 20:59 where there is a 59 at 21:05 which gets you to St Andrews at 21:55 for the 22:50 95 getting to Crail at 23:15.
The 19:55 X61 gets to Leven at 21:40 and a long wait for the 22:20 95 getting to Crail at 23:19.
The 20:25 X58 gets to Leven at 22:15 for the 22:20 95 getting to Crail at 23:19. There is a risk that you will miss this connection and catch the 23:20 95 which follows a circuitous route to get to Crail at 01:00. (See our Late Night Buses page.)
The 20:40 X59A gets to Glenrothes at 21:59 for a 59 at 22:05 which gets to St Andrews at 22:55 and a long wait for the 95 at 00:35 getting to Crail at 01:00.
The 21:00 X61 gets you to Leven at 22:45 for that 95 at 23:20 that will get you to Cellardyke at 00:10 where the bus turns into an X61 and travels to St Andrews Bus Station arriving at 00:30 and then turning into a 95 departing at 00:35 and getting to Crail at 01:00.
The 21:30 X59A gets you to Glenrothes at 22:49 for a 59 at 22:55 which gets you to St Andrews at 23:45 where there is a 95 at 00:35 getting to Crail at 01:00.
The 21:40 X58 and 22:00 X61 will get you to Leven for 23:30 and 23:45 that would enable you to catch a 95 at 00:25 that will get you to Cellardyke at 01:15.
The 22:30 X59A will get you to Halbeath for 23:17 where you can catch a JET787 at 23:30 getting to St Andrews at 00:31 and a tight change to the 95 at 00:35 getting to Crail at 01:00. It is dangerous to rely on this connection - actual running times suggest the 787 generally arrives in St Andrews too late to connect with the 95!
When looking at bus timetables for late night services travel between midnight and about 4am can be confusing - the buses between these times tend to "belong" to services that started the previous day - and so you will find, for example, that there is no 00:35 service 95 from St Andrews in the early hours of Monday morning as that service doesn't follow the more limited services on the Sunday timetable - instead there IS an 00:35 service 95 in the early hours of Sunday morning as that belongs with the Saturday timetable...
There may be an early morning E1 service from "ember" that is the earliest way to get to Crail - but due to the time spent hanging around waiting for connections it's probably best avoided - either by travelling the night before or using a train if you can...
Or there may be a FLY bus from Edinburgh Airport to Dundee that will get you to Crail at the same time - you need to be leaving Edinburgh about the same time as the E1 to guarantee catching this bus...
And with the Stagecoach JET787 service there are other options for travelling via Edinburgh Airport.
Megabus, Ember, Flixbus and FLY timetables change quite frequently, often without much notice. So, it's probably best to use the Traveline Scotland Journey Planner if you want to travel in the early morning hours...