Bus 9 in Edinburgh links Waterfront Gait and Kings Buildings. The route is 12.2 km long with 43 stops, and the official schedule from Lothian Buses puts the full trip at about 54 minutes. On a weekday it runs 51 trips in one direction, and 30 on a weekend day.
Route at a glance
| Mode | Bus |
|---|---|
| Route number | 9 |
| City | Edinburgh |
| Operator | Lothian Buses |
| Start → end | Waterfront Gait → Kings Buildings |
| End → start | Kings Buildings → Waterfront Gait |
| Route length | 12.2 km / 12.2 km in the opposite direction |
| Number of stops | 43 / 49 in the opposite direction |
| Travel time | about 54 minutes |
| Trips per day | 51 on weekdays, 30 on weekends one way |
| Frequency | peak 2–22 · midday 20 · weekend 29–40 |
| First / last trip from «Waterfront Gait» | 06:46 / 23:35 |
| First / last trip from «Kings Buildings» | 00:15 / 23:45 |
| Fare | 2.40 £ (fare in effect since 22 February 2026) |
| Updated | August 22, 2026 |
Route of Bus 9
Outbound: Waterfront Gait → Kings Buildings
This direction has 43 stops and runs 12.2 km. The route passes Edinburgh College, Wardie Road, Great King Street, Gladstone Terrace. Below is the full list with the distance from the first stop.
| No. | Stop | From start | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Waterfront Gait | 0.0 km | Terminus |
| 2 | Edinburgh College | 0.3 km | |
| 3 | Granton Mains East | 0.4 km | |
| 4 | Waterfront Broadway | 0.7 km | |
| 5 | Waterfront Avenue | 0.8 km | |
| 6 | Saltire Square | 1.3 km | |
| 7 | Waterfront Lighthouse | 1.7 km | |
| 8 | Granton Square | 2.2 km | |
| 9 | Grierson Avenue | 2.9 km | |
| 10 | Boswall Green | 3.2 km | |
| 11 | Fraser Avenue | 3.4 km | |
| 12 | Wardie Road | 3.7 km | |
| 13 | St James Church | 4.1 km | |
| 14 | Goldenacre Terrace | 4.2 km | |
| 15 | Warriston Gardens | 4.3 km | |
| 16 | Warriston Drive | 4.6 km | |
| 17 | Royal Botanic Garden | 4.7 km | |
| 18 | Canonmills | 5.1 km | |
| 19 | Rodney Street | 5.3 km | |
| 20 | Mansfield Place | 5.7 km | |
| 21 | Drummond Place | 6.1 km | |
| 22 | Great King Street | 6.5 km | |
| 23 | Abercromby Place | 6.6 km | |
| 24 | Thistle Street | 6.8 km | |
| 25 | Hanover Street | 7.0 km | |
| 26 | The Mound | 7.2 km | |
| 27 | Victoria Street | 7.7 km | |
| 28 | Bristo Place | 8.0 km | |
| 29 | Potterrow | 8.2 km | |
| 30 | Chapel Street | 8.5 km | |
| 31 | Buccleuch Terrace | 8.9 km | |
| 32 | Gladstone Terrace | 9.2 km | |
| 33 | Sylvan Place | 9.4 km | |
| 34 | Roseneath Street | 9.7 km | |
| 35 | Thirlestane Road | 10.2 km | |
| 36 | Beaufort Road | 10.3 km | |
| 37 | Monkwood Court | 10.5 km | |
| 38 | Grange Loan Gardens | 10.8 km | |
| 39 | South Oswald Road | 11.1 km | |
| 40 | Blackford Avenue | 11.3 km | |
| 41 | Eva Place | 11.5 km | |
| 42 | Royal Observatory | 11.8 km | |
| 43 | Kings Buildings | 12.2 km | Terminus |
Inbound: Kings Buildings → Waterfront Gait
This direction has 49 stops and runs 12.7 km. The route passes Royal Observatory, Gladstone Terrace, Drummond Place, Rosebank Grove. Below is the full list with the distance from the first stop.
| No. | Stop | From start | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kings Buildings | 0.0 km | Terminus |
| 2 | Royal Observatory | 0.2 km | |
| 3 | Eva Place | 0.6 km | |
| 4 | Blackford Avenue | 0.8 km | |
| 5 | South Oswald Road | 1.0 km | |
| 6 | Dun-Ard Garden | 1.2 km | |
| 7 | Grange Loan Gardens | 1.4 km | |
| 8 | Monkwood Court | 1.6 km | |
| 9 | Thirlestane Road | 1.9 km | |
| 10 | Spottiswoode Road | 2.0 km | |
| 11 | Roseneath Street | 2.3 km | |
| 12 | Sylvan Place | 2.7 km | |
| 13 | Gladstone Terrace | 3.0 km | |
| 14 | Buccleuch Terrace | 3.3 km | |
| 15 | Chapel Street | 3.6 km | |
| 16 | Bristo Square | 4.0 km | |
| 17 | Forrest Road | 4.3 km | |
| 18 | Victoria Street | 4.5 km | |
| 19 | The Mound | 5.0 km | |
| 20 | Hanover Street | 5.2 km | |
| 21 | Thistle Street | 5.4 km | |
| 22 | Abercromby Place | 5.6 km | |
| 23 | Dundas Street | 5.8 km | |
| 24 | Drummond Place | 6.1 km | |
| 25 | Mansfield Place | 6.5 km | |
| 26 | Bellevue Crescent | 6.6 km | |
| 27 | Rodney Street | 6.9 km | |
| 28 | Inverleith Terrace | 7.2 km | |
| 29 | Royal Botanic Garden | 7.5 km | |
| 30 | Warriston Drive | 7.7 km | |
| 31 | Warriston Gardens | 7.9 km | |
| 32 | Goldenacre Terrace | 8.0 km | |
| 33 | St James Church | 8.2 km | |
| 34 | Wardie Road | 8.4 km | |
| 35 | Rosebank Grove | 8.6 km | |
| 36 | Fraser Avenue | 8.8 km | |
| 37 | Boswall Green | 9.1 km | |
| 38 | Grierson Avenue | 9.3 km | |
| 39 | Granton Square | 10.1 km | |
| 40 | Waterfront Lighthouse | 10.5 km | |
| 41 | Saltire Square | 10.8 km | |
| 42 | Waterfront Avenue | 11.3 km | |
| 43 | Waterfront Broadway | 11.4 km | |
| 44 | Granton Mains East | 11.7 km | |
| 45 | Edinburgh College | 12.0 km | |
| 46 | Waterfront Gait | 12.2 km | |
| 47 | Pennywell Cottages | 12.4 km | |
| 48 | Pennywell Cottages | 12.4 km | |
| 49 | Waterfront Gait | 12.2 km | Terminus |
Schedule and frequency
According to the official schedule from Lothian Buses, the route runs 51 trips in one direction on a weekday, and 30 on a weekend day.
| Direction | Weekdays | Weekends and holidays |
|---|---|---|
| From «Waterfront Gait» | 06:46 — 23:35 | 08:40 — 23:35 |
| From «Kings Buildings» | 00:15 — 23:45 | 00:15 — 23:45 |
Frequency calculated from the departure table: in the morning peak buses run every 2–22 minutes, most often every 18; midday every 20 minutes; in the afternoon peak every 20–22; on weekends every 29–40 minutes.
Fare and payment
A single ride costs 2.40 £ — fare in effect since 22 February 2026. The same fare applies to Lothian buses in Edinburgh.
A single bus journey costs £2.40 and covers one journey only — it gives no transfer and is not valid on Edinburgh Trams. A City DAYticket is £6.00 and works on both bus and tram; contactless travel is capped at £5.70 a day.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a ride on bus 9 cost?
2.40 £ for a single ride — fare in effect since 22 February 2026.
When do the first and last trips run?
From Waterfront Gait the first is at 06:46 and the last at 23:35. From Kings Buildings they are 00:15 and 23:45.
How long does the trip from Waterfront Gait to Kings Buildings take?
About 54 minutes end to end — the median of full trips in the official schedule.
How many stops does the route have?
43 outbound and 49 inbound according to the official GTFS feed. The two lists do not match exactly.
Does bus 9 run on weekends?
Yes. On weekends and holidays there are 30 trips in one direction, running from Waterfront Gait between 08:40 and 23:35.
Every route number with its termini, operating hours and travel time is collected in the Edinburgh buses overview.
Data current as of August 22, 2026. Schedule and termini — Lothian Buses. Fares — Lothian Buses. Stop list, schedule and route geometry come from the official GTFS feed (Bus Open Data Service (BODS)).