The Glasgow-Stirling coach.
An attempt by William Hoome to establish a weekly coach service between Glasgow and Edinburgh in 1678 was unsuccessful, probably due to the appalling condition of the roads. However, by 1749 a covered cart was carrying passengers between the two cities, albeit that it took 36 hours to complete each leg of the journey. Road improvements permitted great improvements in journey times (and passenger comfort!). In 1758, a four-horse coach service was completing the journey in twelve hours, and the time had been reduced to six hours by 1799.
By 1820, Glaswegians could travel to Stirling by the Perth coach. The fare was 10 shillings (50p) for those travelling inside the carriage, and 7 shillings and sixpence (37.5p) for those braving the elements and travelling on top.
Reference: GC 941.435 OLD
Reproduced with the permission of Glasgow City Council, Libraries Information and Learning
Keywords:
carriages, horses, passengers, stagecoaches, travellers