m.connect partners with Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival

Moray Council’s m.connect transport service is partnering with the flagship Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival to get festival goers from hubs to events hassle free.

The m.connect service is part of Moray’s first phase of a 10 year growth plan for the Bus Revolution project, part of Moray’s £100m Growth Deal. The project is funded through £4m of Scottish Government funding and £300,000 from Moray Council.

Operating 1-6 May, this will be the first time the service will run during a weekend and bank holiday period. Three timetabled routes will link people attending events across Speyside directly to distilleries and event locations.

Three hubs, in Marypark, Aberlour and Tomintoul, will act as a transfer point for passengers to pick up service routes – details below – with journeys bookable now on the m.connect app.

Service 364a and 365a have been introduced to solely support the whisky festival for the duration, and run alongside existing m.connect service 366, which will also cover the weekend and bank holiday.

The on-demand service will operate in Speyside as normal (0630-2030hrs) on 1-3 May.

The on-demand service will pick up journeys not accommodated by the service routes and can be requested through the m.connect app, available in app stores, or the customer service line 0300 1234 565. The customer service line won’t be available over the weekend or on the May Day holiday, journeys should be booked through the app on these days.

Chair of Moray Council’s Economic Development and Infrastructure Services Committee, Cllr Marc Macrae, said: “This is new territory for the m.connect service and is exactly what the Moray Growth Deal is intended to do. Plugging rural transport gaps and supporting economic growth through partnerships like this with the Whisky Festival is a perfect example of where the Deal is working hard for the people of Moray. I look forward to seeing both the m.connect service and the Festival benefit from this sustainable transport option now available to those attending events across Speyside.”

George McNeil, Festival Chairman, added: “Being home to 51 operational distilleries, Speyside spans across a large and incredibly rural landscape, from the Cairngorms to the sea. Navigating this vast area and the fantastic events held during the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival has been a longstanding challenge.

“Thanks to our Transport Partner, Speyside Executive Hire, we have been able to collaborate with Moray Council's m.connect transport service. We are delighted that this collaboration will provide festival-goers with hassle-free transportation from hubs to distilleries and event locations, enhancing their overall festival experience.”

Hub options

Hub 1 – Marypark

Connects the 364a service to the 366 service, creating opportunity to travel from Tomintoul to Elgin and vice versa.

Hub 2 – Aberlour

Connects the 365a service to the 366 service, creating opportunity to travel from Keith to Dufftown / Tomintoul and onto Elgin and vice versa.

Hub 3 – Tomintoul

Connects the 365a to the 364a service, creating opportunity to travel from Keith / Dufftown to Tomintoul / Marypark and vice versa.