Mercedes Tourismo
Full-size coach, blue
| Seats | 53 |
|---|---|
| Typical use | Large groups, tours, long days out |
Glasgow · Scotland
Coach and minibus hire with driver across Scotland
Ritaat Coaches is a coach and minibus hire company with drivers, based in Glasgow, Scotland. We run two coaches and a minibus of our own, partner operators supply larger groups, and your written quote names the vehicle. Trips run across Scotland, the UK, Ireland and continental Europe.
Our own vehicles
- Mercedes TourismoFull-size coach, blue, 53 seats
Volvo B8RFull-size coach, silver, 38 seats
Mercedes SprinterMinibus, silver, 16 seats
Larger groups travel with partner operators. Partner vehicles are never listed as ours.
What Ritaat Coaches does
We provide private coach hire and minibus hire with a driver for groups travelling in Glasgow, across Scotland and the whole UK, with long-distance trips to London, Ireland and Paris. We also carry visiting international tour groups. You book the whole vehicle for your group and your route, not seats on a scheduled bus. We don’t offer self-drive hire.
Coach hire in Glasgow
Full-size coaches with a driver for trips that start in and around the city.Minibus hire in Glasgow with a driver
Our Mercedes Sprinter for smaller groups with luggage.Areas we cover
Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, East Dunbartonshire, Edinburgh and the Scottish airports.Private tours from Glasgow
Your group, your itinerary, with a coach and driver for the day.Edinburgh Christmas market trips from Glasgow
Your own coach or minibus to the market, 14 November 2026 to 3 January 2027.
Where we go in Scotland, and how long it takes
Most trips start in Glasgow city centre, or anywhere you ask. Beyond Scotland we cover the whole UK, including London, plus Ireland and Paris. Ferry crossings are charged at cost and shown on the quote. The table below covers Scottish destinations. These are road distances and car-speed drive times from Glasgow city centre with no traffic. A coach is slower than a car, and rush hour adds time, so we build the real timing into your quote.
| Destination | Road distance from Glasgow | Drive time (no traffic) | Typical trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glasgow Airport (GLA) | about 10 miles | about 17 minutes | Group airport transfers |
| Glasgow Prestwick Airport | about 33 miles | about 50 minutes | Airport runs, golf in Ayrshire |
| Edinburgh city centre | about 47 miles | about 1 hour | Glasgow to Edinburgh day trips |
| Edinburgh Airport | about 40 miles | about 50 minutes | Airport runs |
| Stirling | about 26 miles | about 35 minutes | Castle, school trips |
| Balloch, Loch Lomond | about 25 miles | about 35 minutes | Day trips, cruise shore days |
| Ayr | about 37 miles | about 50 minutes | Coast and golf |
| St Andrews | about 74 miles | about 1 hour 45 minutes | Golf, university visits |
| Dundee | about 81 miles | about 1 hour 35 minutes | Day trips, sport |
| Oban | about 97 miles | about 2 hours 15 minutes | West Highland day out |
| Fort William and Glencoe | about 92 to 108 miles | about 2 to 2.5 hours | Highland tours |
| Aberdeen | about 145 miles | about 2 hours 50 minutes | Long day or overnight |
| Inverness and Loch Ness | about 169 miles to Inverness | about 3.5 hours | Long day or two days |
Long days are planned around drivers’ hours. Under the assimilated rules on GOV.UK, a coach driver may drive up to 9 hours a day (10 hours twice a week) with a 45-minute break after 4.5 hours, and must have 11 hours’ rest a day, which can be cut to 9 hours up to three times between weekly rests. A long Highland day can therefore need a second driver or an overnight stop, and the quote says so.
Our own vehicles
Three vehicles we own and run from Glasgow, each hired with a driver.
Volvo B8R
Full-size coach, silver
| Seats | 38 |
|---|---|
| Typical use | School and sports trips, corporate shuttles |
Mercedes Sprinter
Minibus, silver
| Seats | 16 |
|---|---|
| Typical use | Small groups, airport runs, weddings, funerals |
Photos and details are on the fleet page. They show our real vehicles, not stock images.
Larger groups and extra vehicles
Larger groups and extra vehicles are supplied through a partner operator, and your written quote says which vehicle you get. You still have one quote, one booking and one contact, so we can quote for several coaches for one event. We do not offer large or double-deck vehicles.
Who we carry
Airport travellers
Flight times, luggage, meeting pointSchools, colleges, universities
Operator licence, seatbelts on our own vehiclesWeddings
Guest shuttles and late returnsCompanies and conferences
Hotel loops, SEC shuttlesSports teams and supporters
Match-day routing, kit and bagsMosque, madrasah, church and charity groups
Prayer stops, day trips, Eid outingsUmrah and Hajj groups
Airport runs with heavy luggageFamilies at a funeral or janazah
Mourners to the prayer and burialCruise passengers at Greenock
Shore trips and terminal transfersGolf groups
Players and bags to the course
All services: group transport services.
How booking works
Tell us the trip
Send the date, times, pick-up and drop-off points, passengers and luggage.
Get a written quote
We reply within an hour, naming the vehicle and listing what is included and what is charged separately.
Confirm
A 50% deposit books the trip. The balance is due 7 days before departure.
Travel
Before the day you receive the driver’s details and the vehicle registration. Then you travel with your driver.
What coach hire costs
Every trip is quoted individually. The price depends on the vehicle size, the hours including driver waiting time, the distance, the date, and extras such as parking or a driver’s overnight stay. Saturdays and December dates fill first, so book early. Typical ranges and a worked example are on our coach and minibus hire prices page.
Questions about coach hire with Ritaat Coaches
Journey times: by car with no traffic, Edinburgh is about an hour from Glasgow, Stirling about 35 minutes and Inverness about 3.5 hours; the table above has more. Drop-off and parking in Edinburgh: Glasgow to Edinburgh by coach.
Do you provide coach hire with a driver across Scotland?
Yes. Trips usually start in Glasgow city centre or wherever you ask, and can go anywhere in Scotland, including Edinburgh, Stirling, the Highlands and the airports. We also cover the whole UK and run long-distance trips to London, Ireland and Paris. Every hire includes the driver. Longer trips are quoted individually.
What vehicles do you own?
We own a blue Mercedes Tourismo coach, a silver Volvo B8R coach and a silver Mercedes Sprinter minibus. The Tourismo seats 53, the Volvo B8R 38 and the Sprinter 16. Photos and details are on our fleet page.
Can you take groups larger than your own vehicles?
Yes. Larger groups and extra vehicles are supplied through a partner operator, and your written quote says which vehicle you get. You keep one quote, one booking and one contact.
How do I get a quote?
Use the online quote form, send a WhatsApp message to 07508 853204 or call [CONFIRM: phone]. Tell us the date, route, times, number of passengers and luggage, and we reply within an hour.
Self-drive hire? No, every hire comes with a driver; see the FAQ.
Who is Ritaat Coaches, and is it licensed? See about Ritaat Coaches.
Plan your trip
Sources (5)
- Companies House, RITAAT AL HAYAT COACH LTD (SC827704): https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/SC827704
- GOV.UK, find vehicle operators: https://www.gov.uk/find-vehicle-operators
- GOV.UK, drivers’ hours for buses and coaches (assimilated rules): https://www.gov.uk/guidance/drivers-hours-passenger-vehicles/1-assimilated-and-aetr-rules-on-drivers-hours
- OSRM routing engine (road distances and car-speed times, run 2026-10-25): https://router.project-osrm.org/
- Route Calculator, Glasgow to Edinburgh (46.6 miles): https://routecalculator.co.uk/distance/Glasgow/Edinburgh