Pigs might fly but a bus with wings seems a bit far-fetched. However, from this Saturday, 12th April the brand new Osprey Bus will be in operation. This means that every weekend and every day throughout the summer holidays you can migrate right around Bassenthwaite Lake, hopping on and off as you please. No binoculars needed to spot its livery depicting our famous birds. Starting at Keswick the bus visits Whinlatter Forest with the live CCTV camera on the osprey nest. It then travels on to Thornthwaite Gallery, visits Dubwath, for the newly opened wetland Reserve, then Trotters World of Animals, Castle Inn, Mire House and the Dodd Wood Osprey View Point – all without using your car.

An all day Osprey Rider Ticket costs Adult £4.00, Child £3.00 and if you are a senior citizen, you can use your free bus pass. For the really green and fit there are a couple of bicycle racks.

If you want to jump buses en route the No 77 Honister rambler runs every day from Keswick, linking with the Osprey Bus at Whinlatter to fly out to Lorton, Buttermere, Honister and Borrowdale. Another link you could make use of is the X4 service that passes Mire House/ Dodd Wood. With all these options there’s no excuse not to give it a go and take the hassle out of driving, as well as saving petrol, and causing less pollution and congestion. Have a look at our ‘Travelling and Parking’ page for more details of routes and times and then spread your wings and design your own Adventure by Osprey Bus.

(PS No real ospreys sighted today)