When I first came across West Coast Motors, I was immediately struck by the similarity of its livery to that of Weardale Motor Services - notwithstanding the cream rather than white roof (a subtle difference given the tendency of white to discolour over time, at least on photographic material).
That similarity is reinforced by this fictional representation based on Heather Bell's FWY 498 laying over between workings on a service that subsequently passed to Weardale. As far as I can determine, West Coast didn't operate any Austins but I would like to think that this image captures the character of Scottish independent bus operators generally.
As for West Coast Motors, its excellent web site tells me that the name was first used in 1922 but the company's roots date back to 1916. Not only does it survive today but it seems to have gone from strength to strength over recent years. To quote the website: "Since the inception of the business West Coast Motors has remained privately owned by the Craig family and from modest beginnings in the early 1920s, the fleet has grown to an impressive total of 135 buses and coaches, five vans used for Post Office contracts and approximately 286 employees" (02-Nov-09).
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