Three luxuriously specified Optare Soroco minicoaches have entered service with Timberbush Tours, the specialist Scottish tours company recently awarded five stars by Scotland’s national tourism agency, Visit Scotland.

The nine-year-old company operates from premises on the famous Royal Mile, just below Edinburgh Castle, as well as from George Square in Glasgow. They specialise in one, two and three day tours for independent travellers and small groups arriving in Scotland from all over the world. These can be booked through their website (www.timberbushtours.co.uk), over the counter at their offices, or through a network of agents. The Sorocos will also be used for corporate work for the growing number of blue chip companies that Timberbush have on their books.

Director Gary Voy ordered the 19-seat Sorocos after inspecting one at last year’s Bus and Coach Show at the NEC. “For this size of vehicle we’ve been using van conversions based on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter,” he says. “But when I saw that the Soroco was a fully coachbuilt minicoach I recognised at once that this offered the higher standard of luxury that would differentiate us in a crowded local market where standards are very high and competition is tough.

“We provide tours that are more personal, with smaller groups and using this size of vehicle means we can access those little gems of places off the beaten track that a larger vehicle wouldn’t be able to get to. The Soroco is ideal for this sort of work. It’s compact in size to cope with narrow roads and limited access, yet offers standards of comfort and space that you might more usually expect on a larger vehicle. Our customers appreciate that.”

This standard includes fully reclining Esteban Irati seats each with a three-point seat belt and leather insets to the head and arm rests. Air conditioning and a powerful heating system enable a pleasant temperature to be maintained whatever the outside conditions, which is important for tours that can run all the year round. Extensive use of soft trim to roof and side panels, heavy duty carpeting throughout, and tinted and double-glazed windows with full draw curtains, all contribute to a very quiet and luxurious feel inside the saloon.

For entertainment on the move there’s a comprehensive system that includes a radio with multi-change CD player and a DVD player. The Soroco’s luggage capacity is good too with the boot providing ample space, even for corporate golf trips! The large swing-type door also makes it easy to load and unload, which is a feature appreciated by Timberbush’s drivers.

“We’re very happy with our new Sorocos,” says Gary Voy. “They look stylish, are very comfortable, offer an excellent ride, and are pleasant to drive. Overall I’m sure that they will contribute significantly to our five star status and the standards of comfort which our customers have come to expect.

”We’re also pleased to be able to continue running vehicles based on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter chassis. We’re familiar with the running units and know that they are reliable and economical vehicles to operate. We’ll keep them for just two and a half years and are confident they’ll reward us with a good residual value when we move them on.”

The Soroco is fully coachbuilt on the well-proven Mercedes-Benz 515Cdi chassis by Optare’s Spanish partner, Ferqui. It is 7.3 metres in length and just 2.35 metres wide. The body meets R66 rollover requirements and other safety features include ABS and ASR brakes and an integral electric retarder.

For further information please contact:
Martin Hayes, Communications Advisor, +44 (0) 207 494 8050