EAST COAST BUSES LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
SC208702 · ltd · incorporated 2000-06-30
Investment thesis
Zombie company — trading but stalled; unlikely mover.
Why interesting: Quiet, steady; could be a succession or carve-out candidate with the right conversation.
Why risky: No growth signal; thin margin for error on price.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
not disclosed
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
74/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 49390
Sector: Transportation & storage
Investor take
PursueStrong opportunity: active trading company with strong profile and bankable structure.
Opportunity 74/100 (strong), bankability 75/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Broaden director team. Sole director creates succession risk and reduces buyer comfort. Appoint a second director or strong #2. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (58/100).
Data confidence
Overall: medium (58/100)Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.
Company profile
address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
No iXBRL financials extracted
0
Lenders & charges
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
16 officers (2 active, 16 linked, 9 with DOB)
81
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
10 connected companies via shared directors
75
Filing history
87 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
74/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
55
Some acquirability indicators.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
90
Good data coverage for analysis.
Recent activity
Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
0
filings
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (48 events)Click to expand
- 2025-07-08📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2025-03-21📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2025-01-21📄appoint-corporate-secretary-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP04
- 2025-01-06➕BURNESS PAULL LLP appointedcorporate-secretary
- 2024-06-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-06-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-08-26📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2022-08-12➖SERAFINI, Nigel Murray resigneddirector
- 2022-08-10📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-06-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-06-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-04-02📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2020-03-31➖HALL, Richard John resigneddirector
- 2019-06-11📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-02-15📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2019-02-15📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2018-10-08➖MOORHOUSE, Graham Alan resignedsecretary
- 2018-10-08➖MOORHOUSE, Graham Alan resigneddirector
- 2018-07-02📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2018-06-29➕MOORHOUSE, Graham Alan appointeddirector
- 2018-06-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-05-17➖COTTON, Roger resignedsecretary
- 2018-05-17➕MOORHOUSE, Graham Alan appointedsecretary
- 2018-05-17📄appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP03
- 2018-05-17📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2017-06-05➕COTTON, Roger appointedsecretary
- 2017-01-31➖STRACHAN, Norman James resignedsecretary
- 2016-11-25➕BOYD, Sarah Jean appointeddirector
- 2016-11-25➕SERAFINI, Nigel Murray appointeddirector
- 2016-11-25➖STRACHAN, Norman James resigneddirector
- 2016-05-01➕HALL, Richard John appointeddirector
- 2016-01-31➖CRAIG, William Ian Gold resigneddirector
- 2008-11-10➕CRAIG, William Ian Gold appointeddirector
- 2008-11-10➖RENILSON, Neil John resigneddirector
- 2001-09-18➕STRACHAN, Norman James appointedsecretary
- 2001-09-18➖BRODIES SECRETARIAL SERVICES LIMITED resignedcorporate-secretary
- 2001-09-18➕RENILSON, Neil John appointeddirector
- 2001-09-18➕STRACHAN, Norman James appointeddirector
- 2001-09-18➖ATHOLL INCORPORATIONS LIMITED resignedcorporate-director
- 2000-10-25➕BRODIES SECRETARIAL SERVICES LIMITED appointedcorporate-secretary
- 2000-10-25➖BRODIES WS resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2000-10-25➖CAMPBELL, Alistair Carnegie resignednominee-director
- 2000-10-25➖VOGE, Julian Cecil Arthur resignednominee-director
- 2000-10-25➕ATHOLL INCORPORATIONS LIMITED appointedcorporate-director
- 2000-06-30🏢Company incorporatedAs EAST COAST BUSES LIMITED
- 2000-06-30➕BRODIES WS appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2000-06-30➕CAMPBELL, Alistair Carnegie appointednominee-director
- 2000-06-30➕VOGE, Julian Cecil Arthur appointednominee-director
Owner dependency
75/100
High — earn-out structure requiredMaterial founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.
FACTORS
- +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
Succession & seller-readiness
45/100
Moderate signalSome succession indicators present. Worth watching; approach if sector/strategy fits.
SIGNALS
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
Red flags
cleanNo red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)
Group structure
Lothian Buses Limited is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.
🏛️ultimate parent
Lothian Buses Limited
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares
⬇
EAST COAST BUSES LIMITED
This company · SC208702
Parent relationships inferred from Persons with Significant Control filings. Full subsidiary tree requires reverse-lookup (coming).
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Lothian Buses Limited Corporate entity | 75–100% | — | 75-100% shares | 06/04/2016 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
🔒Co-director network graph
Radial SVG graph showing every company connected via shared directors, colour-coded by status.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Similar companies
Active · Transport & logistics · EH postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CEC 2013 LIMITED→ SC219797 · est 2001 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 24y | — | — |
| CENTRAL EXECUTIVE HIRE LTD→ SC857851 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| CRAIGBRIDGE LIMITED→ SC203027 · est 2000 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 26y | — | — |
| CRAIGPORT LIMITED→ SC222003 · est 2001 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 24y | — | — |
| DANIEL’S DIRECT DELIVERIES LTD→ SC869867 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| DINU MIHAI POPA LTD→ SC854485 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| DROBIAZG LTD→ SC829424 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| EAGLE TRANSFER TAXI LIMITED→ SC754750 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| EAST LOTHIAN SEA FISHING LTD→ SC371381 · est 2010 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 16y | — | — |
| EAST LOTHIAN TAXIS LTD→ SC688323 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| EDIN 454 LTD.→ SC525285 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 10y | — | — |
| EDINAIR LIMITED→ SC190003 · est 1998 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 27y | — | — |
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions
7 specific questions generated from this company's actual signals — liquidity, leverage, director age, charge count, red flags, age-of-company.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →🔒Advanced scoring suite
Exit-route ranking, improvement thesis, quiet-distress detector, covenant-pressure proxy, extraction monitor, approaching triggers, ownership drift, local cluster, value trap, debt capacity, archetype classification — 48+ scoring modules.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Company details
Statusactive
Typeltd
Incorporated2000-06-30
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC49390 — SIC 49390
Registered office
55 Annandale Street
Edinburgh
Midlothian
EH7 4AZ
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-09-30
Last made up to: 2024-12-28
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-10-09
Last: 2025-09-25
Officers (2 active · 14 resigned)
BURNESS PAULL LLP→
Activecorporate-secretary · appointed 2025-01-06
View their other companies + combined net worth →
BOYD, Sarah Jean→
Activedirector · ~46y · appointed 2016-11-25
View their other companies + combined net worth →
COTTON, Roger→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2017-06-05 · resigned 2018-05-17
MOORHOUSE, Graham Alan→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2018-05-17 · resigned 2018-10-08
STRACHAN, Norman James→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2001-09-18 · resigned 2017-01-31
BRODIES SECRETARIAL SERVICES LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-secretary · appointed 2000-10-25 · resigned 2001-09-18
BRODIES WS→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2000-06-30 · resigned 2000-10-25
CAMPBELL, Alistair Carnegie→
Resignednominee-director · ~72y · appointed 2000-06-30 · resigned 2000-10-25
CRAIG, William Ian Gold→
Resigneddirector · ~57y · appointed 2008-11-10 · resigned 2016-01-31
HALL, Richard John→
Resigneddirector · ~55y · appointed 2016-05-01 · resigned 2020-03-31
MOORHOUSE, Graham Alan→
Resigneddirector · ~54y · appointed 2018-06-29 · resigned 2018-10-08
RENILSON, Neil John→
Resigneddirector · ~71y · appointed 2001-09-18 · resigned 2008-11-10
SERAFINI, Nigel Murray→
Resigneddirector · ~66y · appointed 2016-11-25 · resigned 2022-08-12
STRACHAN, Norman James→
Resigneddirector · ~65y · appointed 2001-09-18 · resigned 2016-11-25
VOGE, Julian Cecil Arthur→
Resignednominee-director · ~68y · appointed 2000-06-30 · resigned 2000-10-25
ATHOLL INCORPORATIONS LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-director · appointed 2000-10-25 · resigned 2001-09-18
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Recent filings (87 total)
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-10-03
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2025-07-08
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2025-03-21
appoint-corporate-secretary-company-with-name-date
officers · AP04
2025-01-21
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-10-09
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2024-06-28
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-09-29
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2023-06-28
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-10-07
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2022-08-26
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2022-08-10
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-09-27
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2021-06-25
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-10-08
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2020-06-30