The route dated back to the 1930s, at which time it was numbered 298 and operated by W. Alexander & Sons between Buchanan bus station, Glasgow, and St Andrews.
[1] However, some Glasgow to St Andrews journeys continued to operate on Friday and Saturday evenings primarily for the benefit of university students.
Through privatisation of British bus services and subsequent ownership changes, the route was acquired by Fife Scottish, part of the Stagecoach group.
[8] Residents in Gateside have complained about the loss of bus services to St Andrews.
Today, the X24 service from Glasgow to St Andrews is significantly quicker than the number 23.