Scottish Citylink operates an extensive network of long-distance express services within Scotland, operating 19 routes linking the cities of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dundee, Stirling and Inverness, as well as linking some rural Highland communities to the main urban areas of Scotland.

[2] Services also operate to Northern Ireland, with a connection via the ferry link between Cairnryan and Belfast, and there are seasonal workings to Blackpool.

In all, over 200 destinations are served by Scottish Citylink within Scotland, using about 90 coaches provided by operators local to the 'destination' area, carrying over three million passengers annually.

Despite the extent of Citylink's operations in Scotland, there are notable geographical regions, including large urban areas, that have poor or no connections with the network.

These tend to be areas served by subsidiaries of Stagecoach, which operate their own comprehensive network, to destinations such as Ayrshire (Kilmarnock, Ayr and Irvine), Fife (Kirkcaldy, Dunfermline and St Andrews), Aberdeenshire and Moray.

With the main hubs in Glasgow and Edinburgh, many services to the Highlands and Islands were in some cases vital to rural areas as the only public transport link available.

Also seen using a Citylink livery but with the distinctive Ulsterman lettering, Ulsterbus provided coaches for services between Derry or Belfast to Birmingham and London via towns in Dumfries and Galloway.

The route has since been rebranded to the yellow-blue Citylink livery (although without the "Scottish" prefix) and has expanded to provide services from Galway to Shannon.

[10][11] Following Stagecoach's takeover by a DWS-managed investment fund, it agreed to sell its Megabus retail platform and customer service business as well as the Falcon South-West brand running between Plymouth and Bristol Airport to Scottish Citylink.

[12] As part of an original plan to merge with rival intercity coach operator National Express, Stagecoach had agreed to sell its shareholding to ComfortDelGro to satisfy Competition & Markets Authority demands, however this deal fell through.

In September 2005 ComfortDelGro and Stagecoach agreed to a joint venture to provide express coach services in Scotland, ending the competition between the two operators.

Under the terms of the agreement, Stagecoach gained a 35% shareholding in Scottish Citylink and in return granted certain rights to the Megabus and Motorvator brands in Scotland.

[16] Stagecoach immediately criticised the ruling, stating that a period of further consultation would cause uncertainty among passengers and leave vital services in limbo, while jeopardising Scotland's intercity coach network and its ability to compete with both train and car[17] Criticism of the Competition Commission's draft findings grew in Scotland and the joint venture received support from across the political spectrum in the Scottish Parliament[18] In early 2008, certain routes, which were at the time already contacted out to Park's, were divested to comply with the ruling.

The company introduced six brand new DAF-powered Irizar i6s tri-axle coaches on routes to Fort William, Skye, and Campbeltown.