After a stillborn attempt in 1995 to purchase KCB, Stagecoach settled for a 20% stake in competitor Strathclyde Buses who purchased KCB, the present Stagecoach Glasgow operations were launched in 1997, after Strathclyde Buses sold to FirstGroup, and offered fast, direct and frequent services from Glasgow City Centre to Easterhouse, Castlemilk, Pollok, Darnley, East Kilbride and Cumbernauld.

The Pollok and Darnley routes were express services which made good use of the new M77 motorway in the area and used new low floor vehicles.

[5] Dart Buses ran into financial trouble early in the new millennium and without notice ceased operations overnight in October 2001.

The East Kilbride services were soon withdrawn, some regarding the timetabling of it as optimistic, and the remaining operations were rebranded as the "no-frills" Magic Bus with rock bottom fares and older vehicles.

In July 2004, Stagecoach announced the acquisition of the M8 Motorvator Glasgow to Edinburgh express service from Lanarkshire firm, Longs Coaches.

Both companies offered fast, frequent and affordable express services along the M8 motorway corridor between the two Scottish cities, a situation that continued until 13 September 2005.

On that date, Stagecoach and Citylink parent company ComfortDelGro announced a joint venture in the provision of express coach services in Scotland.

The company also provide vehicles for Scottish Citylink express work, mainly on the Glasgow to Edinburgh corridor, and also for Megabus, mainly running from Aberdeen to London.

Minor competition exists from Shuttle Buses between Kilwinning and Kilmarnock (including local operation in Irvine) and McGill's Bus Services in Largs.

[11] Stagecoach West Scotland has depots in Brodick(Isle of Arran), Ardrossan, Kilmarnock, Ayr, Cumbernauld, Stranraer and Dumfries.