CRAVEN residents will find it easier to get around the Yorkshire Dales by bus this summer.

Sunday DalesBus services into and around the Yorkshire Dales National Park will be increasing for the summer season, starting this May Day Bank Holiday weekend.

Buses will run mainly hourly throughout the day between Skipton and Malham every Sunday and Bank Holiday over the summer from this weekend.

An increased timetable is being introduced on Cravenlink services 864 and 866, with buses leaving Skipton Bus Station at 9.50am, 10.50am, 11.50am, 12.50pm, 2.50pm, 3.50pm and 4.50pm, returning from Malham Buck Inn at 10.40am, 11.40am, 12.40pm, 2.40pm, 3.40pm, 4.40pm and 5.30pm.

All buses will now stop opposite the Buck Inn in Malham village, and will no longer stop in the National Park car park which is often very congested.

The summer timetable is also being introduced on Lonsdale Buses services 75 and 580 between Skipton and Malham/Settle on Saturdays from May 4.

As usual for the summer, service 75 from Skipton to Malham will be extended via Malham Tarn to Settle. Buses will leave from Skipton at 9.45am and 2.30pm, and from Settle at 11.35am and 3.55pm.

On service 580 between Skipton and Settle the buses at 11.45am from Skipton to Settle and 12.30pm from Settle to Skipton will no longer run on Saturdays.

Access from Skipton and Settle to Wensleydale and Swaledale in the Yorkshire Dales National Park is improved with the launch of Northern DalesBus 830 from Ribblehead Station to Hawes (for Wensleydale Creamery and Dales Countryside Museum), Muker, Reeth, Grinton and Richmond.

The bus will leave Ribblehead Station at 10.45am every Sunday until October 20, connecting with the train at 9.57am from Skipton and 10.19am from Settle.

The bus returns from Richmond at 4.45pm, Reeth at 5.10pm, Muker at 5.42pm and Hawes at 6.10pm, arriving at Ribblehead Station in good time for the 6.50pm train back to Settle and Skipton.

The national cap on bus fares applies to all these services, so the single fare for any journey is just £2 (£1 for under 19s).

Full details are available online at dalesbus.org and in timetable leaflets available from the libraries, visitor information centres and railway stations in Skipton and Settle.