Visiting Edinburgh
Edinburgh is a historic capital city with an international airport and excellent rail and road infrastructure, making it easily accessible for international and UK conference delegates.
Edinburgh has a medieval Old Town and Georgian New Town, which is a World Heritage site. A compact city, most parts of city centre are in easy walking distance from the conference venue.
For attendees wanting to stay longer, you can head out of the city to explore what Scotland has to offer, from mountains, castles, beautiful beaches, whisky distilleries, and even a trip to find the famous Loch Ness Monster! All within an easy day trip from the city of Edinburgh.
edinburgh.org
Tourist Information
introducingedinburgh.com
Travel Guide for Edinburgh
edinburghtourist.co.uk
Tourist Information
As a major international tourist destination there is a wealth of activities and places to visit.
Walk through history from the ancient Edinburgh Castle down the Royal Mile to Holyrood Palace and the modern Scottish Parliament.
You can visit the historic Greyfriars Churchyard, where Greyfriars Bobby watched over his master’s grave, and stroke the nose of Bobby’s statue for good luck.
Standing on Castle Rock in the centre of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Castle is an ancient castle and the most popular tourist destination in Edinburgh.
This is the King’s official residence in Scotland. Visit the tower of royal apartments used by Mary Queen of Scots.
Established in 1670 by two doctors who studied medicinal plants, the gardens have maintained their world-leading place in current plant science, conservation and biodiversity and include 10,000 plant species.
The National Museum of Scotland is close to the University and with over 10,000 exhibits charts Scottish history from ancient times, through the reign of Mary Queen of Scots and up to the present day.
This Gallery sits on Princess Street in the centre of Edinburgh and houses a fabulous collection of fine art from the Renaissance Period to Post-Impressionism.
Holyrood Park is the largest green space in the Centre of Edinburgh and next to the conference venue. It includes Arthur’s Seat a 251m extinct volcano with panoramic views of Edinburgh city, The Salisbury Crags, and the beautiful Duddingston Loch.
Getting to the Conference
Edinburgh buses on regular city routes operate a contactless card payment system, making it easy for you to get on any bus without the hassle of ticket machines. There are excellent links to the Conference Centre and live bus routes are available on Google Maps / iOS.
From the Airport:
There are a number of of buses you can take from the airport, however the easiest option is to take the Airlink 100 or the Edinburgh Airport Express. Both these buses take approximately 30 minutes to reach the city centre. Here you will need to change to a second bus.
From here it is best to put Pollock Halls in Maps and follow the recommended bus route as we don’t know what time you are arriving and routes may not be running on that day or time.
Some common routes include:
- Exit at Haymarket Station (Stop HB) and board the #2 bus at Haymarket Station (Stop HA), exiting at Commonwealth Pool which is next to the conference centre (the #909 bus from the airport will also take you to Haymarket).
- Exit at Shandwick Place (Stop SC) and board the #3, #31 or #33 bus at Shandwick Place (Stop SA) to Newington Road. This stop is a 9 minute walk to Pollock Halls.
- Take the Newhaven Tram line from the airport and exit at Princes Street. Then take the #30 bus from Princes Street (Stop PH) going to Commonwealth Pool.
Alternatively, any Edinburgh taxi company or Uber will be able to take you to the door of Pollock Halls, or your chosen accommodation.
You can find more information on the airport connections here.
From the Train Station:
Arriving by train means you arrive right into the heart of the city. A number of buses will bring you to the conference centre. The #30 will take you to Commonwealth Pool which is the closest bus stop. The Pollock Halls accommodation is only a few minutes walk from here.
The #14 will take you to Lutton Place, approximately 7 minutes from Pollock Halls. Keep walking the direction you were travelling and you will soon see the Commonwealth Pool on your left.
Many buses will stop at Newington Road, which is approximately 9 minutes to Pollock Halls. These include: #3, #8, #29, #7, #31, #37. If you exit at Newington Road coming from the station or airport direction, walk back to the junction and turn right at the Southpour bar. Turn right again on to Dalkeith Road and you will see the Commonwealth Pool on your left.
By Car:
If you are driving, there are limited parking spaces on site. If you are unable to acquire a parking space on site, we would recommend you drop your belongings at your accommodation and then drive to park. Edinburgh has parking restrictions, the closest free street parking is on West Savile Terrace – this can be up to a 30 minute walk from site. Generally roads this distance away are free street parking, but always check the signs on the same side of the road as you park. There are a number of paid parking lots however be aware these can be more expensive than parking on the street and ordering a taxi if you wish to avoid walking.
The image below illustrates the location of the Commonwealth Pool in relation to the Conference Centre, Pollock Halls and the other accommodation options we have recommended.
