In line with our goals to reduce this meeting's carbon footprint, we encourage delegates to use public transport to attend where reasonably possible.
Getting to Edinburgh
Rail: Edinburgh's main train station is Edinburgh Waverley. Waverley has good rail connections to the rest of the country. The station is in the middle of the city centre, right next to Princes Street, and there are numerous bus options connecting Waverley and Princes Street to the university and conference venues. Consult The Trainline and National Rail for route advice and ticket prices. For those unaware, railcard discounts of a 1/3rd on many train tickets are available for all those under 30 on purchase of a railcard, see Railcards for more details.
Coach: National Express, Megabus and Flixbus all run long-distance coach routes to Edinburgh from various locations. When making your booking, check the drop-off point and where your accommodation and venues are, to ensure you can get to where you need to be afterwards.
Air: Edinburgh Airport has daily flights to numerous cities across Europe. It is connected to the city centre via the tram and the bus. The 100 Airlink bus travels directly from the airport to the city centre (stops outside Waverly Station) and return tickets can be bought for £8. Additionally the tram is available which goes through the city centre and continues towards Newhaven. Taxis are also available from the airport. Links to airport transit services can be found here: buses, trams, taxis.
Car: We recommend walking or taking transit to the King's Buildings Campus whenever possible. If you do drive, visitors are able to buy parking permits from the university, but parking spaces on campus can be limited. Street parking around King's Buildings is available, but many streets have a priority parking scheme enforced so finding a spot nearby can be challenging. An important consideration when driving in Edinburgh are Low Emission Zones or LEZ's. The King's Buildings Campus is not located within a LEZ, however you may have to drive through one to get there. It is important to be aware of LEZ's and if your vehicle is compliant in order to avoid a penalty-charge.
Getting to the university
The University of Edinburgh is a city university and different departments are distributed around Edinburgh. The ProgPal conference will be taking place at the King's Building Campus which is located south of the city centre on West Mains Road. One of the best ways to get to the King's Buildings Campus is by bus. There is a bus stop inside the campus, and bus stops just outside it on West Mains Road and Mayfield Road. Additionally bus stops on the A701 near Cameron Toll shopping centre are a short walk away from King's Buildings. A link to travel options can be found here. We recommend downloading the Lothian Buses and Trams app to plan your journeys and receive regular updates on bus timings. Note: the university shuttle bus will not be in operation during the conference.
The main location for the conference is the Nucleus Building, which is located centrally in the King's Buildings campus. The simplest way to get to the event space is to enter through the South-Eastern entrance.
King's Buildings are located south of the city centre, with a reasonable decent and uphill climb between it and the city centre. The number 9 Lothian bus will drop you off directly onto campus, and many others will drop you off at nearby Cameron Toll, making travel to and from the city easy.
Accommodation
We recommend staying slightly outside the city centre, close to the University of Edinburgh King's Buildings to the south of the city, as this is where our department and conference will be based. There are several reasonably-priced accommodations close to the conference venues (see below). These options are easily accessible via the Lothian public bus system from the city centre, Waverley train station and the airport. AirBnBs are also available, but always check the distance from the venue and travel options before booking.
We strongly encourage all delegates to book their accommodation as soon as possible after they have successfully registered for the conference, to ensure that they find accommodation at a reasonable price and location.
Selected hotels and hostels with price per night:
Travelodge Cameron Toll: ~£185 per night, 10 minute walk to King's Buildings, across the street from Cameron Toll shopping centre
Travelodge Dreghorn: ~£112 per night, 45-60 minutes to King's Buildings by transit, 20 minutes by car
Pollock Halls: University-run accommodation, ~30 minutes walk to King's Buildings. Located close to Holyrood Park and Arthur's Seat. Delegates can contact reservations@ed.ac.uk to enquire, although no guarantees can be made regarding availability so please contact as soon as possible if you would like to book a room. A discount code will be available for individual bookings.
Staying outside the city: There are many buses and trains that connect Edinburgh to the surrounding cities and towns. There may be cheaper accommodation in places like Rosyth, Dalkeith, or Bonnyrigg, but be aware that these places may come with increased travel time. Ensure you are aware of your transit options before booking in these locations.