Arrival by plane
Edinburgh has an international airport (link is external)(EDI) which is about 12 km away from the city centre. There are Airlink express buses (link is external) every 10 minutes (£7.50 return trip, service between 4am and midnight) and a tram connection (link is external) every 10 minutes (£8.50 return trip, service between 6am and 11pm) between the airport and the city centre. The nightbus N22 operates between midnight and 4am. Bus 35 requires about one hour from the airport to the city centre but is cheaper (£1.60 single trip), while a taxi from the airport to Pollock Halls should cost about £20.
Glasgow airport (link is external) is also a short distance away and has a number of useful connections.
Arrival by train
Edinburgh's main station is Waverley (link is external). It serves several train lines, connecting to most of the major UK cities. The fastest EastCoast trains take less than 4.5 hours between London and Edinburgh, which is a 630 km trip. Waverley is about a mile and a half from Pollock Halls: taxis are available at the station, while Lothian Buses (link is external)services 14, 30 and 33 from North Bridge (just above Waverley Station) stop at the Royal Commonwealth Pool, next to Pollock Halls. (N.B. bus drivers do not give change, so the exact fare must be paid)
Arrival by car
Edinburgh is well connected to the rest of the UK by several motorways. Popular route planners can be found on the AA (link is external) and RAC (link is external) web pages.
Visa Information
General information regarding the requirements for entry to the UK may be found on the UK Border Agency website:
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visitingtheuk/ (link is external)
It must be noted that the UK is not part of the Schengen agreement, hence Schengen visas will not be accepted by passport control.
Attendees can find out if a visa is required by following the link below:
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/do-you-need-a-visa/ (link is external)
An online application for a visa can be made on the UK Border Agency website:
https://apply.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/iapply.portal (link is external)
Visitors attending conferences are classed as business visitors:
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visitingtheuk/businessandspecialvisitors/businessvisitors/ (link is external)
Visa Help
If you require a letter of invitation for visa purposes, please contact Lyndsey Ballantyne (l.ballantyne@ed.ac.uk (link sends e-mail)) with the following details:
- your name exactly as it appears on your passport
- the postal address of your current home institution