Venue details
The meeting will be held in the St Trinnean's Room of St Leonard's Hall, part of the University of Edinburgh's Pollock Halls complex. Click here to see its location on Google Maps.
Pollock Halls can be easily reached by bus number 2, 14, 30, or 33. Get off at the Royal Commonwealth Pool. You can pay with a contactless credit/debit card.
For a precise and real-time bus/tram schedule, use the Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams app or the Lothian Buses website. The Citymapper app is also great for finding your way around on transit, bike, or foot.
Accommodation
Please note that Edinburgh may be busy at the time of the workshop. Please make sure to book accommodation well ahead of time.
On-site
The Pollock Halls complex includes two hotels, as well as student accommodation that's available over the summer. These can all be booked through the university's online booking service https://www.uoecollection.com: use the promotion code EVENT to get 15% off.
- The Scott hotel
- The Scholar hotel
- The Residences 2* dorm
- Chancellors Court 3* dorm
- Holland House 3* dorm
Other university accommodation
The KM Central and serviced apartments at Richmond Place, 15 minutes walk away towards the city, are also bookable through https://www.uoecollection.com: use the promotion code EVENT to get 15% off.
Budget
- Travelodge Cameron Toll, 43 Craigmillar Park, EH16 5PD, 0871 984 6458
Mid-range
- Ten Hill Place Hotel, 10 Hill Place, Edinburgh EH8 9DS, 0131 662 2080
- Apex Grassmarket Hotel, 31-35 Grassmarket, Edinburgh EH1 2HS, 0131 300 3456
- Hotel Ibis Edinburgh, 6 Hunter Square, Edinburgh EH1 1QW, 0131 240 7000
- Ibis Edinburgh Centre South Bridge, 77 South Bridge, EH1 1HN, 0131 292 0000
- Jurys Inn Edinburgh, 43 Jeffrey Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1DH, 0131 200 3300
- The Bruntsfield, 69 Bruntsfield Pl, EH10 4HH, 0131 229 1393
- Premier Inn Royal Mile, 33 East Market Street, EH8 8FR
Fancy
- Carlton Hotel North Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1SD, 0131 472 3000
- Hotel du Vin,11 Bristo Pl, EH1 1EZ, 0131 285 1479
- MacDonald Holyrood Hotel, 81 Holyrood Road, Edinburgh EH8 8AU, 0131 550 4500
- The Scotsman Hotel, 20 North Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1YT, 0131 556 5565
- Motel One, 18-21 Market Street, EH1 1BL, 0131 220 0730
Bed and breakfast
There are lots and lots of bed and breakfasts in the area. Here are some recommended by colleagues:
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Glendale Guest House (Duncan), 5 Lady Road, Edinburgh EH16 5PA
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Kildonan Lodge Hotel (Chrystal, Sean), 27 Craigmillar Park, Edinburgh EH16 5PE
Travel to Edinburgh
- By air: Edinburgh has an international airport https://www.edinburghairport.com which is well connected to various major European airports. To get to the city centre from the airport, take bus 100 (Airlink) or the tram.
- By train: The main train station is Edinburgh Waverly in the city centre. To get to the venue from there, take bus 30 or 33 from Princes Street stop PH outside a shop called "The Works".
Up-to-date Covid rules including potential travel restrictions can be found on https://www.gov.scot/coronavirus-covid-19/ . Note that rules in Scotland may differ from rules elsewhere in the UK.
Visa
Entry/visa requirements for the UK can be checked on https://www.gov.uk/uk-border-control. If you require an invitation letter for a visa application please email Cheryl.
Weird UK and Scottish quirks
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Phones: The international dialling code for the UK is +44 and you should leave the 0 off the front of phone numbers when using it (so +44 131 220 0730 for Motel One).
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Electricity: The UK uses weird electrical plugs. I will try and have some converters and power splitters around.
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Money: Scotland uses UK currency (GBP) BUT three Scottish banks print their own banknotes, each with their own design. So don't be surprised if the money looks unfamiliar. You can also spend English money in Scotland. The coins are the same as the rest of the UK.
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Crossing the road: Please remember we drive on the left!
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Fashion: All men wear kilts at all times in Scotland.
- Weather: Edinburgh's weather changes rapidly and it's not uncommon to experience all four seasons in a day. I would recommend wearing layers, and bring something waterproof just in case. It's also very often windy, so be careful if using an umbrella.
