Venue
The conference is being held in the Dugald Stewart Building, 3 Charles Street, postcode EH8 9AD, rooms 3.10/3.11.
Conference schedule
The conference schedule is all day on Thursday 11 January, and half a day on Friday 12 January, so in most cases you will require accommodation for two nights. We will have our conference dinner on Thursday 11 January.
Transport
Edinburgh is well connected through Edinburgh Airport and the UK rail system, and the university’s central area is easily accessible, on the edge of Edinburgh’s remarkable Old Town, a few minutes’ walk from the Royal Mile. Edinburgh is the ancient capital of Scotland, and its Old Town and (18th century) New Town form a large UNESCO World Heritage Site. The University is easily accessible from anywhere in the city, and is within walking distance of the train station and all the city centre shops and restaurants.
For most people, travelling to the Conference will involve either flying into or getting the train to Edinburgh and then either walking or getting a bus or a taxi to the conference venue. It’s easy to get into the city centre from Edinburgh airport: use the number 100 Airlink bus which leaves every few minutes and which drops you off next to the main train station (this is the last stop on the bus journey). This station (called Waverley Station) is where most intercity trains terminate, too. Another option is the Edinburgh Trams.
Waverley station is a good orientation point – it’s situated right in the centre of the city, between the New Town and the Old Town, just next to Princes Street (Princes Street is the main central shopping street in Edinburgh), and there are normally lots of taxis available at the station (if you want to take a taxi to the conference venue, ask them to take to the Informatics Forum at the University). It’s about 15 minutes’ walk from the station to the University. You need to head south: walk up from the station into the Old Town along Cockburn Street and then up the Royal Mile and along George IV Bridge.
Accommodation
If you need to book accommodation for the conference, the university has rooms at the recently renovated KM Central (formerly the Kenneth Mackenzie Suite) or Richmond Apartments. The university also has some other types of accommodation at other nearby locations, which may also be worth investigating.
For hotel accommodation, there is plenty of accommodation nearby, including three Ibis Hotels. The newest, and also closest one is on 77 South Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1HN, 5 minutes walk away, but there is a second one another 5 minutes further on, on 6 Hunter Square, Edinburgh EH1 1QW. There is a third one in New Town, on 19 St Andrew Square, Edinburgh EH2 1AU, some 20 minutes walk from the conference venue. These are all three star.
Other hotels are The Grassmarket Hotel (may be a bit loud – the Grassmarket is a popular drinking area -, but seems quite cheap, and is 10 minutes’ walk from the conference venue); Jurys Inn (15 mins’ walk); Royal British Hotel (20 mins’ walk); Ten Hill Place Hotel (bit more expensive but very close to the conference); Express By Holiday Inn (could also be a bit loud as it is on the Edinburgh Royal Mile, about 10 mins’ walk; Travelodge Edinburgh Central (about 15 mins’ walk); Apex City Hotel (again on the Grassmarket, so may be a bit loud – about 10 mins’ walk); Radisson SAS (more pricey, also about 10 mins’ walk).
Hostels
The cheapest option would be to stay at one of the many hostels in Edinburgh. These have some very cheap accommodation, and several have private rooms, too. There are a number of hostel searching websites, which should help you to see what’s available, and to book accommodation:
The main YHA hostel in Edinburgh is new and looks nice, although it’s a bit of a distance from the conference (30 minutes’ walk). There are lots of buses, though.
Central Edinburgh
Central Edinburgh is made up of the New Town, to the north, and the Old Town, to the south, with Princes Street and (Princes Street Gardens) in between. Most of the buildings of the University of Edinburgh (including the symposium venue) are in the Old Town, towards the south. You should make sure that you have the chance to walk round the city while you’re here – it’s stunning. Walk up and down the Royal Mile to the castle at the top and the Scottish Parliament at the bottom, walk around the New Town (which starts at Princes Street and carries on northwards for several streets), or walk up Calton Hill and around Holyrood Park.