Location

EASC 2018 will take place on 17-19 April 2018 in Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital city.

City of Edinburgh

The World Heritage Sites of Edinburgh’s Old Town and New Town are instantly recognised around the world, and with its world-class museums and galleries, Edinburgh has much to offer in terms of historical and cultural attractions. Michelin-starred restaurants feature among the many excellent places to eat in Edinburgh, and the city has been named the greenest city in the UK, with many beautiful parks and outdoor spaces.

Edinburgh is known as “Festival City” due to the wide range of festivals that run throughout the year. These include the Edinburgh International Science Festival, one of the largest science festivals in Europe, which features hundreds of talks, exhibitions and hands-on events. The 2018 science festival takes place from 31 March to 15 April 2018, immediately before EASC.

Springtime in Edinburgh is a beautiful time to visit, with cherry blossom appearing on the trees in the streets and parks. April can be a lovely month, with warm, sunny days – but it is also one of the most unpredictable months, and the good weather can be mixed with some very cold spells too. Checking the forecast shortly before travelling here at this time of year is essential.

Useful links:

Conference

The conference will be held in the John McIntyre Conference Centre (JMCC), a fully accessible venue.

Address: John McIntyre Conference Centre, Pollock Halls, 18 Holyrood Park Rd, Edinburgh EH16 5AY

More information about the venue is available in the JMCC website.

Accommodation

The John McIntyre Conference Centre is located at the University’s Pollock Halls site.

Two accommodation options are available on the Pollock Halls site, very close to the conference centre:

For further information, please visit Edinburgh First. A 15% reduction is available on the cost of accommodation booked via this link, using the Promotion code EVENT, although this code will not be activated until the start of 2018.There are many hotels and B&Bs available in the area, within easy walking distance of the conference location. The closest can be found on Dalkeith Road, Marchhall Crescent, Priestfield Road, Kilmaurs Road, Kilmaurs Terrace, Minto Street and Mayfield Gardens.

Getting around the city

Edinburgh city centre is reasonably compact and most places are within walking distance. There is also an excellent public transport network. Buses 2, 14, 30 and 33 pass right by Pollock Halls (Royal Commonwealth Pool stop, on Dalkeith Road). There are many more bus routes just one block over – take the number 5 to the East Newington Place stop, or the 3, 7, 8, 29, 31, 37, 47, 49 one stop further to the Salisbury Place stop.

Travel Information

Arrival by plane

Edinburgh has an international airport (EDI) which is about 12 km from the city centre. The Airlink 100 airport express bus service runs between the airport and the city centre (Waverley Bridge) at least every 10 minutes during the day (every 15 minutes through the night), with tickets costing £4.50 single / £7.50 return. There is also a tram service, which runs every 7 minutes between 05:30 and 23:00, with tickets costing £5.50 single / £8.50 return.

Arrival by train

Edinburgh Waverley is the main station. It serves several train lines, connecting to most of the major UK cities. The fastest Virgin Trains East Coast services take under 4.5 hours between London and Edinburgh, which is a 630 km trip. Waverley is a 30-minute walk from the conference venue or a quick taxi ride.

Arrival by bus

There are various different companies which run bus connections between Edinburgh and most larger UK cities. For timetables and ticket prices, see Citylink, National Express, and Megabus.

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 () and RAC webpages. Note that parking restrictions apply throughout much of the city, so if you intend to arrive by car, please check about the availability and cost of nearby parking before booking your accommodation.

Visa information

To check whether you need a visa to enter the UK, please check the UK Border Agency’s website. If a visa is needed, applications can be made online.

Note that the UK is not part of the Schengen agreement, hence Schengen visas will not be accepted by passport control.

Visitors attending conferences are classed as business visitors.

Visa help

If you require a letter of invitation for visa purposes, please contact us with the following details:

  • Your name, exactly as it appears on your passport;
  • The postal address of your current home institution;
  • Relevant registration and author / co-author information.