Getting around Edinburgh
82 Months Ago
Edinburgh is an incredibly compact city that's really easy to get around, but if you’re in a new place by yourself, it can all be a bit mind-boggling! That’s why we’re here, with our guide on how to navigate the capital city.
The most common ways to get around Edinburgh are with Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams.
Lothian operates the majority of bus services in Edinburgh. They run the main bus services to the Heriot-Watt Edinburgh campus; the number 25, 34, 35, 45, and 63 services.
The number 25 is the most popular way into the campus. It runs from Restalrig via Leith the City Centre, Haymarket, Dalry, Gorgie, Saughton, Sighthill, and Hermiston Park & Ride. This service runs every 10 minutes at peak time. The journey time from the campus to/from the city centre is usually 30-40 minutes depending on what time you're travelling.
The number 34 also serves the campus. It goes from Ocean Terminal in Leith through the City Centre, Lothian Road, FountainPark, Slateford, Sighthill, and Hermiston Park & Ride. It takes you via the Research Park at the university – handy if your class is in one of the far away buildings! This service tends to run every 15 minutes at peak times. The journey takes about 40 minutes into the city centre.
New to this year is the 35 service. Like the 25, it enters and exits campus via the Avenue rather than tootling through the Research Park. It then follows the same route until Chesser Avenue, where it passes the Corn Exchange to join the 34 route for a short while before going through old town. This one doesn't go along Princes Street but is great for accessing the National Museum or the Royal Mile.
Other services include the 45 and 63. The 45 goes to Currie, Morningside, Tollcross, North Bridge, Portobello and eventually ends up at Queen Margaret University. The 63 goes out to South Queensferry via Hermiston Retail Park and the Gyle Centre too.
There is free Wi-Fi on all Lothian buses to keep you entertained/keep your Google Maps running so you can rest assured you’re going the right way.
From Sunday, 19 August, Lothian Country services X27 and X28 will take you to the A71, just a short walk to the campus view the Research Park. It runs from Bathgate to Edinburgh Centre via Livingston twice an hour and also serves Sighthill and Fountainbridge.
How much is a bus ticket?
A single bus journey anywhere in Edinburgh costs £1.70. You can also get a day ticket for £4.00 which gives you unlimited all day travel. You need to have the exact amount ready for the driver – they can’t give you change.
Do the buses run at night?
They do! You can be sure of being able to get back to the Edinburgh campus at any point with a 24/7 service on the N25 and N34. Night bus fares are £3.00 or £3.50 if you buy a day and night ticket (available after 18:00). This is a much cheaper option than a taxi to Riccarton! However, they only come once an hour, so make sure you don’t miss your bus.
What if I regularly travel via bus?
It's worth considering a Ridacard which gives you unlimited travel on the buses, travel, Airlink, Skylink (airport buses) and NightBus services. It saves you having to find change for the bus and there are lots of payment options. You can 'top up' as you go with 1 week/4 week/1 year options or the easiest option is to set up a Direct Debit. It's £42 a month for a Student Direct Debit Ridacard.
Coins? That's so old school. I want to use my smartphone.
You sure can. Lothian have an m-tickets app which lets you buy tickets on your phone. You simply show the driver your 'activated' ticket when you board the bus. You can even send a ticket to a friend if you have a new pal in need.
Want to know when your bus is coming? Or how to get from Point A to Point B?
Download the Transport for Edinburgh app which will give you live departure information (there's usually a 'BusTracker' info board at most stops but not always) and a range of journey planning tools.
I want to get to the airport
On your holidays or heading back home? You can get to and from Edinburgh Airport using either Edinburgh Trams or a good old bus. Edinburgh Trams run from York Place all the way along Princes Street to the airport with a journey time of about 40 minutes, at a cost of £6 for a single. Alternatively, the Airlink 100 bus service costs £4.50 with a journey time of about 30 minutes from the City Centre or if you are travelling from the campus, Skylink 300 and 400 will take you to the airport from Sighthill.
Train stations
The main train stations in Edinburgh are Edinburgh Waverley and Haymarket. Both are situated in the city centre. Haymarket is slightly closer to Heriot-Watt and the 25 bus runs from directly outside. Waverley is the biggest; in fact, it's the second biggest station in the UK! From either of these stations, you can get to most parts of the United Kingdom and the rest of Scotland. Why not pop through to Glasgow, Scotland's biggest city? - It only takes 49 minutes on the train!
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