The venue of the Summer School is located in central Edinburgh, close to the main attractions of the city. It is easily accessible through public transport, and a wide range of accommodation is available in the vicinity.
Here's a short guide to help you plan and enjoy your stay in Edinburgh!
Join us for a night of incredible folk music and dancing at the Ceilidh Club hosted by Summerhall. No prior experience of ceilidh dancing is necessary and a caller will walk you through the moves at the start of each dance. Tickets are £10 per person and can be bought online ahead of time. Book your ticket here.
Additional Information:
Time: 20:00 - 23:00
The Ceilidh Club is £10 pp and paid for at the attendees' own expense.
After the conclusion of teaching on Thursday, we will have a drinks reception. This is a great chance to meet and socialise with fellow Summer School attendees, alongside your lecturers and instructors in an informal setting.
Additional Information:
Time: 17:30 - 19:00
Attendance is free and complimentary food and drinks will be available.
To celebrate the end of a very busy week, if the weather permits, we'll be heading to the Pear Tree Beer Garden.
Additional Information:
Time: 17:30- 19:00
Food and drink are available at the attendees' own expense.
We will need to book a table ahead of time so please do let us know if you plan to attend!
Lunches, mid-morning and mid-afternoon Coffee Breaks will be provided for the whole duration of the Summer School. Upon acceptance of your application, please indicate if you have any food allergies or dietary requirements that we should take into account.
If you need an extra dose of caffeine, or some treats, our recommendations would be: Uplands Roast, Considerit Chocolate, Söderberg The Meadows, Thomas J Walls, The Coffee Mill Cafe.
The Central Campus area offers plenty of dining options, from quick bites to more relaxed meals.
Our recommended restaurants are: Ting Thai Caravan, El Cartel, Mother India’s Café, City Restaurant, Mosque Kitchen, Pizza Posto, 10 to 10 in Delhi, Maki & Ramen, Café Andaluz, Erbil.
Our favourite pubs around the campus are: Doctor’s Pub, The Pear Tree, The Dagda Bar, The Dog House, Bennet’s Bar, The Devil’s Advocate, The Ensign Ewart, Cloisters Bar, Captain’s Bar, Paradise Palms.
The venue for the Summer School is the newly refurbished EFI building, which is centrally located, close to the main attractions of the city. It is easily accessible via public transport, and a wide range of accommodation is available in the vicinity. Hotels, bed and breakfasts, vacation apartments and hostels can be booked through Booking or Airbnb.
Since the programme takes place outside term time, you may also want to check the accommodation facilities offered by the University of Edinburgh. Most University accommodation is located just to the east and the south of the Central Campus area. For more details, visit this website.
Thanks to the support of the Alan Turing Institute and The Society of Research Software Engineering we will be able to provide a limited number of bursaries to cover costs towards travel and accommodations. They will be allocated based on the following criteria:
If the number of bursary applications which meet our criteria exceed the number of bursaries available, we will assign them based on how well applicantions are aligned with our target audience (see: "Audience & Prerequisites").
Please note that available funds will not cover travel for attendees arriving from outside the UK.
More information can be found in the Terms & Conditions Document."
If you are travelling to Edinburgh, you may wish to stay longer to visit the city. With classes finishing around 5.15pm, there will also be opportunities to visit attractions in the evenings.
The Central Campus is just a 10-minute walk to Edinburgh Castle, and only a 5-minute one to the National Museum of Scotland. In 15 minutes you will reach the National Gallery of Scotland and Princes Street. After a slightly longer walk you can climb on Arthur’s Seat or visit the Palace of Holyrood House.
Reaching Edinburgh by train is straightforward, with the main rail hub (Edinburgh Waverley) located right at the heart of the city and only a 15-minute walk to the Summer School venue.
Average journey times from other cities are:
The main companies operating in Edinburgh Waverley are LNER, ScotRail, Caledonian Sleeper, Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry and Transpennine Express.
Classes will take place in the Central Campus of the University of Edinburgh, an area which is well connected to a reliable public transport network.
You can either get:
A bus. The closest bus stops are Lauriston Place and Forrest Road, while the Surgeon's Hall stop is within a short walking distance. Single bus tickets are £2.00 and can be purchased directly from the driver using contactless payments or paying the exact cash fare.
The tram. This runs from the airport in the west to Ocean Terminal in Leith. The closest stop to the University is York Place and walking to the campus from there takes around 20 minutes. Single tickets are £2.00 (City Zone) and you have to buy them beforehand, via the trams app, their website, or from the ticket machines on the platforms.
A route planner is available on this website.
If you decide to travel to Edinburgh by bus, there are plenty of affordable options.
Coach companies operating to and from the city include:
The coach station is located in St Andrews Square (26 Elder St.), very close to Princes Street and right in the city centre. From there, it is a 20 minute walk to reach the Summer School Venue.
We are committed to providing the safest environment possible for our attendees. We ask that you be considerate of others’ personal space, and please do not attend if you feel unwell. Ventilation will be ensured in the rooms used, surfaces will be regularly sanitised by our staff and hand hygiene facilities will be supplied.
If you have any accessibility requirements, please contact the organisers in advance so that we can put any necessary measures in place. Edinburgh Futures Institute features accessible entrances, accessible WC’s, braille on signage, and door handles at a level accessible for wheelchair users. There are lifts on all floors.
Further information about the accessibility of University of Edinburgh buildings can be found here.
