Local info

Venue

IPSA 2015 will take place at the University of Edinburgh's School of Education premises at The Moray House (Holyrood Road, Edinburgh, EH8 8AQ). The campus is central in the city, on Holyrood Road near the famous Royal Mile and the Scottish Parliament building. The conference will mainly take place in the grand building called Paterson's Land, which was purpose built for teacher trianing at the turn of the previous century. Entrance is on Holyrood Road. There are lifts for accessibility between floors.

Click here for link to Google Maps.

Panels will be given in the rooms 1.26, 1.18 (both top floor) and G21 (middle level) at Paterson's Land.

Keynote and Roundtable with reception (Thursday) will be given in adjacent Thomson's Land, in the Godfrey Thomson Hall.

Registration and catering will take place in the side room at Chapters Restaurant in Paterson's Land (lower ground floor).

Conference dinner (by prior booking only) will take place in the Macdonald Hotel on Holyrood Road, midway between Moray House and the Scottish Parliament.

Travel information

Getting to Edinburgh

By AIR

Edinburgh Airport is eight miles from the city centre and the University. To get from the airport to the university there are a number of different options.

There is a regular shuttle bus service (Airlink 100) to the city centre. The Waverley train station stop is closest. The trip usually takes around 25 minutes depending on traffic. Tickets cost £7.50 return (£4.50 single). From here you can take a taxi outside Waverley Station or follow the directions for walking in the 'by rail' section below.
There are also trams to the city centre. The trip usually takes around 35 minutes depending on traffic. The stop nearest the Scott Monument on Princes St is closest. Tickets cost £8 return (£5 single). From here you can take a taxi outside Waverley Station or follow the directions for walking in the 'by rail' section below.
Taxis will cost around £20 in either direction; most taxis now accept card payment but please check before starting the journey. There are usually taxis available outside the airport building.

Further details on travel from the airport are available on the Edinburgh Airport website.

By RAIL

Edinburgh has a number of different train stations but the two served by most inter-city trains are Edinburgh Waverley (in the city centre) and Haymarket (in the west end). Waverley is closest to the conference venue. There are taxis outside the train station but if you're without heavy bags it's likely easiest to reach the accommodation on foot.

By CAR

Although driving may be the most convenient method of transport for getting to Edinburgh, please note that the city centre is very busy and can be tricky to navigate for driving. Likewise, hotels rarely offer free parking. Please consider public transport instead of driving.

Getting around Edinburgh

Edinburgh is a lovely city for walking - there are many beautiful views and unexpected encounters! However, if you prefer to use local transport the single daytime fare on the buses is £1.50, or £4 for a day ticket. No change is given by the bus drivers. Local taxis can be hailed on the street or at taxi ranks.

For further information vistit The University of Edinburgh city website.

Accommodation

Edinburgh is not short of accommodation options, it's a city that attracts tourists all year around. Hotels located in the 'Old Town' are within easy walking distance from the conference venue. We recommend advance booking and taking a look at Visit Scotland, trivago, Booking.com, Expedia & Airbnb

BUDGET

The cheapest accommodation options are backpacker and youth hostels, with some good deals also on Airbnb. We would also recommend the University-run B&B accommodation options.

MID-RANGE

IBIS Central South Bridge opened to the public in early 2014 and is ideally located near the University. The Carlton Hotel, and Jury’s Innare also conveniently located, both for arriving via airport bus or rail to Waverley and for accessing the University area.

EXPENSIVE

If you wish to splash out, there are many top hotels in Edinburgh. The Scotsman, the Balmoral and the G&V Hotels are the five-star hotels closest to the venue.