St Leonard's Hall, University of Edinburgh

About the venue

The conference will take place at St Leonard's Hall, a stately nineteenth-century mansion owned by the University of Edinburgh, set within the grounds of the Pollock Estate with Arthur's Seat in Holyrood Park rising behind it. Designed by architect John Lessels in the Scottish baronial style and completed in 1870, the building has been Category A-listed since 1974. Its historic character, from carved fireplaces to ornate ceilings, gives delegates a memorable setting just minutes from the city centre.
Behind its heritage façade, the venue is fully equipped for modern academic events. It offers eight meeting rooms of varying sizes, free on-site parking and up-to-date hybrid meeting technology, making it well suited to plenary talks, parallel sessions and workshops alike. The surrounding Pollock Estate also includes two four-star hotels and landscaped gardens, creating a residential conference village within the city, so participants can stay, meet and network in one place.

Getting there

St Leonard's Hall is located on the University of Edinburgh's Pollock Estate, at 18 Holyrood Park Road, Edinburgh EH16 5AY. The venue sits about 8 miles from Edinburgh Airport, in the Southside of the city next to Holyrood Park.

From Edinburgh Airport: The Airlink 100 bus runs from the airport to Waverley Bridge in the city centre, next to the main rail and bus stations. It departs at least every 10 minutes during the day, and the journey takes about 30 minutes. Alternatively, the tram runs from the airport into the city centre; for the closest access, get off on Princes Street or at St Andrew Square. From the city centre, take Lothian Bus No. 30 or No. 33 and get off at the Royal Commonwealth Pool, which is right next to Pollock Estate. A direct taxi from the airport follows a southerly route around the city and takes around 40 minutes.

By train or coach: The nearest railway station is Edinburgh Waverley. The main bus station is at St Andrew Square, about 1.6 miles from the Pollock Estate, and is served by National Express, Citylink and Megabus. From either, take bus No. 30 or 33 as above, or a short taxi ride of about 5–10 minutes.

By car: Take the A720 City Bypass, exit at Sheriffhall Roundabout and follow the A7 towards the city centre, which becomes Dalkeith Road. Turn right at the Royal Commonwealth Pool onto Holyrood Park Road; the Pollock Halls entrance is about 200 m on the right. Free on-site parking is available.