HOW TO REACH LOCAL TRANSPORT |
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The Centre is on the north side of Morrison Street, see the Outside the Building page.
This section of the guide explains walking routes from the Centre to Haymarket Railway Station, as well as routes from the Centre to local bus stops in Morrison Street and Lothian Road. A step-free route from the Centre to the Sheraton Hotel is also included.
If you wish to leave by taxi, there's a lay-by in the pavement a few metres west of the Centre building. Leave via the Main Entrance, either through one of the revolving doors or the access door to your right of these. Note that the access door opens automatically. Leave the building, turn right and continue, following the kerb, to the lay-by. There's also a taxi rank outside the Sheraton Hotel, details of which lie beyond the scope of this guide.
Note that, at the time of our survey, extensive development works were in progress: at Haymarket Station, the tram-related development in Morrison Street and the building works surrounding the Expanded Facility of the Centre. The details of walking routes to/from the Centre may vary as these works proceed.
Describe Online has published an online guide to Haymarket Railway Station. Note that this station is under redevelopment so details of routes through the station may change over time.
As there's a high kerb down to the temporary crossing of Morrison Street and severl high kerbs in the pavement along the south side, we suggest you turn right from the Main Entrance and continue across Dewar Place then Torphichen Place. Cross Morrison Street via the next crossing, then cross Dalry Road and continue to the main entrance to the station.
You can leave the Centre via either of the revolving doors, or the access door to your right of these. Note that the access door opens automatically from the inside.
Leave the building, turn right then continue over the Western Approach Road, past Conference House on your right, to Dewar Place.
This is a two-stage crossing via a triangular island, with tactile paving and rotating cones. As you leave the pavement, the post is to your right. Cross to the island, bear slightly left, the post for the second stage is to your left of the crossing. Cross to the pavement then continue (west) past tenement housing on your right, to Torphichen Place. This is a single-stage crossing with tactile paving but no rotating cones. The post, with push button is to your right.
Cross Torphichen Place then continue to the crossing of Morrison Street. This is a single-stage vrossing with tactile paving and rotating cones. The post, with push button is to your left.
Cross Morrison Street, Dalry Road (southwest) is now to your right, follow the pavement round to your left then continue to the tactile paving indicating the crossing. This is a single-stage crossing with tactile paving and rotating cones. The post is to your right. Cross Dalry Road, turn right and continue back to the junction then turn left. Follow the pavement, which veers left then right again before you reach the entrance to Haymarket Station.
This section considers four bus stops:
Due to the ongoing building work in Morrison Street, the north pavement was blocked at the time of our survey. The routes described here therefore include using the temporary crossing of Morrison Street, just east of the Centre building.
Leave the building via either of the rotating doors or the access door to your right of these. Note that the access door opens automatically from the inside.
Turn left and continue to the hoarding around the building work, in front of you. Turn right, down the high kerb then turn left and follow the temporary walkway. There are railings to your right, the temporary crossing is beyond these. We understand there's a post, with push button but no rotating cone, to each side of you. Cross Morrison Street, turn left and continue along the pavement. The pavement veers right then left around a taxi lay-by before you reach Semple Street.At the time of our survey, this stop serves:
Turn left to cross Morrison Street, this is a two-stage crossing via a triangular island with tactile paving and rotating cones. The post for the first stage is to your right of the crossing. Cross to the island then bear left. The post for the second stage is to your right of the crossing, cross to the pavement, turn left and continue to the bus shelter.
At the time of our survey, this stop, about 50 metres north of Morrison Street, served:
For the other stops, we need to cross Semple Street. This is a two-stage crossing via the triangular island mentioned above. the post for the first stage is to your right of the crossing, cross to the island. Turn right and locate the crossing of Semple Street. The post is to your right of the crossing, cross to the pavement, bear slightly left then continue along Morrison Street to the Junction with Lothian Road.
Turn left to Cross Morrison Street. This is a single-stage crossing with tactile paving and rotating cones. The post is to your right of the crossing. Continue along Lothian Road and find the bus shelter on your right after about 50 metres.
At the time of our survey, this stop, about 50 metres south of Morrison Street, served:
On reaching the junction with Lothian Road, turn right and continue to the bus shelter, on your left after about 50 metres.
At the time of our survey, this stop served:
There were no details of destinations indicated at the time of our survey.
From the junction of Morrison Street and Lothian Road, the crossing of Lothian Road is a single-stage crossing with tactile paving but no rotating cones. The post is to your right of the crossing. Cross to the pavement then continue across Bread Street, which is a small service road across the corner. Turn right here, bear left back into Lothian Road and find the bus shelter on your right after about 50 metres.
This section includes details of routes to the drop-off point at Level 1 plus the routes to the underground car park at Levels 1 and 2.
The normal step-free route via Ladyfield Walk is likely to remain blocked until the Expanded Facility of the Centre is complete. We therefore hope that access from the Centre will be possible via the rear entrance from the Lomond Foyer into Conference Square. If not, delegates would have to follow a much longer and more difficult route round the east side of the site and along the disrupted pavements along Morrison Street, which at the time of writing includes several high kerbs.
Note that the right-hand of the two lifts (Lift 1) is not available at Levels 1 and 2.
Leave the Centre via the rear entrance and continue onto the slightly cobbled surface of Conference Square. At the time of our survey, the hoardings around the building works were to your right, continue to the end of these then turn right.
Continue, following the left-hand side, the spa entrance to the Sheraton Hotel is in front of you.
Go through two sets of pull doors into an enclosed area with the same slightly cobbled texture as Conference Square. Follow the left-hand side and find the first lift (Lift 2, on your left.
The call button is to your right of the door.
Inside the lift, the control panel is about in the middle of the right-hand side with the buttons arranged:
Go down to the level you want (1 or 2) then leave via the other doors.
Continue to the wall in front of you, turn right then go through the pull door on your left. Turn left then continue through another pull door into the car park, which extends in front of you and to your right.
Continue to the wall in front of you, turn right then go through the pull door on your left. Continue, through another pull door, to the top of the ramp.
Continue down the first slope, turn left (180 degrees) then go down the second slope and turn right. The pay machine is on your left after a couple of metres, whilst the car park extends in front of you and to your right.
Leave the lift at Level 1, turn right and continue through the push doors in front of you, into the forecourt. Details of the Sheraton Hotel lie beyond the scope of this guide.
© 2013, Terry Robinson