We look forward to welcoming you to ARMA in Edinburgh, this page aims to help attendees plan their visit and contains a number of resources that will help everyone feel prepared for a great event.If you would benefit from any additional resources during the event, please feel welcome to contact us or indicate during registration.

Travel Information - Getting to Edinburgh

Edinburgh is linked to by an extensive network of roads, rail services and flights which makes travel to the city possible from every corner of the world, while the city's compact size makes exploring easy. There are many frequent and affordable bus services that travel from various main cities to Edinburgh daily. Most buses to Edinburgh arrive at the Edinburgh Bus Station that is located on St Andrew Square in the city centre.

By Plane

Edinburgh has one of the UK's fastest growing airports and new flights are always being added. The EICC has the luxury of being located right in the heart of the city and within 10km (6 miles) of Edinburgh International Airport.

For more information on which airlines and destinations connect to Edinburgh visit www.edinburghairport.com.

Edinburgh's primary bus terminal is at St Andrews Square, offering connections across the UK. For routes, visit: National Express or City Link. For local services, check Lothian Buses.

Edinburgh boasts two railway stations, Check Scot Rail or Trainline for more information:

Waverley Station: 1.3 miles from EICC, with direct routes nationwide.
Haymarket Station: Just 0.4 miles from EICC, serving commuter and UK routes.

By Train

Further information on travelling to Edinburgh can be found on the Visit Scotland website

https://www.visitscotland.com/places-to-go/edinburgh

By Bus

Travel Information - Getting to the EICC

The EICC, or Edinburgh International Convention Centre, is our conference venue. The building has two entrances, called Lennox and Strathblane. For ARMA, we will be using the Strathblane entrance. There will be signage and staff to guide you.

Bus
Several local buses stop at Lothian Road, which is approx. 300 metres from the EICC. Additionally, Lothian Buses service No. 2 stops just a few metres from the EICC. You can pay on the bus using contactless or using exact change. If you need a physical paper ticket, please advise the driver before paying.

All Lothian Buses are easy access, they are equipped with:

Low entrances that can “kneel” to kerb height to give step free access where possible
Retractable boarding ramp for wheelchair access
Completely flat areas on the lower deck (with no internal steps)
High visibility handrails
A dedicated wheelchair space
Drivers who are specially trained to help customers enjoy the full benefit of their buses

Taxi
The EICC benefits from a reserved drop-off area where taxis and cars can park temporarily, directly outside the venue. The taxi rank is situated at the front of the EICC where there is a dropped kerb. Taxis can be booked at the EICC’s Concierge Desks.

Most of the major taxi apps (Uber, FreeNow) work in Edinburgh, though can have long waits during busy periods. Other axi firms are listed below, they each have their own app or can be booked by phone:

- Central Taxis (0131 229 2468) - All Central Taxis are wheelchair accessible.

- All The Fives (0131 555 5555) - Does not offer wheelchair accessible cars

- City Cabs (0131 228 1211) - Offers wheelchair accessible cars

Train
The closest train station to the EICC is Haymarket. The station is accessible and is less than 500 metres from the venue.

Waverley Station is one mile from the EICC. All entrances to the station are step-free.

Tram
Edinburgh Trams stop directly outside Haymarket Station, which is the closest tram stop to the EICC. The trams provide frequent connections from the city centre to Edinburgh Airport. The tram is less than 500 metres from the venue. All trams have wheelchair accessible entrances in the middle carriage.

On Foot
The approach to the EICC from Lothian Road is flat with a gentle slope down towards the venue. From this direction you will arrive at the Lennox entrance first.

Arriving from Haymarket Station to the venue, after the step-free pedestrian crossing the pavement slopes upwards – from this direction you will arrive at the Strathblane entrance first.

Accessibility in the Venue

The EICC has been designed to be inclusive to people of all abilities and the team has received full Equality and Diversity Training. Their website (www.eicc.co.uk) provides a lot of detail on accessibility information, some of which is highlighted below.

Assistance dogs are welcome in all of the event spaces we will be using for the conference.

Navigating the venue
An effective concierge team, as well as prominent signage and lighting, ensure smooth navigation of the venue. In spite of the building’s complexity and size, it is highly-functional yet welcoming. A helpful team of staff is on-hand to assist with navigational and accessibility needs.

A building layout plan for the venue can be viewed here and will be available onsite. Photos and virtual tours of the venue are available here.

Lifts
All areas of the venue can be reached by lift. All lifts have spoken messages indicating which floor the lift is on and whether the doors are opening or closing. Additionally, all lifts have grab bars for delegates with impaired mobility.

Toilet Facilities
On each floor of the venue there are adapted toilets, with grab rails, emergency buttons, lowered mirrors and fittings. Currently these toilets allow for either a left or a right lateral transfer, not both.

Induction Loop
In the main auditorium, where our keynotes will take place, there is an Induction Loop is located in the central section of seats from row F to the rear of the auditorium. To use this, delegates should switch their hearing aids to the "T" position. Additional induction loops need to be installed as required, if this is a service you require, please contact us and it will be arranged.

Wheelchair Spaces
There are three-six spaces in the front of the Auditoria, which are available for wheelchair users.

The EICC can also make adjustments to facilities where required, such as providing a wheelchair ramp, which can be utilised to take wheelchair users on to the stage in rooms without step-free access. If you will be presenting a session and want to make sure this is available in the allocated room, please get in touch.

Finding Accessible Hospitality

Edinburgh has lots of great bars, restaurants and hotels, however it is also a historic city, with plenty of old buildings that cannot be adjusted for modern standards, staircases and cobbled streets.

While we have chosen venues with excellent accessibility for all our conference activities, you may want some help finding hotels, restaurants and attractions that have specific facilities for your needs while you stay in Edinburgh. We like to use Euan's Guide for this. Euan's Guide compiles reviews and helps locate hospitality venues with toilet facilities, ramp access and other accessibility features.

Hidden Disabilities & Neurodiversity at ARMA 2025

ARMA is dedicated to making this a welcoming event for everyone and making sure all our attendees have the right information and tools in place to get the most out of the meeting.

During registration, you will be asked if there are any ways in which we can help facilitate the meeting based on your requirements. If there is anything we can provide, please let us know there or get in touch if you have ideas on how to make the conference a more inclusive space.

Some helpful things to know before the meeting are below:

Hidden Disability Lanyards

Any attendees who wear a Sunflower Lanyard to indicate that they have a hidden disability are welcome to wear this instead of or in addition to their conference lanyard. Please note that the conference venue and our conference organising staff have all been trained in how best we can support anyone who might need it, please feel welcome to ask anyone wearing an ARMA branded t-shirt for help.

Quiet Room

There will be a quiet room at the EICC for anyone who needs a space to decompress. This room will be in one of the Green Rooms on the 4th floor, it will be signposted or you can ask a member of staff to guide you.

Autism-friendly Guide to the EICC

We understand that for some people with autism spectrum conditions (ASC), sensory or additional needs, attending an event can be a daunting experience. Working with The National Autistic Society, the EICC team has been equalities trained and has created a great guide for helping visitors feel prepared for attending an event in the venue: EICC Autism Friendly Visitors Guide.

Get in touch

If you have any questions, concerns or suggestions for how we can make ARMA a more inclusive, welcoming event for all our attendees, or if you want to make the organisers aware of any specific personal needs, please get in touch:

Email: armaconference@abbeyuk.com

Phone: +1316565900