We’re so excited to have you come celebrate with us this Beltane!
We’ve put together some useful information about public transport options after the festival finishes, so you can leave the car at home, save some carbon emissions (and petrol money), and let someone else get you homeward bound safely!
Everything below is all to the best of our knowledge, but obviously, we don’t make the timetables or drive the taxis, so check the operators’ timetables for fully accurate and up to date information.
We’ve looked up the buses and trains to some nearby cities – we’ve not included nearby smaller towns, because if you live there, you probably know that info better than we do.
Trains from Waverley Station:
Waverley Station is about 10-15 minutes’ walk (crowds can slow down your pace, so budget extra time!) from the top of Calton Hill. Head down Carriage Drive, turn right onto Regent Road, then carry on along Waterloo Place past the junction with North Bridge and onto Princes Street. The station’s on the left hand side of the road, down a set of steps, just in between the Balmoral Hotel and the Waverley Market shopping centre.
| Destination: | Last Train Departs from Edinburgh Waverley: | Last Train Arrives at Destination: |
| Glasgow Queen Street | 23.45 | 00.37 |
| Glasgow Central | 22.57 | 00.25 |
| Dundee | 23.00 | 00.40 |
| Perth | 23.18 | 00.55 |
| Aberdeen | 21.29 | 00.09 |
| Newcastle | 22.00 | 23.41 |
Buses from Edinburgh Bus Station:
Follow the directions for Waverley Station, but keep going along Princes Street. Turn right onto South St Andrew Street, then follow that, and the Bus Station is on your right, just after you pass the Louis Vuitton shop.
If that door’s closed – go along Multrees Walk (on your right as you face the bus station entrance), then turn left down the hill just before you get to the St James Centre. The rear entrance of the bus station is then on your left hand side.
| Destination: | Last Bus Leaves Edinburgh Bus Station: | Last Bus Arrives at Destination: | Bus Service: |
| Glasgow (Buchanan St Bus Station) | Half-hourly until 1.40am and then hourly throughout the night (taking approx 1.5hrs) | 900 (CityLink) | |
| Dundee (Railway Station) | Approx hourly throughout the night (taking just under 2hrs) | Ember (need to pre-book online) | |
| Perth (Bus Station) | 23.55 | 01.12 | M90 (CityLink) |
| 02.08 | 03.54 | Ember (need to pre-book online) | |
| Inverness (Union Street) | 23.01 or02.08 | 02.51 or05.56 | Ember (need to pre-book online) |
| Aberdeen (Bus Station) | 00.25 | 03.40 | M92 (CityLink) |
| Newcastle (John Dobson Street) | 23.40 | 02.15 | FlixBus (need to pre-book online) |
| Oban (Station Road) | If you want to go home that night, you’ll need to change at Glasgow. But, if you want a more direct bus, you can get the bus at 08.40 the next day, change in Tyndrum and arrive in Oban at 12.54. | 913 / 976 (CityLink) | |
Within Edinburgh
We’re assuming that if you’re reading this bit, you’re probably staying in a hotel in town since locals probably know everything already. So, we’ve picked some general destinations, based on where most of the hotels are!
Edinburgh’s really walkable despite all the many hills, and many of the Old Town and New Town hotels are only about 20 minutes’ walk from Calton Hill, so you may prefer to go on foot.
| Transport Method | Destination | Departure Location | Service No. and Departure Time |
| Tram | Newhaven (for Leith and Ocean Terminal) | South St. Andrew Square tram stop | Last departure 23.06 |
| Tram | Edinburgh Airport (for Princes Street and Haymarket) | South St. Andrew Square tram stop | Last departure 22.36 |
| Lothian Buses (Last Day Bus) | Cameron Toll/Southside | Leith Street, stop JA (Near the Omni Centre) | Bus 7 – 23.41 |
| Tollcross/Haymarket | Waverley Steps, Princes Street | Bus 1 – 23.36 | |
| Leith/Ocean Terminal | Leith Street, stop JD (Outside John Lewis) | Bus 7 – 23.58 | |
| Lothian Buses (first Night Bus) | Cameron Toll/Southside | South Bridge | Bus N3 – 00.14 |
| Tollcross/Haymarket | Waverley Steps, Princes Street | Bus N11 – 23.48 | |
| Leith/Ocean Terminal | Leith Street, stop (Outside John Lewis) | Bus N14 – 00.18 |
Taxis:
We won’t mention specific company names, but the black cabs in Edinburgh are pretty great. Most of them will take card payments. Some taxi ranks near Calton Hill are:
- outside the Balmoral Hotel on Princes Street,
- outside the Omni Centre on Picardy Place,
- outside Waverley Station on Waverley Bridge (not North Bridge!),
- and on the south side of St Andrew Square.
Beltane Fire Society 