Main Venue
On Campus
Craiglockhart Campus will be the venue of iConference 2026.
Address
Craiglockhart Campus
219 Colinton Road
Edinburgh
EH14 1DJ
The iConference 2026 will take place on campus.
Map of Venue
Hotels
Please Note: All listed prices are subject to exchange rate fluctuations and are based on bookings made from March 29 to April 2 for the cheapest available room category in November 2025.
Map of Hotels
Travel Information
Edinburgh
Vibrant, cosmopolitan and consistently voted one of the best cities in the world, Edinburgh is the perfect place to experience student life or build your career. It's big enough to have everything you need, yet small enough to feel like home. No matter where you're from, the Festival City is ready to welcome you.
Located in Scotland in northern UK, Edinburgh is about 8-9 hours car drive away from UKs capital London.
Air travel to Edinburgh
The closest airport for air travel to Edinburgh is the Edinburgh Airport (EDI).
For those without direct flights to the Edinburgh Airport, it is possible to catch a flight from London Heathrow or Dublin.
Ground travel
While there is no direct bus service from Edinburgh Airport to the campus, you can easily take Service 100 from the airport (Stance D) to Haymarket Station, walk one minute to Dalry Place, and take Service 4 to 'Craiglockhart Campus'.
From Edinburgh city center, you can take the following buses to the campus:
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Services 4, 10, 27 and 45 stop on nearby Colinton Road at bus stop 'Craiglockhart Campus'
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Service 36 stops nearby at bus stop on Glenlockhart Road at bus stop 'Craiglockhart Campus'.
For general information on public transport in Edinburgh, please visit the Lothian Buses services or Edinburgh trams.
By train
Slateford station is just under a mile from the campus, while Edinburgh Waverley and Haymarket stations are situated in the city centre. From Edinburgh Waverley, take a Lothian Buses 4 or 10 from Princes Street or a 45 from North Bridge; from Haymarket, take a Lothian Buses 4 from Dalry Road.
Timetables and further information on rail services can be found through National Rail Enquires.
By car
The campus is situated in a residential area to the south-west of the city. Please note that on-campus parking is strictly by permit only, with limited on-street parking available in the surrounding area.
Disabled access guide
For a detailed access guide to our Craiglockhart campus, please visit here.
More information on how to travel to the Craiglockhart campus you can find here.
Visa
All overseas participants will require a valid Visa or ETA to enter UK. Citizens of Ireland with an Irish Passport can travel to UK without a Visa or ETA. To find out what is requested for your purposes please visit the Visa information website of the UK Government.
Invitation Letter
Invitation Letters can be downloaded in ConfTool after registering for the iConference. The registration for iConference 2026 will open mid November 2025.
If you require an Invitation Letter beforehand, please contact the iConference 2026 on-site hosts and put the iSchools team (admin@ischools-inc.org) in CC.
Free time Activities
The city is bursting with cafes, pubs and clubs. There are museums and art galleries across the city, live music venues, hidden markets and more history than you can possibly imagine.
Volcanic foundations frame medieval architecture, while mountains, valleys, lochs and jagged coastline envelop the city. The best part is how easy it is to get both around and out of the city into the countryside. Half an hour on the bus will see you on the edge of the North Sea, or up a craggy hill in the Pentlands. Explore the Scottish Library & Archives world or explore the city center.
iConference 2026 Guided Tours
Monday Evening
Option 1: Guided tour of Fountainbridge Library (capacity: 20)
Additional details and sign-up sheet available at the registration desk
Your Napier host: Marianne Wilson
The Fountainbridge Library is impressive before you even open the front doors. This important example of modern Scottish architecture was built between 1937 and 1940 and was a state-of-the-art library when it opened; it continues to serve its local community today. Step inside with Marianne to see the range of materials and important services offered at this remarkable building.
Official library website: https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/directory-record/1229181/fountainbridge-library
Map link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/1AyxYdWiuZKMEnV88
Option 2: Guided tour of Edinburgh Central Library (capacity: 20)
Details and sign-up sheet available at the registration desk
Your Napier host: Dr Rachel Salzano
The Central Library in Edinburgh, Scotland, which opened in 1890, was the first public library building in the city. Edinburgh Central Library comprises six libraries: Lending, Reference, Music, Art and Design, Edinburgh and Scottish, and the Children's Library. This guided tour will provide an overview of the library’s collections and services with personal commentary by Rachel, who ranks this site as one of her favourite libraries.
Official library website: https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/directory-record/1229174/central-library
Map link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/wqvsNgWBZUvXGaug8
Thursday Afternoon
Option 1: Guided tour of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (capacity: 20)
Sign-up sheet available at the registration desk
Your Napier host: Professor (Emeritus) Hazel Hall, will act as your guide for this tour
The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) on George Street was established in 1783 and is Scotland’s National Academy, fostering learning and public good through events, exhibitions, and specialised venue spaces like the Kelvin and Scott rooms. This guided tour focuses on the Enlightenment and the establishment of the RSE and will include visits to several rooms. Archival materials from the Enlightenment period, including the roll book from 1783, will be highlighted during the tour.
Official RSE website: https://rse.org.uk/
Map link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Uw7AvMnfd6b8uq678
Option 2: Edinburgh Enlightenment & Geology Walking Tour (capacity: 15)
Sign-up sheet available at the registration desk
Your Napier host: Dr David Haynes, will act as your guide for this tour
Theme: Enlightenment ideas, deep time, and a city shaped by fire and ice
Route: Lawnmarket → The Mound → Princes Street Gardens → Calton Hill (Guided Tour 90 minutes)
Distance: approximately 1.5 miles.
Accessibility: Moderate climbing up steps and then a gentle slope to the top of Calton Hill
This tour will take you to some of the key sites that inspired Enlightenment figures to challenge accepted views, traditions and authority. By observing the world around them, figures such as James Hutton, David Hume, and Adam Smith developed new ideas about the way the world works. This tour looks at how the landscape and geology of Edinburgh provided the conditions for the exchange of ideas, and how it provoked questions about the age of the world.
Meet at 2 pm on Thursday 2nd April 2026 in the City Centre – at the junction of Lawnmarket and Johnston Terrace, just below the Castle Esplanade
Map link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/F4GbodotuYJcMxsr9
Day trips from Edinburgh using public
transportation
It’s remarkably simple to enjoy day trips from Edinburgh using nothing more than public transport. The city is so well connected that you can nip out to the coast, the hills, or charming historic towns with almost no planning. Places like North Berwick, Linlithgow, Stirling, and the Borders are all within an hour, and the journeys themselves are often beautiful, winding past fields, cliffs, and villages that feel worlds away from the city.
Below you can find some examples of the many destinations that you can access from the centre of Edinburgh using nothing but trains and buses.
Linlithgow
Visit Linlithgow Palace and St Michael’s Kirk and take a stroll around Loch Linlithgow. Stop in at the Four Mary’s pub or one of the village’s many cafes for lunch and explore the shops.
Map location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/voTrpxT3iuGsEHWG6
Stirling
A historic city and former capital of Scotland, easily reached by a 50-minute train ride. Key attractions include the impressive Stirling Castle atop a volcanic rock and the nearby National Wallace Monument, which commemorates William Wallace.
Map location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/KjFAj1ezbrLZQGUWA
Glasgow
Scotland's largest city, known for its vibrant arts scene, architecture, and friendly atmosphere, offers a stark contrast to Edinburgh's historic vibe. The Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and the City Centre Mural Trail are highlights. It's just a 50-minute train journey from Edinburgh Waverley to Glasgow Queen Street station.
Map location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/m4E7UZtf6sdfVDZG7
North Berwick
A picturesque seaside town in East Lothian, perfect for a relaxing day out. Visitors can stroll along the sandy beaches, explore the harbour, visit the Scottish Seabird Centre, and or climb The Law where the Exmor Ponies graze the hillside. Direct trains from Edinburgh Waverley take only 35 minutes.
Map location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/TQgf5TVNVMokZgjj9
Melrose
Explore the charming market town of Melrose, which is home to the beautiful Melrose Abbey ruins. A direct train on the Borders Railway to Tweedbank station takes about 50 minutes, with a short connecting bus to Melrose.
Map location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Aj92J2CDDC2KLg519
Roslin
Home to the magnificent Rosslyn Chapel, a 15th-century chapel famous for its intricate stone carvings, mysteries, and its appearance in The Da Vinci Code novel and film. It is accessible by a 45-minute bus ride on the frequent Lothian number 37 service from Princes Street.
Map location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/W5qwxxpt5mKXtiSv7
St Andrews
Famous as the "Home of Golf" and the location of Scotland's oldest university, this charming seaside town features stunning coastal scenery, extensive beach walks, and the picturesque ruins of St Andrews Cathedral and Castle. The journey involves a train to Leuchars followed by a short bus ride, taking around 90 minutes total.
Map location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/AXBJZ7gWwgXcZKWo7
