Hotels near Royal Highland Centre

The Royal Highland Centre is at Ingliston, Edinburgh, postcode EH28 8NB, on the western edge of the city. The venue's phone number is +44 (0)131 335 6300. It describes itself as Scotland's largest indoor and outdoor venue, and says it welcomes over a million people a year. It is far enough from the city centre that you should plan your journey rather than assume you can walk or hop in a short taxi.

By road, the venue says it is next to Edinburgh Airport and near the M8 and M9, off the A8 Glasgow Road between the Newbridge roundabout and the A8 and Airport roundabout. Its directions say to turn onto Eastfield Road from the A8 and Airport roundabout, then follow the venue signs along Fairview Road onto Ingliston Road. Use EH28 8NB as the postcode, which is the only sat nav reference the venue gives.

By tram, the Edinburgh tram line runs to the airport, and the nearest stop to the venue is Ingliston Park and Ride. The venue's getting here page says trams run every seven minutes between 06.18 and 22.48 and that the journey into the city takes about thirty minutes. It also says trams connect with rail at Edinburgh Gateway, Edinburgh Park, Haymarket and St Andrew Square, which is the stop for Waverley. Edinburgh Trams itself says trams run every seven minutes through the daytime, seven days a week, and every ten minutes in the early morning and the evenings.

The walk from the tram stop is the part visitors underestimate. The venue's getting here page says it is a ten to fifteen minute walk from Ingliston Park and Ride, but its accessibility page measures 2,230 metres from the stop to the North Turnstiles and says it is about a twenty five minute walk to the North Entrance. Plan for the longer figure if you are carrying kit, and remember that the distance to your hall inside the site is on top of it. For some large events the venue says tram shuttle buses run.

By train, the venue names Edinburgh Gateway, by Gogar and The Gyle, as the nearest station, with Haymarket and Waverley also well connected. Edinburgh Gateway and Edinburgh Park have tram stops, so for most rail passengers the plan is train to Edinburgh Gateway or Edinburgh Park, then tram to Ingliston Park and Ride. By air, the venue is next to Edinburgh Airport and says it is about a ten minute walk along Fairview Road. If you are flying in for a show, you can walk or take a short taxi.

The venue's hire page describes over 18,000 square metres of covered indoor space and 110 acres of parkland, with a main arena and an outdoor track area. Its accessibility page gives the practical layout for visitors, and this is the best official description of the entrances that we could find.

There is a North Entrance with North Turnstiles, and a West Entrance. The accessibility page measures distances from the North Turnstiles: the Highland Hall and its Changing Place and toilets are 140 metres away, the Main Ring is 230 metres, the RHASS Pavilion is 420 metres, and the Lowland Hall is 450 metres. The page also notes that the east side of the site has no ramp access to the Central Hall, although the east side is the venue's recommended taxi drop off point. If you have limited mobility, ask the event organiser which entrance to use.

The Highland Hall has wide doors of 1.79 metres. Its foyer has an accessible toilet and a Changing Place, and a lift serves the second floor. The venue says that floor has no accessible toilets and is mainly used for conferences, exhibitor registration and back of house. A ramp links the Highland Hall to the Central Hall, and the corridor between them has two accessible toilets and baby changing.

The Lowland Hall is a single level building reached by a lowered pavement. Its doors are 1.66 metres wide with a small floor lip, there are side fire exit ramps, and it has two accessible toilets. The Strathmore Restaurant is reached by ramps from 13th Avenue on the west side. The RHASS Pavilion has an accessible toilet, a Changing Place and a baby changing room.

The venue also lists a West Toilet Block, with an accessible toilet about 20 metres from the West Entrance. It says wheelchairs and mobility scooters cannot be hired at the venue. Portable hearing loops and ear defenders are available during events through the organiser, and assistance dogs are welcome throughout. The venue gives no quiet room.

The tram is the most useful public transport option, and it ends earlier than many show days. The venue's getting here page quotes services from 06.18 to 22.48. Edinburgh Trams' own timetable page lists the last tram from Edinburgh Airport toward the city at 22:52, and for Ingliston Park and Ride on Monday to Friday it shows a last departure toward Newhaven of 22:54. That page does not state an effective date, so the exact minute may have changed. Treat the last tram as about ten to eleven at night, and check the operator timetable on the day.

Those times matter because shows often run into the evening, especially concerts, festivals and anything with a big final session. If you are walking from a hall that is 450 metres from the North Turnstiles, then up to 25 minutes to the tram stop, you need to leave well before the final tram. If you will miss it, plan an alternative before you travel.

We could not verify last bus times, so we do not state any. The venue's accessibility page lists the bus stop outside the Moxy Hotel on Eastfield Road, served by Citylink 902, 909 and AIR, Lothian 100 Airlink, 17 and 18, and Stagecoach 747. The same page says the bus stop is about 1,160 metres from the North Turnstiles, and describes the journey on foot as about twenty minutes. The getting here page says Lothian service 98 and extra services run from the city centre for selected major events, and that timetables vary during major events. Citylink coaches drop off on the A8 close to the venue. For a music event the accessibility page says chartered Happy Bus coaches run for most music events.

Last trains from Edinburgh Gateway, Edinburgh Park, Haymarket and Waverley are set by the train operators and we did not verify any. Check National Rail on the day. For a late finish, the simplest answer is a hotel nearby, or a taxi, which the venue says should drop off and pick up at the east side of the site.

The venue says it has three car parks with space for 15,000 vehicles. Signage on the day will direct you to the best car park for your event, so you do not choose in advance. Parking is by contactless card payment only, so bring a card or phone that can pay contactless. The venue does not quote prices on the page we read and tells visitors to check the event website for costs or contact the venue, so do not assume the cost is the same as a previous event.

For Blue Badge holders, the venue says to display your badge and you will be directed to accessible parking, which is free. The accessibility page adds that accessible parking does not need to be booked in advance, and that the North Car Park is about 50 metres from the North Turnstiles.

The venue gives no car park names beyond the North Car Park, so we have not invented any. The entry route is as follows: from the A8 and Airport roundabout, turn onto Eastfield Road, follow signs along Fairview Road, and continue onto Ingliston Road. Because the venue is next to the airport and the M8 and M9, traffic can be heavy on major event days such as the Royal Highland Show, so allow extra time.

If you are staying at a hotel in the airport area, check whether the hotel charges for parking, because it can be a real cost on a multi night trip. Travelodge's Ratho Station page says its parking is free but limited and first come first served, and Premier Inn's Edinburgh Airport (M9, Jct1) page says parking at the hotel is limited and chargeable. Check the current terms at the time of booking.

The Royal Highland Centre is not in the city centre, and this shapes where to stay. There are two sensible choices. You can stay on the Ingliston and airport side, close to the venue, or you can stay in Edinburgh and use the tram. The best choice depends on whether you are exhibiting, whether the event is a day or a weekend, and how much of the evening you want to spend in the city.

The airport side is the practical option for exhibitors and anyone with an early start. The venue lists Moxy Edinburgh Hotel, HIX Edinburgh Hotel, DoubleTree Hilton and Tynecastle Park Hotel on its getting here page. The venue's accessibility page places a bus stop outside the Moxy Hotel on Eastfield Road. The Premier Inn at M9 Jct1 and the Travelodge at Ratho Station are further out along the A8 and M8 corridor, and need a car or taxi.

The city side is better for a longer trip. The tram takes about thirty minutes from the venue to the city, according to the venue, and connects at St Andrew Square for Waverley and at Haymarket. The disadvantage is the last tram, which is around ten to eleven at night, and the walk at each end. If you plan to be in the city for dinner and then come back to the hall for an early start, stay near the tram line.

For a one day event such as a comic convention or card show, a hotel near the airport is the lowest effort. For a multi day event, such as the Royal Highland Show, book early and expect the closest hotels to sell out far in advance. If you need a hotel for a team, you can book with a company invoice and ask for a custom quote.

We found two budget chains in the area, and neither is within walking distance. We name them honestly because the real question for most visitors is what is the cheapest sensible base.

The Premier Inn Edinburgh Airport (M9, Jct1) is described by Premier Inn as just off the M8 and close to the M9 and routes to Edinburgh Airport. Its page says it is a fifteen minute drive from the airport's main terminal and mentions limited chargeable on site parking. It does not mention the Royal Highland Centre. Treat it as a short drive or taxi, not a walk.

The Travelodge Edinburgh Airport Ratho Station is at Ratho Park on Glasgow Road, with the sat nav postcode EH28 8QQ. Travelodge says it is about six minutes by car from Edinburgh Airport and that it can be reached only from the westbound A8. It offers free but limited parking, on a first come first served basis, and no airport transfers. The on site Bar Cafe serves breakfast and evening meals from 5pm to 10pm.

Neither hotel is on the tram line, so allow for a taxi or a car. We do not quote room prices here because they depend on the date and on the show. During major events nearby budget rooms go quickly. If you are booking several rooms, a company invoice and a custom quote are available through Event Escapes.

There are very few hotels you can reach on foot from the exhibition halls, and the honest answer is that most are in the airport area, a walk or short taxi away. The venue's getting here page lists four hotels as nearby: Tynecastle Park Hotel, Moxy Edinburgh Hotel, HIX Edinburgh Hotel and Doubletree Hilton. It does not give distances for any of them, and we could not verify distances from the hotels' own websites, which blocked our requests.

What we can verify from the venue is limited but useful. The bus stop on Eastfield Road is outside the Moxy Hotel, and it is 1,160 metres from the North Turnstiles, which suggests a walk of roughly twenty minutes. The venue also says the airport is about a ten minute walk along Fairview Road, and the hotels the venue lists are in that direction, though it gives no distances. Tynecastle Park Hotel is listed by the venue, but we did not verify where it is, so do not assume it is next door.

The practical advice is to treat the airport hotels as walking distance only if you are happy with a walk of fifteen to twenty minutes each way, with kit. For a short stay, a taxi to the east side drop off point is quicker, and avoids the long walk to the North or West Entrance in poor weather.

If you are an exhibitor, ask your organiser where other exhibitors stay. Some organisers may arrange rates with nearby hotels. The venue's own pages do not publish a hotel partner list.

The upscale hotels named by the venue are the DoubleTree Hilton and the Moxy Edinburgh Hotel, both in the airport area. We could not read either hotel's own website, so we cannot state their facilities or exact distance from the halls. What we know from the venue is only that they are listed as nearby.

If you want a higher standard of hotel, the airport area is where the venue's own list of nearby hotels points. A DoubleTree is a Hilton brand and a Moxy is a Marriott brand, and both are the kind of hotel used by business travellers who need an early flight or a morning in the halls. That is general chain information rather than something verified for these two sites, so check their pages for current facilities and for parking charges.

The alternative for a higher end stay is a hotel in the city centre and the tram. That gives more choice, but the thirty minute tram and the final tram time of around ten to eleven at night matter, as set out above. For one night before a big show, the airport side is usually easiest.

If you need an upscale hotel for a team or a client group, send us the dates and we can request a custom quote, and a company invoice is available.

The venue lists catering options on its hire page, and the accessibility page names the Strathmore Restaurant, reached by ramps from 13th Avenue on the west side. What is on offer on a given day depends on the event, so check the organiser's information. We did not verify opening hours for any food outlet on site.

Outside the venue, we did not verify any specific restaurants or pubs near the site. The honest summary is that we found no restaurants listed on any of the venue's pages, so evenings out realistically mean your hotel's restaurant or the city. For hotel dining, Travelodge's Ratho Station page says its Bar Cafe serves evening meals from 5pm to 10pm and breakfast on weekdays and weekends. Premier Inn's Edinburgh Airport (M9, Jct1) page says breakfast and dinner are available in its restaurant.

For an evening in the city, the tram is the way in. The venue says the journey takes about thirty minutes, with connections at Haymarket and St Andrew Square. Because the last tram toward the city leaves around ten to eleven at night, it is worth planning your return by taxi before you leave.

Some events have their own evening programmes. For example, Pumpkins After Dark Edinburgh is listed by the venue for 9 to 31 October 2026, and the Titanic Exhibition for 28 November 2026 to 14 February 2027, so the site is not empty after dark. Check the event page for hours.

For visitors, look at the event website before you travel. The venue says parking costs, timetables and extra buses all depend on the event. Parking is by contactless card only, accessible parking is free and does not need to be booked, and you should display your Blue Badge on entry.

Wear shoes for walking. Between the car parks, the tram stop and the halls, you may walk more than you expect. The accessibility page gives distances from the North Turnstiles, so use them to plan: the Highland Hall is 140 metres, the Main Ring 230 metres, the RHASS Pavilion 420 metres and the Lowland Hall 450 metres.

For taxis, use the east side of the site as the drop off point, as the venue advises. The east side has no ramp access to the Central Hall, so if you need step free access, ask the event team or a steward on arrival.

For exhibitors, the Highland Hall second floor is mainly used for exhibitor registration, conferences and back of house, and a lift serves it. The venue's hire page says it has a dedicated events team and technology for conferences. The pages we read do not publish loading times, power specifications or hall sizes, so ask the organiser for the exhibitor manual.

If you have accessibility needs, the venue publishes an Access Statement and asks for enquiries by email or phone, with replies aimed within five working days. Requests for other formats need 14 days' notice. Ear defenders and hearing loops can be requested through the organiser. Wheelchairs and scooters cannot be hired at the venue, so bring your own.