How to use the shuttle bus to get to Edinburgh

[linedancer 73]

I Scotland anything from 12/13 degrees to around 21 degrees. We have a saying 4 seasons in one day. Hope you are lucky and get a nice sunny day.

[kellyclayt]

How late does the private shuttle run on Saturday and Sunday? We will be on Celebrity Silhouette next July 18-19. Our ship is scheduled to tender at 8:00 Saturday morning at leave at 23:00 Sunday night.

[tartanexile81]

Hi Kelly

 

I think yours will be the first overnight stay this year but usually the shuttle bus stops around 5:00pm and I think it's always the same. I'd advise you either take a local bus or use the train.

 

I don't have photos of the route but it is very easy and would only take about 10 minutes to walk to the local bus which costs £1.50 each way, although no change is given.

To take the bus, you

• go through the port gates and turn right through the car park where all the tour buses are.
  
• continue along the main street past the shops with the sea on your right.
  
• come to a junction where the road climbs up a steep hill on your left and there is an Indian take-away on your right. Go straight over there and you will see the bus stop on the same side as the police station after about 100 yards. You get the 40A into Edinburgh and the 40 back from Edinburgh.
  
• Stay on till you get to the bus station in St Andrews Square Edinburgh (30 minutes?) and when you walk out of it, you will see several hop-on, hop-off buses, or you can take a 2 minute walk onto Princes Street and see all the main sights.
  

Here is a link to the bus timetables and they run pretty late. http://www.stagecoachbus.com/PdfUploads/Timetable_49338_40%2040A%20Queensferry.pdf.

 

The train also runs till quite late but it could be quite difficult walking back from the station in the dark and personally I wouldn't do it.

Edited July 16, 2014 by tartanexile81

[kellyclayt]

Thank you, tartanexile81, for your incredibly helpful information. Even though our cruise is a year away, I like to start planning. I was unsure about this stop came across your posts.

 

I think a lot of passengers on this cruise will be heading out to St. Andrews for that little 😉 golf tournament going on there.

[exphyle]

There was quite a lot of talk on the forum last year about the shuttle bus in South Queensferry for Edinburgh. Some people felt it wasn't always available but all the times I've been volunteering this year it has been there throughout the day. The cost is £10 / $15 /15 euros per person return and the bus leaves when it is full. Today when I was at the pier, there were 3x51-seater coaches and 3 smaller vans.

Here are some photos to guide you.

 

The buses park at the top of the pier and to your left. Here is the operator showing the board. You pay at the coach:

 

 

 

The coaches depart every ten minutes or so at busy times and it takes around 25 minutes, depending on traffic, to get to Charlotte Square in Edinburgh. The bus stops in front of the National Records Office and that is also where you get the bus again to go back to the ship.

 

 

 

There is a garden and statue in the middle of the square.

 

 

You can also get the hop-on, hop-off bus from the same place. The green line is the one that has a live commentary in English.

 

 

With your back to the Records office and facing the statue, turn right towards Princes Street. It is about 100 yards and in the photo, the building called The Rutland is at the end of Princes Street.

 

 

At the other side of Charlotte Square, on the way down to Princes street, you can get a different ho-ho bus, the World Heritage Tour.

 

 

End of Part 1!

 

I know you were asked this before but I can't find the answer so please indulge me: I'm not sure what "Return Service" means. Is the cost in the picture $15 US for a round trip or just one way?

[phabric]

I will on the Ocean Princess arriving Friday August 14, 2015 DOCKING at Rosyth at 9am and leaving on the 15 at 6pm ( nearly 2 days).

 

I have seen the coaches when we tendered at South Queensferry when I was on the Caribbean Princess. Where do you get the coaches when you dock?

 

Will the shuttle be running on that date?

 

Is there a one way fare? We have our own tickets for the Tattoo on the 14th. I was thinking of taking the shuttle into Edinburgh and taking a taxi back to the ship.

[two_n_six]

I know you were asked this before but I can't find the answer so please indulge me: I'm not sure what "Return Service" means. Is the cost in the picture $15 US for a round trip or just one way?

 

Return means the same as round trip so yes $15 is all you need to pay.

 

tartanexile81 great information for visitors to our shores

Edited December 12, 2014 by two_n_six

[two_n_six]

I will on the Ocean Princess arriving Friday August 14, 2015 DOCKING at Rosyth at 9am and leaving on the 15 at 6pm ( nearly 2 days).

 

I have seen the coaches when we tendered at South Queensferry when I was on the Caribbean Princess. Where do you get the coaches when you dock?

 

Will the shuttle be running on that date?

 

Is there a one way fare? We have our own tickets for the Tattoo on the 14th. I was thinking of taking the shuttle into Edinburgh and taking a taxi back to the ship.

 

I'm not sure if a shuttle service runs from Rosyth but you could get a taxi from the port to Inverkeithing Rail Station (less than 10 minutes) where you can get the train to and from Edinburgh at a cost of £5 each way with a journey time of 20 minutes. The trains are quite regular and run approximately every 15 minutes. You would get off at Waverley station which is right in the heart of the city.

On the way back the last train is 23.19.

[tartanexile81]

I will on the Ocean Princess arriving Friday August 14, 2015 DOCKING at Rosyth at 9am and leaving on the 15 at 6pm ( nearly 2 days).

 

I have seen the coaches when we tendered at South Queensferry when I was on the Caribbean Princess. Where do you get the coaches when you dock?

 

Will the shuttle be running on that date?

 

Is there a one way fare? We have our own tickets for the Tattoo on the 14th. I was thinking of taking the shuttle into Edinburgh and taking a taxi back to the ship.

 

Phabric, If you're docking in Rosyth it's a very different proposition altogether. Rosyth is an industrial port, North of the river - i.e. at the other side of the Forth Road and Rail Bridges. This year, Rosyth was also the base for the construction of the new Forth Crossing and this created a bit of a problem for cruisers. I don't know yet what the situation will be for next year but this year for H&S reasons we weren't allowed to walk anywhere so there was a free shuttle from the ship to the terminal - even though it's only a couple of hundred yards. From there was another free shuttle to the

port gates - but that's pretty much in the middle of nowhere!!

 

This year, Princess ran a shuttle ($16??) to the station at Inverkeithing, from where there are trains every 10 minutes to Edinburgh Waverley, the main station in the city and close to the main sights. The other option is to get a taxi yourself to the railway station, or to the local bus station (Ferrytoll) which is even closer and there are buses also every 10 minutes to Edinburgh, or of course a taxi the whole way from the Terminal - about £40 this year.

 

You can buy one-way tickets on the buses and trains so getting a taxi back to the ship is quite feasible, but you might want to pre-book it as the taxis get incredibly busy as the Tattoo ends, and actually can't get very close to the castle anyway. There are however lots and lots of black cabs in Edinburgh.

 

Hope that's what you wanted to know. Let me know if I can tell you anything else.

[tartanexile81]

Phabric, If you're docking in Rosyth it's a very different proposition altogether. Rosyth is an industrial port, North of the river - i.e. at the other side of the Forth Road and Rail Bridges. This year, Rosyth was also the base for the construction of the new Forth Crossing and this created a bit of a problem for cruisers. I don't know yet what the situation will be for next year but this year for H&S reasons we weren't allowed to walk anywhere so there was a free shuttle from the ship to the terminal - even though it's only a couple of hundred yards. From there was another free shuttle to the

port gates - but that's pretty much in the middle of nowhere!!

 

This year, Princess ran a shuttle ($16??) to the station at Inverkeithing, from where there are trains every 10 minutes to Edinburgh Waverley, the main station in the city and close to the main sights. The other option is to get a taxi yourself to the railway station, or to the local bus station (Ferrytoll) which is even closer and there are buses also every 10 minutes to Edinburgh, or of course a taxi the whole way from the Terminal - about £40 this year.

 

You can buy one-way tickets on the buses and trains so getting a taxi back to the ship is quite feasible, but you might want to pre-book it as the taxis get incredibly busy as the Tattoo ends, and actually can't get very close to the castle anyway. There are however lots and lots of black cabs in Edinburgh.

 

Hope that's what you wanted to know. Let me know if I can tell you anything else.

 

Sorry for duplicating part of your answer two_n_six but I didn't see your second post when I replied.

 

I should also have added that this is the website about cruising locally with lots of useful information

http://www.cruiseforth.com

[NextOne]

Thank you for this information. A great help! Just one more question -- we arrive on the the NCL Star on Sunday Oct. 4. Will the shuttle service still operate at that time of the year? Thank you!

[NextOne]

Just a bump to see if I could get an answer to my question. I looked online, but couldn't find information about the shuttle.

Thank you!

[NextOne]

Still hoping for an answer about the shuttle service running in October. Any help would be appreciated!

[tartanexile81]

Still hoping for an answer about the shuttle service running in October. Any help would be appreciated!

 

Sorry I didn't see your post NextOne but I was away myself on a cruise from January through March.

 

The answer to your question is yes, the shuttle will run in October. We'll be there and so will the shuttle as is privately run and the operator basically follows the port schedule

Edited April 23, 2015 by tartanexile81

[Sammy1]

According to cruiseforth.com, our ship the Celebrity Silhouette will now be arriving on July 18th at Leith and tendering into Newhaven. Is there a shuttle similar to the one at South Queensferry to take us into Edinburgh?

 

Thank you!

Sam

[seacrystal]

We will be arriving in South Queensferry on the Royal Princess on Monday, August 10. Will the Fringe Festival interfere with the normal schedule? What can we expect in the way of traffic from the port to the Castle?

 

Thank you in advance for any information.

[tartanexile81]

It will be really busy around town Seacrystal but it doesn't usually affect cruise schedules. What are you planning to do?

 

It definitely takes longer to get from South Queensferry into town by road so if you'e on a tour they will hopefully allow for that. The best advice during the festival is to use the train but I guess that depends on how fit you are to be able to walk up to the station from the quay. Do you want advice on DIY-ing. It's so easy in Edinburgh.

[tartanexile81]

According to cruiseforth.com, our ship the Celebrity Silhouette will now be arriving on July 18th at Leith and tendering into Newhaven. Is there a shuttle similar to the one at South Queensferry to take us into Edinburgh?

 

Thank you!

Sam

 

You won't need a shuttle if you're arriving at Newhaven because there's a local bus (much cheaper) that will take you into town. South Queensferry is further from the city than Newhaven. Will look into what buses you can use and reply later

Edited May 2, 2015 by tartanexile81

[seacrystal]

It will be really busy around town Seacrystal but it doesn't usually affect cruise schedules. What are you planning to do?

 

It definitely takes longer to get from South Queensferry into town by road so if you'e on a tour they will hopefully allow for that. The best advice during the festival is to use the train but I guess that depends on how fit you are to be able to walk up to the station from the quay. Do you want advice on DIY-ing. It's so easy in Edinburgh.

 

Thank you for your quick reply tartanexile81!

 

Our thinking is to tour the Edinburgh Castle and just walk around the Royal Mile. I never thought of the train. I would appreciate advice on that.

[Sammy1]

You won't need a shuttle if you're arriving at Newhaven because there's a local bus (much cheaper) that will take you into town. South Queensferry is further from the city than Newhaven. Will look into what buses you can use and reply later

 

Thanks very much, tartanexile81. You have been a wonderful source of information on the CC boards on getting to Edinburgh. Keep up the great work!

 

By the way, would it be possible to actually walk to/from Newhaven into town? I've read its only about 2 miles.

 

Sam

[Peteymil]

You won't need a shuttle if you're arriving at Newhaven because there's a local bus (much cheaper) that will take you into town. South Queensferry is further from the city than Newhaven. Will look into what buses you can use and reply later

 

From cruiseforth.com

"The ship will now be tendering into Newhaven. A new arrival point close to the port of Leith. While many of the cruise passengers will be heading for Edinburgh, the visit allows attendance at the Open Golf Championship at St Andrews. Independent travellers may wish to use the popular 'golflink service' which will take them by train and transfer bus direct to the golf course - checkout the Golf and Scotrail websites closer to the event."

 

If we are going to the Open, would we taxi directly to the train station? Would you suggest Waverly or Haymarket station? Also, do you know if we should buy tickets in advance or at the station if we want to use the Golflink train/bus?

Thank you in advance.

[tartanexile81]

Thanks very much, tartanexile81. You have been a wonderful source of information on the CC boards on getting to Edinburgh. Keep up the great work!

 

By the way, would it be possible to actually walk to/from Newhaven into town? I've read its only about 2 miles.

 

Sam

 

Thank you Sam. It's possible to walk into the city from Newhaven but I wouldn't bother doing it as it's not a very interesting walk. There's a good regular bus service.

 

There is a great walk which follows the Water of Leith but I think it would take you too long. This walk takes you through different areas of Edinburgh, seeing a side most tourists won't see. We regularly start at Dean Village in the centre and walk to Leith (next to Newhaven) or vice-versa. Here's a link to the website. http://www.waterofleith.org.uk/walkway

[tartanexile81]

From cruiseforth.com

"The ship will now be tendering into Newhaven. A new arrival point close to the port of Leith. While many of the cruise passengers will be heading for Edinburgh, the visit allows attendance at the Open Golf Championship at St Andrews. Independent travellers may wish to use the popular 'golflink service' which will take them by train and transfer bus direct to the golf course - checkout the Golf and Scotrail websites closer to the event."

 

If we are going to the Open, would we taxi directly to the train station? Would you suggest Waverly or Haymarket station? Also, do you know if we should buy tickets in advance or at the station if we want to use the Golflink train/bus?

Thank you in advance.

 

Yes I read that as well on the cruiseforth site. I'm seeing our "leader" tomorrow so will ask if he knows any more about it. Maybe Celebrity asked for the change so you were closer to the city centre. Your ship would be too big for Leith so is obviously off-shore with a tender. There's been dredging work going on at Newhaven so they must be ready to accept cruise ships.

 

I checked the Scotrail website:

 

https://www.scotrail.co.uk/scotland-by-rail/events/open-golf

 

and as you can see it's not giving specific information yet so I suggest you keep an eye on it. You might be better to book tickets, as the trains will be very busy and with a ticket you'll get a seat.

[Sammy1]

Yes I read that as well on the cruiseforth site. I'm seeing our "leader" tomorrow so will ask if he knows any more about it. Maybe Celebrity asked for the change so you were closer to the city centre. Your ship would be too big for Leith so is obviously off-shore with a tender. There's been dredging work going on at Newhaven so they must be ready to accept cruise ships.

 

As of today, Celebrity is still advising there has been no change in the arrival and tendering arrangements for our Edinburgh stop. However, Celebrity seems to have a reputation of generally not providing timely info on docking or tendering arrangements. For example, on their website they don't even mention South Queensferry as the point of entry for Edinburgh. This of course leads to much confusion, especially for those that have booked private tours. So, if you can help find out what is actually now planned for our July 18th arrival, many of the almost 3,000 passengers on our ship would be most grateful!

 

Sam

[tartanexile81]

I've found out a bit more for those on Celebrity Silhouette and it is to do with the dredging at Newhaven I mentioned. The ports authority have moved three ships from South Queensferry to Newhaven as they've invested in the dredging operation at Newhaven which they're now developing as an alternative to South Queensferry. I love South Queensferry which is such an interesting, historic little town but as far as ease of getting into Edinburgh city centre is concerned, Newhaven is closer and quicker.

 

I also said I'd find out about buses from Newhaven so here are timetables for a couple of local buses which will take you into the city for the castle etc. You should get off in Frederick Street and will see the castle right in front of you if you look up! You pay the driver as you get on. Just ask for Frederick Street and he'll tell you how much it will be - probably £1.50. You put the coins in the slot by the driver then wait for your ticket to print. Just ask somebody on the bus to tell you when you get there and hopefully you'll find people very friendly. It will be a double decker bus so if you sit upstairs you'll get a great view. :)

 

 

http://lothianbuses.com/plan-a-journey/timetables/11

 

 

http://lothianbuses.com/plan-a-journey/timetables/16

 

Hope you love Edinburgh as much as I do.