Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh Campus - Active Travel

Walking and Cycling Routes and Facilities

The Edinburgh Campus is located between two major quiet routes out of Edinburgh city centre: the Union Canal path and the Water of Leith path. These routes avoid busy main roads, and are suitable for walking and cycling as an alternative to vehicular transport to and from campus.

The Map below shows the many quiet routes that exist within Edinburgh, as well as the longer distance National Cycle Network. The dashed red lines show the linking routes to the Heriot-Watt campus.

Further information on Edinburgh's cycling and walking infrastructure can be found on the  Edinburgh City Council website  with point to point cycle route planning available at  Cycle.Travel .

On Campus cycling infomation and assistance can be found at  The Bike Bothy , a cycling hub just off the Main University Avenue (see Traffic-free Cycling Routes, Cycle Parking & Facilities on the Edinburgh Campus map - below)

Edinburgh Cycle information - zoom and navigate your way around the map above

There are a number of quiet campus access points for when you're on foot or travelling by bike, which link to the variety of paths and roads that can be used to navigate your way around  the campus . The map below highlights where these are and the routes from them onto campus.

Access points and routes onto the Edinburgh campus - zoom, scroll and click on the map items for for information.

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      The Bike Bothy
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      Bike Tools
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      The National Robotarium
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      GRID
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      Bike Tools

  • Showering facilities

    • builder.map.customSymbolImage
      2 showers
    • builder.map.customSymbolImage
      1 shower
    • builder.map.customSymbolImage
      2 showers
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      4 showers
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      3 showers
    • builder.map.customSymbolImage
      1 shower
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      1 shower

  • Bike Parking (secure)

    • Postgraduate Centre (Gait 2)
    • Gait 1
    • Earl Mountbatten Building (Gait 1)

  • Bike Parking (open) - Buildings

    • Main Reception
    • Main Reception
    • Lord Balerno Building
    • Safeguarding Services (Gait 6)
    • William Perkin Building (Gait 2)
    • William Arrol Building (Gait 3)
    • John Coulson Building (Gait 3)
    • James Nasmyth Building (Gait 3)
    • Scott Russell Building (Gait 3)
    • David Brewster Building (Gait 2)
    • Student Union
    • George Bruce Building
    • GRID
    • The Lyell Building (North)
    • The Lyell Building (South)
    • Jim Brown Building
    • Oriam (East)
    • Oriam (West)
    • Oriam (North)
    • Henry Prais Building

  • Bike Parking (open) - Halls

    • Leonard Horner Hall
    • George Burnett Hall
    • Robin Smith Hall
    • Robert Bryson Hall
    • Lord Thomson Hall
    • Christina Miller Halls
    • Christina Miller Halls
    • Murial Spark Hall
    • Lord Home Hall
    • Mary Fergusson Hall
    • Anna Macleod Hall

  • Cycle Paths

    • CM & LH Halls - Main Reception
    • Student Union - Oriam Sports Centre
    • Student Union to Hugh Nisbet Building
    • Research Park North to Main Entrance
    • Main Reception to Oriam Sports Centre
    • LT, GB & RS Halls to Library
    • Research Park South access - Calder Rd
    • CM & LH Halls - Research Avenue South

Traffic-free Cycling Routes, Cycle Parking & Facilities on the Edinburgh Campus

We are exploring how we can make active travel a more feasible option for commuters, by improving on-campus facilities such as storage and showers.

What would be helpful, and where?  Let us know using this short form .

While the time taken to travel to campus, be it on foot or by bike, will vary by individual, the map below shows approximate travel times by bike. It is worth noting that from Edinburgh city centre, the journey times by bike are generally equivalent to or faster than travelling by car or bus.

    • Main Reception

  • Approximate Journey Times

    • 10 minutes cycle time
    • 20 minute cycle time
    • 30 minute cycle time

Average cycle times to/from Heriot-Watt University

Images captured while travelling to and from our Edinburgh Campus - what might you see?

Have any comments, queries or suggestions about this page?

Contact our Sustainability Team at SustainableHWU@hw.ac.uk

If you would like to find others who cycle to campus, please feel free to join the  Cycling at Heriot-Watt University Facebook Page  or join our community on  Love to Ride!  You can log your journeys, contribute to challenges and see who else is cycling to Heriot-Watt University.

If you would like an appointment at The Bike Bothy please call 0131 451 8400 or email Evan Oliphant at e.oliphant@hw.ac.uk

If you are interested in purchasing a bike or e-bike through the Heriot-Watt Cycle to Work Scheme,  more information is available here .