Whether you’re planning your next city break or thinking of heading to the Scottish capital for its famous New Year’s Eve celebration – Hogmanay – this mini travel vlog is packed with useful tips for a wheelchair-accessible visit to Edinburgh.
Join Joe Logue, Community Manager at Euan’s Guide, as he shares his insider recommendations and experiences.
Accessible places covered include:
Haymarket Station
Edinburgh trams
Princess Street Gardens
St James Quarter
St Andrew Square
Edinburgh Street Food
Fruitmarket
Grassmarket
Video transcript
Joe: Hi everyone, my name is Joe Logue and I’m the Community Manager at the disabled access charity: Euan’s Guide. Today, I’m here with Motability in Edinburgh to show you some of my favourite locations. We’ve started with Haymarket as I find it easier to navigate than the rather busy Waverley Station. And when you arrive here, you'll find there are lifts, accessible ticket gates and plenty of level access throughout. Come with me!
Joe: I find the tram the easiest way to get around Edinburgh. I love the fact that the tram has level boarding and there's lots of accessibility features nearby. For instance, this little handy tap-in tap-out terminal is just here. It also has Braille for visually impaired users.
Joe: There are a few extra features that I’d like to show you. So there are chairs here, for anyone needing a moment to rest and tactile paving just on the platform edge. And if you follow me around, you’ll see there is a handy marker for where wheelchair users are to board the tram.
Joe: The first stop on our journey will be Princess Street and we're taking the tram there. Whilst I’m on the tram, I'd like to highlight a few extra features.
Joe: So first of all, just to our right, you'll see there’s Braille marking on the alarm sign here and there’s an intercom to speak to anyone should there be an emergency. And there’s plenty of space here for a wheelchair, especially a wheelchair as big as mine.
Joe: We’ve arrived at Princess Street Gardens, coming via the most accessible entrance we could find. Quite a few of them are rather bumpy, so please be mindful of that. But here we found, although steep, it was quite smooth to navigate. And it is worth it to come and see this wonderful fountain and the castle up here in the background.
Joe: The one thing they forget to tell tourists in Edinburgh is to look out for bears. But luckily, this one's friendly. Join us now as we head to St James Quarter.
Joe: Whether wheeling or walking, St James Quarter is a short distance from Princess Street Gardens. But if you'd like to travel in comfort, you have the option of taking a bus or a tram to St Andrew Square. But while we're here, let's see what's inside.
Joe: One of the things that I like about St James Quarter is that it has level access throughout. It also has a lot of spacious lifts to get you up and down.
Joe: It is also worth noting that this location has several accessible toilets as well as a Changing Places toilet. Let's go see what it’s like.
Joe: As you see here, we have an adjustable change bed, a ceiling track hoist, a shower, an adjustable sink with handrails on either side and a toilet, which also has grab rails on either side.
Joe: My favourite place to eat in Edinburgh is Edinburgh Street Food. You'll find that’s just around the corner from the Omni Centre, and it’s one of my favourite places to go because not only is it accessible, there's a massive range of food options.
Joe: Let's see what they have. The one thing to say from this place is that the menu is quite extensive, so much so that it took us ages to decide. But when we came around to deciding, we ordered using this handy QR code. And in the end, we ended up with a spicy chicken sandwich, waffle fries and a sushi burrito. Cheers!
Joe: Now that we've had our fill of Edinburgh Street food it's time to check out a little culture. Let's go to our next destination!
Joe: So here we are at Fruitmarket, which is a gift shop, bookshop, cafe and event space. And this is the gallery space. Unfortunately, this isn't working, so I can’t challenge anyone to a game of Street Fighter. But come with me and we'll see what there is to see.
Joe: So I’ve quickly stolen the camera to show you this really cool feature of this lift. Not only does it have Braille buttons, it also has ...vocal harmony.
Joe: So we stopped for a coffee at Fruitmarket, after seeing the exhibition.
Joe: I was quite impressed by how spacious it was and the fact that folding chairs are provided for those who would like to sit down and enjoy the art. I will have one quick coffee before zooming off to our next stop. See you there!
Joe: Now we’ve arrived at our final stop, the Grassmarket, which is just down the road from Victoria Street. It's known for a few things, particularly views of the castle here.
Joe: But also it’s a nice place to sit outside on a sunny or not so sunny day or to go into one of the few accessible bars on the street.
Joe: And that concludes our day in Edinburgh. Thank you very much for letting me show you my favourite accessible places in the city. And please don't forget to like, subscribe and all that good stuff. Cheers!
