Pollock Halls

Travelling to Pollock Halls

Pollock Halls of Residence is the main student accommodation site in the city, with over 2,000 rooms for undergraduate students. The site also provides conference and events facilities, and year round hotel accommodation for visitors. The site is located within a mile of the city centre and the University's Central Area, and one and a half miles from the King’s Buildings.

The address of Pollock Halls is: 18 Holyrood Park Road, Edinburgh, EH16 5AY.

You can use the map below to find University buildings and other campus facilities. Clicking on a building will bring up its address, and other useful information.

Pollock Halls is located on the south-eastern edge of the city centre, about 1 mile from the University's Central Area. There are several bike routes to the site:

  • If coming from the Central Area, then the quietest route is to follow the signposted National Cycle Route 1 from the Meadows. This is a mixture of segregated cycle paths and quiet streets.
  • If you are coming from the east side of the city, then the Innocent Railway path provides a traffic-free route from Joppa and Portobello.

The following websites can help you plan your cycling routes:

There are a range of bike parking facilities across the campus. These can be viewed on the map above by selecting the “Cycle Facilities” layer.


Pollock Halls is directly served by many bus routes, calling at the Commonwealth Pool bus stop:

Lothian Buses service 2Lothian Buses service 14
Lothian Buses service 30Lothian Buses service N30
Lothian Buses service X33Lothian Buses service 33
Borders Buses service X95Borders Buses service 51

Additionally, many more bus services are available from Newington Road, a 5-minute walk away.

To plan your journey, try using the Traveline Scotland journey planner.

Traveline Scotland journey planner

Buses from further away

Inter-city coaches terminate Edinburgh Bus Station, near St. Andrew Square and Princes Street. From here there are many local buses that call at either the Commonwealth Pool or Newington Road bus stops (see above).

Useful links


You should get a train to Waverley Station, which is the main train station in Edinburgh. From here there are many local buses which travel to Pollock Halls (see above).

Scotrail provide train services to/from the rest of Scotland. LNER run fast services to Newcastle, York, and London King’s Cross. For trains to other parts of the UK, check the National Rail website.

Edinburgh Tram services run from Edinburgh Airport to Newhaven, via the city centre and Leith. The closest stop to the Pollock Halls is Picardy Place. From here a bus service 14 runs directly to Pollock Halls (see above).


Pollock Halls is located on the south-eastern edge of the city centre. Traffic congestion can be a problem, and parking is strictly controlled. We recommend against travelling by car unless it is essential for your journey.

The postcode for Pollock Halls is EH16 5AY.

Parking at Pollock Halls

Parking at Pollock Halls is extremely limited. Generally, there is no student car parking at Pollock Halls. Parking permits are only issued to disabled students  with Blue Badges, or in exceptional circumstances. For more information on parking permits at Pollock Halls, and how to apply, please see the links below.

During arrival periods, parking is for drop-off only. You cannot park your vehicle on site once you have unloaded, and should instead move it to on-street parking nearby as soon as possible.

Park & Ride facilities

There is free parking at Sheriffhall Park & Ride, just off the A7. Fast and frequent buses (services 33, X33, and 51 - see above) connect this site to Pollock Halls - the journey time is around 15-20 minutes.

City of Edinburgh Council parking

City of Edinburgh Council control parking on the streets surrounding Pollock Halls. Some streets are require a residents' permit at all hours. Some streets are controlled by a residents' priority permit system at certain hours (timed to prevent use by commuters). There are a limited number of pay-and-display bays on surrounding streets.

From June 2024, a Low Emission Zone (LEZ) will be enforced by the Council. This covers much of the University’s Central Area. Whilst Pollock Halls is outwith the LEZ, it is very close to the boundary.  Driving a non-compliant vehicle into the LEZ will result in a penalty charge notice.


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