Arriving in Edinburgh
Last updated 20 March 2024
We have set up an arrival process for people who have been displaced by the conflict in Ukraine and who have chosen to come to live in the Edinburgh area. We are working closely with Scottish Government and other partners, including Volunteer Edinburgh, EVOC, Edinburgh Airport and Police Scotland, to make sure we give the warmest possible welcome to those arriving in our city.
At Edinburgh Airport
We have volunteers from Volunteer Edinburgh providing a welcome in the arrivals halls at the airport. They will be there every day when we are expecting people who have travelled from Ukraine.
Once you have cleared the borders and customs checks, please make your way to the Arrivals Halls. Depending on when you arrive, our volunteers will direct you either to the Welcome Hub or overnight accommodation. We will provide free bus transport to the Hub.
If you arrive when our volunteers are not at the airport, please look out for our “Welcome to Edinburgh” banners, which have our 24-hour helpline number, 0131 200 2306 (+441312002306). Our team on the helpline will give advice and help if you need accommodation or transport immediately. They will also let the welcome hub know that you have been in touch to make sure they are ready to support you the next day they are open.
At the railway or bus station
If you are arriving at Edinburgh bus station or Waverley train station and need immediate help with accommodation or other support, please call us on 0131 200 2306 (+441312002306). If our Welcome Hub is open, we will arrange for transport to take you there. If the hub is not open, our team will give you advice.
Welcome Hub
Please note: the welcome hub will be closed on during the Easter weekend, from 29 March to 1 April 2024. it will reopen on Tuesday 2 April. If you need support during this time, please call us on 0131 200 2306 (+441312002306).
We have set up the Welcome Hub to support people travelling under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme, including the Scottish Government’s Super Sponsor Scheme. We will also support hosts.
At the Hub, we will give you a short but very warm Scottish welcome. If you are meeting your host at the airport, we would still encourage you to visit the Welcome Hub as soon as you can after arriving. We will ask some questions of you and your host (if you have one) to confirm your identity. We will also ask if there is anything you need immediately to make your first few days more comfortable and share information about living in Scotland.
The welcome hub is open
- Monday to Thursday 9am to 5pm
- Friday 9am to 4pm
If you arrive in Edinburgh after 4pm on a Friday, please call our 24-hour helpline number, 0131 200 2306 (+441312002306). Our team will arrange for temporary accommodation for you and organise for you to visit the welcome hub on Monday morning. We will talk you through the accommodation options available in Scotland.
Support available for when you arrive
If you qualify for a resettlement grant under the UK and Scottish Governments’ Ukraine schemes, we will give you an initial cash payment of £50 if you are living in the Edinburgh area. You will be able to collect the rest of the payment from our Customer hub at 249 High Street once you are settled – we will let you know about this at the Welcome Hub.
We will also arrange for you to be supported by other professionals, if you need including health and social care, education and voluntary/third sector.
Welcome hub location
Our Welcome Hub is in the Gyle Park area of Edinburgh:
Vega Building, Clocktower Estate, Flassches Yard, South Gyle Crescent, Edinburgh EH12 9LB
The Clocktower Estate is located off South Gyle Crescent. From the airport take the exit to the Gyle Shopping Centre on the Gogar roundabout. Continue on South Gyle Broadway through the two large roundabouts. At the third large roundabout take the third exit onto South Gyle Crescent. Flassches Yard is first left. Continue on Flassches Yard. Vega Building is the last building on the left-hand side.
Images from Google copyright Getmapping plc, Infoterra Ltd and Bluesky Maxar Technologies, The Geoinformation Group, Map data 2023
Getting there by public transport
Bus
Nearest bus stops are the Bankhead Drive stops on South Gyle Access (two minutes’ walk away). Lothian bus services stopping at these stops are:
- 12
- 22
- 21
- 400 Skylink (airport bus).
Tram and train
The nearest tram stop is Bankhead, five minutes’ walk. Edinburgh Park station, with rail and tram services, is approximately 16 minutes’ walk.
