Accessibility Guide for The Museum of Edinburgh

Travel by public transport

You can get to The Museum of Edinburgh by bus, train and tram.

There is a stop conveniently outside the museum entrance and the opposite side of the road. Service 300 runs between the Airport and Ocean Terminal. Here is a link to the online timetable: https://lothianbuses.co.uk/timetables-and-maps/timetables/300 The nearest train station is Waverley. The train station is 0.4 miles / 0.6 km from The Museum of Edinburgh.

The nearest tram station is Princes Street. The tram station is 0.9 miles / 1.4 km from The Museum of Edinburgh.

If not using public transport to get to Princes Street, we recommend travelling via Jeffrey Street; then Market Street opposed to via the Royal Mile because Jeffrey Street is mostly flat and downhill. 

You can get a taxi with City Cabs by calling 0131 228 1211. The taxi company has a wheelchair accessible vehicle.

Parking

There is a drop-off point at the main entrance. The drop-off point has a dropped kerb.

The Museum is located on the main road, which gets very busy at certain times of the day. There is no on-street parking and restricted drop-off areas. However, there is a bus stop with a dropped kerb outside the museum: a quick drop-off is then possible, but it is difficult to wait for people for a long period of time. 

Path to main entrance

From the street to the main entrance, there is 1 step. There is no ramp and no lift.

Main entrance

The main door is side hung and manual.

The main entrance has 1 steps.

Accessible through the side courtyard to the left of the main entrance

There is also a door (h: 2020 x w: 920mm) to the courtyard entrance with a very small step, however, it does not affect wheelchair access.

Visual Impairment - General Information

Some parts of the venue have low lighting.

Ticket/ information desk

The desk has a low section.

The main desk with the till is 1m off the ground; the lowest section is 72cm. 

Ground Floor temporary exhibition

Some display information is low, for wheelchair users.

The ground floor temporary exhibit, the toilet, the shop and buggy park are all accessible to wheelchair users by the side entrance. The rest of the museum exhibits are located upstairs and, unfortunately, are only accessible via the stairs on multiple levels. The museum is housed in a series of 16th to 18th centuries buildings, so there is also no lift. If you have mobility issues but are able to use the stairs, there is a handrail to help you and seats in the exhibition rooms if you need to rest.

Public toilet

Ground floor toilets

There is a public toilet for disabled visitors.

From the main entrance to the public toilet, there is level access. The toilet door is 900mm wide.

The direction of transfer is to the left.

There is 1400mm in front of the toilet. The toilet seat is 460mm high. The toilet has handrails.

In the accessible toilet, you can find baby changing facilities.

Shop

Ground Floor shop

The route through the shop is 800mm wide, or more.

The ticket desk is located in the shop. It is open plan with no aisles, but there are some high shelves. There is always a member of staff on duty if you need any assistance. 

Buggy Park

There is allocated space to leave buggies and wheelchairs on the ground floor. If you have limited mobility but are able to walk upstairs, it is possible to leave your wheelchair, walking aid, or mobility scooter in this space. Please, ask a member of staff to highlight this area on arrival. 

Courtyard

From the main entrance to the gardens, there is level access.

The courtyard is accessible by side entrance on the street level or via the temporary exhibition space on the ground floor. As previously stated, wheelchair users can enjoy this space and access the ground floor via the courtyard.

No smoking permitted in this area. 

Picnic Area

2nd courtyard

You can bring your own food to the picnic area.

This courtyard is accessible via the upper museum levels, at the end of the visitor route. Also, for wheelchair users, it is accessible via a side gate called "Bakehouse Close" to the right of the museum's main entrance. The gate is sometimes locked and sometimes open if there is a volunteer. You can access the courtyard where there is a ramp and, then the basement Courtyard Gallery where there is an interactive display. There is a small step but the staff have a portable ramp, so please ask them for help. 

Accessibility equipment

There is not toilet area for assistance dogs in the museum. The nearest place is a public park (Holyrood Park) about 0, 3 miles from the museum.

We have other services for people with accessibility requirements.

Please, ask for assistance if you need help in any way.