Get to QMU - By Public Transport
The campus is well served by public transport with Edinburgh City Centre a six minute train journey away.
Rail Travel
We have two train stations close to campus operating ScotRail services:
Musselburgh Station is directly outside the campus entrance and runs regular services into Edinburgh which takes around 6 minutes.
Newcraighall Park and Ride Station is a 15 minute walk away or a 20 minute journey on the number 30 bus.
The lines operating at these stations are:
- The North Berwick Line (calling at Musselburgh Station)
- The Newcraighall Line (calling at Newcraighall Park and Ride Station)
For times and tickets go to the ScotRail website. To access the cheapest tickets make sure you get a free Smartcard.
Download the ScotRail app to keep up to date with the latest train times.
Cycles on trains
If you don't live in walking distance of a train station then why not consider cycling? You can take your bike on the train with you and store it on campus. For long distance routes you need to reserve a space on the train for your bike. More information on cycling and train travel can be found here.
Bus Travel
Lothian Buses
For the most up to date information visit the Lothian Buses website or download their app.
Lothian Buses services 4 and 30 terminate at QMU, while service 106 also serves the campus, stopping on Queen Margaret University Drive, with connections towards the Western General Hospital and Haddington. Service 48 stops on Whitehill Farm Road, a short walk from campus, and provides connections to Musselburgh, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, Dalkeith and Gorebridge.
Together, these services provide regular links between QMU, Edinburgh city centre and destinations across Edinburgh, East Lothian and Midlothian. Route options, timetables and the latest service information are available on the Lothian Buses website
For more details regarding Lothian Bus links into campus please check out their map and routes to QMU (External PDF).
TapTapCap contactless payment on Lothian Buses gives you unlimited travel around the city for £5.70 a day
Prentice of Haddington Buses
Prentice of Haddington operates a number of bus services across East Lothian, including connections between Haddington and Fort Kinnaird, and between Haddington and Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. Service 111 also stops at Stoneybank/Whitehill Gardens, a short walk from QMU. For up to date routes, timetables and service information, visit the Prentice of Haddington website.
Using more than one public transport operator
If you need to use more than one public transport operator, consider using One-Ticket, which offers integrated tickets for travel across participating bus operators in South East Scotland. Depending on the ticket purchased, travel can also include rail and Edinburgh Trams. Bus tickets can be purchased through the One-Ticket mobile app.
By train
The train is the fastest way to the campus, with the journey taking around 6 minutes from Edinburgh Waverley Station. Musselburgh train station is right next to our campus, a two minute walk from the main academic building. You should take the North Berwick train from Waverley Station. Musselburgh is the first stop. See the ScotRail website for train times.
By bus
Lothian Buses service 30 stops on campus and runs every ten minutes with an approximate journey time of 35 minutes from Edinburgh city centre. More information on the route of the number 30 is available on the Lothian Buses website.
For people who are not familiar with Edinburgh, you can catch the number 30 from several bus stops on Princes Street. You can buy a single or a day ticket. The day ticket will enable you to unlimited travel for that day on all Lothian Buses (except the ‘Airlink’ bus). The Lothian Buses service 4 also runs through Princes Street and on to Hillend.
From Edinburgh Airport, you can take the Airlink 100 to Waverley Bridge in Edinburgh city centre and continue to QMU by bus or train using the directions above.
A lower cost alternative is Lothian Buses service 18, which operates between Edinburgh Airport and Fort Kinnaird. The journey takes around 1 hour 15 minutes, so this option will generally take longer than travelling via the city centre, but it can be cheaper and avoids travelling through central Edinburgh.
From Fort Kinnaird, Lothian Buses services 30 and 106 both provide onward connections to QMU. Service 30 terminates on the QMU campus, while service 106 also stops at the University on Queen Margaret University Drive. The journey from Fort Kinnaird to QMU is relatively short, typically around 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the service.
For the latest routes, fares and journey times, check the Lothian Buses website before travelling.
By train
Musselburgh Station is located immediately beside the QMU campus, around a two minute walk from the main academic building, and is usually the most convenient station for travelling to the University. Regular ScotRail services operate between Edinburgh Waverley and Musselburgh, with a journey time of around six minutes. Musselburgh is also served by trains to and from destinations in East Lothian, including Wallyford, Prestonpans, Longniddry, Drem and North Berwick.
Newcraighall Park and Ride Station is around a 15 to 20 minute walk from the QMU campus and is served by the Borders Railway, providing connections with Edinburgh Waverley, Midlothian and the Scottish Borders.
If travelling from West Lothian or Stirlingshire, you will generally need to travel via central Edinburgh and change for an onward service to Musselburgh or Newcraighall.
For the latest train times, fares and journey information, visit the ScotRail website.
By bus and walking
QMU is served directly by several bus services. Lothian Buses services 4 and 30 terminate on campus, while East Coast Buses service 106 also serves QMU, stopping on Queen Margaret University Drive. Service 48 stops on Whitehill Farm Road, a short walk from campus.
Depending on where you are travelling from, it may also be convenient to take service 26 to Musselburgh High Street and walk to the University. The walk from Musselburgh town centre to QMU takes around 15 minutes.
From Musselburgh High Street, walk towards the River Esk and follow Esk Side West alongside the river towards Stoneybank. Continue onto Eskview Terrace, then turn right onto Whitehill Farm Road. Continue along Whitehill Farm Road towards Musselburgh Station and the entrance to the QMU campus.
For the latest routes, timetables and journey planning information, visit the Lothian Buses website.
You can get a train to Musselburgh Station from North Berwick, Drem, Longniddry, Prestonpans and Wallyford Stations. See the ScotRail website for train times.
The Lothian Buses service 4 runs between Hillend and the university, 7 days a week, and will make use of the A1, providing a more direct link.
Newcraighall Park and Ride Station is served by the Borders Railway, providing regular rail connections between Edinburgh Waverley, Midlothian and the Scottish Borders. The station is around a 15 to 20 minute walk from the QMU campus. For timetables and fares visit ScotRail.
Staff Loan Scheme
University staff are able to apply for an interest free loan to cover the up-front cost of purchasing an annual season ticket for trains and buses. Repayments of this loan will be via salary deduction over a 12 month period (subject to rules for short term contracts) Contact the Payroll team for further details.
