The British Society for Literature and Science
Eighteenth Annual Conference
Craiglockhart Campus, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh
13-15 April 2023
Registration for the 2023 BSLS Annual Conference is now open until Monday 6 March 2023. Register here. The draft programme is available here.
The registration fee structure offers different rates for waged, unwaged, and remotely participating delegates.
In person, waged: £220
In person, unwaged: £120
BSLS bursary recipients: £20
In-person delegates, note that the rate includes: transport from Craiglockhart to the city centre at the end of the day on the 13th and to the conference dinner venue on the14th; out to the campus in the morning on the 14thand 15th; lunch on all three days; evening drinks and light food on the 13th.
Remote, waged: £50
Remote, unwaged: £30
Conference dinner: £38
Conference Location
Edinburgh Napier University, Craiglockhart Campus, 219 Colinton Road, Edinburgh, Midlothian EH14 1DJ www.napier.ac.uk/about-us/our-location/our-campuses/craiglockhart
Getting to the Conference venue and local travel
On the Friday and Saturday mornings, there will be a conference bus from the city centre to Craiglockhart campus. On the Thursday and Friday evenings, there will be a bus from the campus back into town. So, you only need to get yourself to Craiglockhart on Thursday (registration from 11.00, first session about 13.00), and away again on Saturday after lunch (about 13.00).
By train from the south or east, you will arrive at Waverley station; from the west and north, at Haymarket (all these trains continue to Waverley – but you can get a bus or taxi to the campus from Haymarket which is a little closer).
Craiglockhart Campus is supplied by bus routes 4, 10, and 27 from the city centre. Catch the 10 and 27 from Waverley, or the 4 from Haymarket. Do make use of the Transport for Edinburgh app for more bus stop locations, routes, and live bus times and tracking.
To get to the campus from the airport you can either get a taxi or Uber, or catch a bus or tram to Haymarket station and then the number 4 bus.
If you are driving, the campus has plenty of parking.
For more detail, see: https://staff.napier.ac.uk/services/facilities/sustainability/transport/Pages/Craiglockhart-Travel.aspx
Useful links:
- For buses and trams, the Transport for Edinburgh app: https://tfeapp.com/
- For taxis, CityCabs: citycabs.co.uk/, or Central Taxis: www.taxis-edinburgh.co.uk/
- For general travel planning and information, TravelLineScotland: https://www.travelinescotland.com (they also have an app)
- For train updates while you’re travelling: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk
Staying in Edinburgh
Edinburgh offers a full range of accommodation from backpacker hostels to budget hotels to glitzy hotels, but it’s a popular tourist destination all year and my main piece of advice is to book soon.
Craiglockhart Campus is in a mainly residential area, and you are likely to be staying more centrally in Edinburgh. The conference buses will be leaving from somewhere near Lauriston Place/ Tollcross/ Fountainbridge, south/south-west of Princes Street.
Some places to look:
- VisitScotland: https://www.visitscotland.com/destinations-maps/edinburgh/accommodation/
- Forever Edinburgh: https://edinburgh.org/accommodation/
- Edinburgh has a number of Premier Inns and Accor hotels (Ibis).
- There are several hostels in the city centre, such as Castle Rock or Edinburgh Backpackers
- The Bruntsfield Hotel thebruntsfield.co.uk/
- Point A Hotel pointahotels.com/our-hotels/edinburgh
- Gilmore Place has several b&bs, hostels, and small hotels – see com or Google maps.
Contacts and social media
- General enquiries: bsls2023@napier.ac.uk
- Conference organiser: Emily Alder (alder@napier.ac.uk)
- BSLS membership secretary: also Emily Alder (alder@napier.ac.uk)
- Twitter: @TheBSLS
- If you’re posting, please also use: #BSLS2023
Things to do in Edinburgh
Indoors:
- Surgeon’s Hall Museums https://museum.rcsed.ac.uk
- National Museum of Scotland https://www.nms.ac.uk/national-museum-of-scotland/
- National Library of Scotland https://www.nls.uk
Outdoors:
- Holyrood Park and Arthur’s Seat https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/holyrood-park/
- The Royal Botanic Garden https://www.rbge.org.uk
- Craiglockhart Hill https://sobt.co.uk/walk-craiglockhart-hill/
Eating and drinking
It’s hard to know where to start in Edinburgh, but see EH1.Com and, if it helps, here are some Places Emily Likes:
Cafés and restaurants
- Down the Hatch (popular with Canadians)
- Holy Cow (vegan cafe)
- Henderson’s (vegetarian restaurant)
- Hula (café)
- Le Bistrot (in the French Institute)
- Lovecrumbs (fabulous cakes)
- Loudon’s (brunch, cakes, coffee)
- Project Coffee (coffee, light meals)
- Oink (hog roast)
- The Original Mosque Kitchen (Indian and South Asian)
- The Rabbit Hole (French-ish restaurant)
- Seeds for the Soul (vegan cafe)
- The Three Birds and The Apiary (sibling bistros)
- Ting Thai (on Teviot Place and also on Lothian Road)
- Union Brew Lab (coffee)
- Zest (Indian and Bangladeshi)
Pubs:
- Bennet’s (Victorian, beer, whisky)
- Cloisters (traditional, great range of beer, light meals)
- The Cambridge Bar (contemporary, great burgers)
- The Hanging Bat (contemporary, craft beer, light meals)
- The Oxford Bar (of Inspector Rebus fame)
- Sandy Bell’s (traditional, beer, whisky, music)
- Spry Wines (fancy wine bar)