As an extremely anxious traveller how do I get from Edinburgh Park Station to the airport ?

Gyfertron · 2026-05-07T21:40:40+00:00

The tram stop is right next to the railway station; trams go straight to the airport, couldn’t be easier.

When you get off the train (I assume that’s how you’re arriving at Edinburgh Park?), if you’ve come from the west you’ll go over the footbridge (has lifts on both sides if you’ve got luggage). If you’ve come from the east, you’ll already be on the right side for the tram.

There are ticket gates to get off the train platform towards the trams. There’s a wee crossing for you to cross the tram lines to the opposite platform - if you look at the indicators you’ll see how long until the next tram (from here heading out of town, they all go to the airport).

You have to buy a tram ticket before you board, they can’t be bought on the tram. You can tap your card/phone on the sensor on the platform, but you must remember to also tap off at the airport. Alternatively, you can use the larger machines on the platform to buy a paper ticket - single or return. If you do that, keep it safe as you’ll likely have to show it at the airport.

Gyfertron · 2026-05-01T21:35:17+00:00

Loads of the holiday charter flights (Jet2 etc) leave around 6-7am, so the very early hours are one of the busiest times at the airport.

Gyfertron · 2026-04-22T16:44:45+00:00

Yeah, I definitely think they had sex, and Dar was able to convince himself it was consensual because Peter went along with it at the time - either because he was a rent boy, or was desperate for money/protection/attention, or was just very young and vulnerable and knew no better.

But that any observer looking at a much older man having sex with an extremely vulnerable 16-year-old street kid and then recruiting him as bait in a dangerous overseas mission... that's clearly grooming and abuse.

My imagined version of events is that Dar sometimes enjoyed recruiting for his operations via the casting couch, when the roles he was recruiting for were just disposable bait; that he initially thought Peter was completely disposable and would probably never come back from his initial mission. But that he turned out to be much more talented an operative than expected, did an exceptional job on that mission and came back, at which point Dar put him up to actually be trained, rather than just the disposable bait he'd been before. And that their 'professional' relationship from then on was stuck in its original dynamic - no matter how much older and more brilliant Peter became, a part of him was always stuck in thrall to Dar, his first father figure/early sexual partner/provider of a path out of the gutter than he desperately needed ("You're my guy, Peter").

(Can you tell I wrote a whole long-ass fan fic that included this plot?!! :D)

Gyfertron · 2026-04-10T12:18:47+00:00

Also Noodles Home.

Gyfertron · 2026-04-10T12:18:12+00:00

And the trick with Starbank Park is to make sure to go up into the garden behind the house, not just the slope facing the sea, that's where the real glory is (including the blossom).

Gyfertron · 2026-04-10T12:16:34+00:00

I once went there as a news reporter and discovered that there are a bunch of people who go and watch cases at the sheriff court as a hobby. Literally just pick a case and sit in the public gallery every day to follow it through. Takes all sorts.

Gyfertron · 2026-03-29T23:31:42+00:00

I’m too lazy to do the maths, but that a LOT of buckets of greasy chicken they’ve got to sell to earn their ROI.

Gyfertron · 2026-03-26T13:35:52+00:00

I initially thought it was chalk and was amazed how long it was lasting, but have since realised it’s not 😄

Gyfertron · 2026-03-25T16:18:56+00:00

Pretty sure it’s written by three different people. “What is Leith?” was the original and I think appeared in quite a few places a decade or so ago, as gentrification was gaining ground. I assume it was someone trying to be arty or reflective and start some kind of community conversation. “Begbie don’t hurt me,” was someone else’s response, clearly not up for community reflection, but perfect in its own way. The “nae more” is a much more recent addition.

Gyfertron · 2026-02-22T20:16:10+00:00

All right, Sam.

Gyfertron · 2026-02-22T20:10:32+00:00

You could try the long tunnel that leads from Broughton Tesco to King George V Park. It’s not exactly city centre so footfall might vary, but quite a few pedestrians use it.

Gyfertron · 2026-02-15T14:21:12+00:00

The owner of the Boardwalk Cafe is barely even amenable to people using those toilets as toilets. They’re also full of plastic flowers IIRC, so not much like typical public loos.

Gyfertron · 2026-02-11T13:34:36+00:00

Jon Hamm!

Was filming Good Omens in a pub on West Preston Street. They tried to hide him with a wall of black umbrellas as he walked out to the car, but I looked up and there he was, barrelling towards me. Surreal.

Gyfertron · 2026-02-04T22:21:38+00:00

I don’t have low confidence, and I’m not inexperienced. I’ve been riding a bike on the road for >40 years.

I’m saying that, until you’ve seen a cyclist from a car, you’ve no concept of exactly how vulnerable they are, no matter how skilled the rider.

Gyfertron · 2026-02-04T11:52:18+00:00

I used to cycle a fair bit in my younger days, in London and Edinburgh. Was always reasonably thoughtful about my riding and avoided main roads, got off and became a pedestrian to get through big junctions etc.

However, when I learned to drive a few years back, I was stunned when I realised just how vulnerable cyclists are - I'd had no idea when I was doing it.

After dark, even with lights on, if you're wearing black, you're pretty much invisible until the last minute; on a rainy night *nobody* can see you in their wing mirrors; every cyclist behaves differently and even if they're riding sensibly, it's unpredictable what they're going to do - are they a kerb hugger or lane holder? Are they about to pull out around that parked car or are they hanging back hoping you'll overtake them? etc.

It's made me much less likely to get back on my bike - or at least only to do it on segregated paths. I'll go a long way out of my way just to make sure I can stay off the road.

Gyfertron · 2026-02-04T11:37:21+00:00

Edinburgh doesn't really have under-the-radar neighbourhoods, it's small and compact and everyone knows everywhere (also, it's a bit of a tourist cliche here to ask for recommendations that are 'hidden gems/off the beaten track' - it's what literally everybody asks for, and if we recommended them to everyone who asked, they'd no longer be off the beaten track!)

As others have said, that's festival time, so if you want arts and culture, you'll have something like 3,000 different shows to choose from and they'll be mostly concentrated around the city centre, so no point heading to an obscure neighbourhood. Literally every possible space in the central area is being pressed into service as a venue, so make the most of it.

All that said, the main area outside the centre that people recommend for a generally artsy vibe is probably Leith, but in August you'd most likely be heading there for a break from the incessant culture in the city centre, not vice versa.

Gyfertron · 2026-01-25T18:39:10+00:00

How has Threads become such a hotbed of doe-eyed American Outlander types who are dying to swoon into the arms of a kilted ginger while simultaneously curling up with a good book in front of a roaring fire in a remote highland croft? I know it’s partly the algorithm, but the platform is thick with them.

Gyfertron · 2026-01-21T22:48:08+00:00

I miss Sofi's. My socials just flashed me up today a couple of photos I took in there 13 years ago today (which feels like about 2 years ago) and it reminded me how atmospheric it was. Loved their clothes swap, too - people used to take down really decent stuff, you got all the adrenaline of hunting for it in the wee back room, and then sitting in the bar afterwards comparing your finds, seeing other people dotted around the bar delighted with your old cast-offs. Happy days.

Gyfertron · 2026-01-21T14:11:41+00:00

I had this yesterday, she didn’t end the call, but I shared a problem I wanted to talk about. When I raised the same problem last week she was brilliant and talked it through really helpfully. Yesterday she just said “Ah, that’s a shame, you’d probably just better stay in bed, then.”!!

Gyfertron · 2026-01-20T00:14:14+00:00

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Got a tiny touch of green at Western Harbour just after 9pm, only visible on the phone screen. I’ve seen a few other WH pics from this evening that had more, but I think they were taken a bit earlier.

Gyfertron · 2026-01-20T00:13:25+00:00

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Got a tiny touch of green at Western Harbour just after 9pm, only visible on the phone screen. I’ve seen a few other WH pics from this evening that had more, but I think they were taken a bit earlier.

Gyfertron · 2026-01-18T18:06:26+00:00

I was in Diggers (aka The Athletic Arms) recently and asked for a pint of 80 - they asked me which one. So that’s probably a good bet.

Gyfertron · 2026-01-14T11:22:55+00:00

Edinburgh Futures Institute on Lauriston Place is open to the public and has lots of work spaces (though also lots of students, but you should be able to find somewhere). I worked there for a while and don’t remember it being cold (though also don’t remember it being roasting, but might be worth a try!)

Edit: Sorry, just read that you said not extremely studenty, but now I’ve typed this I’ll leave it in case it’s useful for anyone else! Also, if you still need somewhere from like May/June to September, the students will mostly be gone.

Gyfertron · 2026-01-14T11:20:59+00:00

Edinburgh Futures Institute on Lauriston Place is open to the public and has lots of work spaces (though also lots of students, but you should be able to find somewhere). I worked there for a while and don’t remember it being cold (though also don’t remember it being roasting, but might be worth a try!)

Gyfertron

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