Coherent Structures in Physics and Biology

Edinburgh 1995 -- Information for Visitors

Arrival

We will be running a "share a taxi" information service, email me your flight details and arrival time and we will try to put you in touch with others arriving on the same flight if you want to share a taxi from the airport.

If you are staying in campus accommodation, report to the main reception area in the James Watt Building, open 24 hrs, where you will be given your room keys and instructions about breakfasts, etc. From here it is a short walk of about 200m to the residences. Conference registration will take place 9:00-12:00 Mon 10 July in the sunken lounge outside Lecture Theatres 2 and 3.

The main cafeteria in the University closes at 1900 each day (including weekends). After 1900 it is possible to get a selection of pub food from the Lectern Pub (situated on the ground floor of the Hugh Nisbet Building, opening hours evenings 1700-2300 Mon-Sat, 1830-2300 Sun.)

Climate

Daytime temperatures in Edinburgh in July can vary between 12 and 30 Degrees C, though not usually in the same day! Winds can be nonexistent or heavy, precipitation likewise. Be prepared for any situation, you will almost certainly need waterproofs and sweaters at some stage. However, the residences are very close to the main lecture theatres and facilities.

Local Facilities

There is a small student shop on the campus selling food, newspapers, stamps, phone cards, etc. There is a book shop (Thins) with good connections to larger book shops in the city (books are tax free in the UK and often cheaper than elsewhere in Europe). If the book you want is in the city centre branch, it can be delivered to the campus the next day. There is a bank (see below), a hairdresser, a laundrette, and a medical centre, including dental facilities. We have a good sports centre with facilities for jogging, weight training, badminton, squash, table tennis, tennis, and croquet (but no swimming pool). The University gardens include a 18th century sunken lawn and many fine trees. There are several bars on the campus, and a number of pubs within 30mins walking distance (the best is probably the Riccarton Arms, ask for directions).

The Pentland hills 2km south of the campus offer extensive walking facilities.

Payment of conference and residency fees

Please pay in cash, or by eurocheque, or by a cheque drawn on a British bank. You can obtain cash from the bank on the campus in a variety of ways (see below). Unfortunately we're not able to accept payment directly using credit cards, you will have to use the bank to get cash from these and pay the cash to us.

Banking Facilities

The Royal Bank of Scotland has a branch on the campus adjacent to the lecture theatres. This is open Mon-Fri, 9:30-11:30 and 12:30-15:30. You will be able to obtain cash from Visa and Master Card cards, providing you have your passport or identity card with you. There is no charge at this end for this facility, but your credit card company will apply the usual charges for this. You can cash travellers cheques here, there will be no charge if the cheques are in sterling. You can also cash eurocheques, up to 100 pounds per cheque, up to three cheques per day. In some cases the bank can cash personal cheques written in a foreign currency, but the charges for this are higher, and not all cheques can be processed this way.

There is also a cash dispenser open 24hrs which will take cash cards from many banks and also Visa and Master Card cards. For these you will need your 4 digit PIN number, if you have an alphabetical PIN the bank will be able to give you instructions how to translate it into a numerical one.

University smoking policy

Smoking is not allowed anywhere inside the University except in designated areas. The nearest designated area to the lecture theatres and coffee area is 50m away, or you can go outside. Smoking is permitted in bar areas. Smoking is also permitted in bedrooms, though not of course if you are sharing a room with a non-smoker. These rules are adhered to very strictly!

Communications

We hope to arrange a telnet facility so you can read your home email in the normal way.

For snail mail, use the departmental address:

c/o Soliton Conference
Department of Mathematics
Heriot-Watt University
Riccarton
Edinburgh
EH14 4AS, UK

Telephone messages: +44 (0)131 451 3224 (answering machine out of hours)
Fax: +44 (0)131 451 3249

Emergencies: Control Janitors +44 (0)131 451 3500

The City

You should certainly take the chance to see Edinburgh during your visit (though not of course during the conference hours!). It is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, and if the sun is shining it will be light in July until well after 9pm. There is a regular bus service from the University, see the timetable and maps near the University Reception desk, and our getting here page. The map you will be given on arrival will list the usual tourist attractions, and we have a restaurant and pub guide.

General

We hope you have a pleasant and productive stay here, and the local organisers will do all they can to make it so. But please bear in mind that even small requests can add up to a considerable burden when this is multiplied by 80 participants. The organisers are only human and would like time to attend at least some of the talks and talk to participants about scientific matters. Any problems with accommodation should be directed to the main University reception desk in the first instance. Try to direct all reasonable general enquiries to the secretaries on duty in the first instance. If we get tetchy towards the end of the week please forgive us, if you've organised a meeting yourself you'll know what it's like, if you haven't, you'll never believe some of the things you get asked!
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Last modified 30 June 1995

Chris Eilbeck / Heriot-Watt University / chris@ma.hw.ac.uk