A range of ceremonial events will happen in Edinburgh following the death of Her Majesty The Queen. Following the death of Her Majesty the Queen and her lying at rest in St Giles' Cathedral on the Royal Mile, large crowds of visitors who wish to pay their respects will be arriving in Edinburgh. Significant disruption in the city centre, including road closures, school closures and public transport diversions will occur. Welcome Week These changes may have some impact on access to University buildings, but we are planning to continue with Welcome Week activities, noting that this is a crucial part of our students’ arrival, to provide you with information you need about your programmes and all student life, as well as a chance to meet people and make friends. Welcome ceremonies for new students will go ahead as planned at the McEwan Hall on Monday at 11:30 and 14:30. A full list of activities is available below and on the app. Welcome Week events Paying respects A queuing network for those who wish to pay their respects at St Giles' Cathderal will be set up through the city along a pre-agreed route, which is likely to stretch from George IV Bridge into Bristo Square and George Square. Since we can expect large numbers of people in the area, please be respectful of others who are queuing. Full details of the commemorative events are now available on The City of Edinburgh Council website, including the processional route, queuing system, and road closures and public transport information. The City of Edinburgh Council Travel guidance The guidance is to avoid any non-essential travel through the city centre, particularly the Old Town, during this period. I would encourage you to use public transport whenever possible given the anticipated high volumes of road closures, checking the latest public transport timetabling, which of course may change at short notice. Please note that the shuttle bus between Central and King’s Buildings campuses will not be operating on 12-13 September. Details of travel options are available below: Transport | The University of Edinburgh Transport for Edinburgh If you are taking part in these commemorative events, please plan ahead and take account of weather conditions, limited facilities and the likelihood of spending long periods at the roadside. Books of condolence You will be able to contribute to a number of books of condolence across our campuses at these sites from Monday afternoon: Old College Reception Murray Library, King’s Buildings Chancellor’s Building, BioQuarter The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Easter Bush Ceremonial and events guidance - Scottish Government This article was published on 2024-08-01
