Edinburgh

Edinburgh
<map lat='55.9353563623487' lng='-3.179168701171875' zoom='10' view='0'/>
Information
Country:	Scotland
Population:	471.650
Major roads:	M8, M9, M90
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Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland.

Hitchhiking out

West towards Glasgow

A sign stating your destination or the road you're hoping to get onto might be helpful due to the high concentration of towns and places in the central belt between Glasgow and Edinburgh.

To head West take a bus out to Ratho Station (number 48, stops at Princes Street), and get off at the petrol station before the M9 meets the M8. This is a good place: cars can see you from a way off, there's plenty of space for them to stop and it is easy to backtrack from if necessary. Don't go with the bus until Ferrytoll, the Park & Ride Area - it's difficult there.

A harder spot, due to the nature of the junction, is close to the train station Edinburgh Park / Hermiston Gait commercial centre. There is a roundabout there that precedes the junction of the A8 with the A720 (Edinburgh bypass). The junction itself is a high-traffic area, but the Hermiston Gait roundabout offers some space for cars to stop and some visibility. To get there, simply take the high-frequency Lothian Bus 22 from the centre, and get down right at South Gyle mail centre. There is a walkway after the DHL warehouse (Cultins Rd), which leads to the Edinburgh Park station. Pass the station and turn right on the boulevard: the roundabout is right there.

North towards Perth

To head north (through Perth) the best place seems to be on Queensferry Road, just past Barton junction: plenty of traffic going north, they see you from far and there are many good spots with some space for cars to stop, especially a large bus stop. To get there, take bus 43 or x43 from the city center (George Street, 1.30£) and ask the driver to be told when you're at Barnton juction. Follow the bus for about 500 metres and you'll reach said bus stop. A sign might be helpful but is not absolutely necessary.

Heading South or East

There are three main ways south:

• the A70, which heads south-west, through which one will eventually hit the A74(M)
• the A68, which heads due south through the Borders
• the A1, which follows the east coastline. There has been some success getting on the A1 from Tranent: a safer bet is to take the bus 44c from st.Andrews square to Musselburgh, get off before the crossing of the River Esk, and walk south along the river towards the A1. There is a service station there: on occasion rides also go from there down the A74 and the A68.

-> to get on the A1 from tranent is pretty easy: take the bus number 26 that says tranent on it, from the center, it goes through Portobello and Musselburgh in case you're located there. Get off the bus after 30-40 min, ask the driver for the last stop before the bus crosses the A1. Walk alongside the road there and go left on the roundabout and you're already on the sliproad to the A1. You can try it on the road onto it, cause cars are going more slowly, or you just walk til the end of the sliproad and you find the first layby just about a few metres further on, you can see it as you walk along from further away. Here you can get the cars from both directions.

Some anonymous hitchhiker joined the southbound M74 by hitching down the A702. Just catch the bus #4 of Dalry rd for 1.20 and get off where the circle Edinburgh city bypass loop passes under a bridge (about 30 mins on the bus). Walk south through two roundabouts and there's a good place to hitch as the cars exit the second roundabout straight onto the A702. This hitching spot has lots of room for cars to pull in as it's parking for a golf course on the west side of the road and some ski slope thingy. You'll see. Some anonymous hitchhiker hitched here twice. First time took 10 mins, second took about 50. Probably be quicker for a girl.

trash:Edinburgh