Accessibility

Accessibility

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General Information

Summerhall Arts is committed to improving access to exhibitions and events. We welcome D/deaf and disabled customers and aim to make your visit as enjoyable and stress-free as possible.

If you have any questions or feedback about access, please contact us via email at: .

Where possible, reasonable adjustments have been made to the venue to give the best access for customers with disabilities or access requirements. However, Summerhall is a B-listed building and over one hundred years old, therefore not all of our venue spaces are fully accessible. We continue to upgrade our facilities and welcome any suggestions and advice.

The venue includes accessible toilets on the Ground Floor, First Floor, on the Techcube Ground Floor and in the Royal Dick Bar (information below).

All dogs, including guide dogs and hearing dogs, are always welcome at Summerhall. Dogs must always be kept on a lead.

Entering the building

The main entrance to Summerhall has 9 stone steps with no railing. Step-free access is via the side entrance on Summerhall Square. 

As you enter through the side entrance, The Royal Dick bar is situated to your right (with a ramp at the rear of the bar). There is a ramp directly ahead of you across the courtyard – this leads to the Main Building, including the Box Office, exhibitions and Café.

Travelling to and from Summerhall

Taxis & Cars

On most days outside of the Edinburgh Festival period, taxis and other vehicles can drop passengers off directly in the courtyard (using the vehicle gate on Summerhall Square and announcing their arrival using the intercom system), however there is no onsite public parking within Summerhall. On days that the courtyard is closed to vehicle access (e.g. during the Festival period), taxis and other vehicles can drop passengers off directly outside the accessible entrance by the vehicle gate on Summerhall Square.

Blue badge holders can park on single yellow lines on Summerhall Square.

Buses

South Clerk Street, just behind Summerhall, is served by the following buses: 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 29, 30, 31, 33, 37, 47, 49, N3, N30, N31, N37.

Train

The nearest train station is Edinburgh Waverley on the east side of Princes Street. It takes approximately 20-30 minutes to walk, 10-20 minutes on a bus or 5-15 minutes in a car to reach Summerhall.

Venue Accessibility

Below is a list of our venue/event spaces and the floor on which they are located. There is lift access to some of the First Floor and Basement spaces. Further information about individual shows can be obtained from the Box Office, as some venue spaces that ordinarily are wheelchair accessible may not be for certain shows.

Main Hall Lift:
  • Lift door: 92cm
  • Lift space: 124cmx188cm
Ground Floor Venues and Galleries:
  • Anatomy Lecture Theatre (wheelchair position on stage, dependent on event. No seating position available on-stage for personal assistant. 4-10 steps to seating. Hearing loop installed)
  • Fringe Box Office (Hearing loop installed)
  • Demonstration Room (wheelchair position on stage, dependent on event. No seating position available on-stage for personal assistant. Hearing loop installed)
  • Library Gallery
  • Deans Office / Press Office
  • Old Lab (hearing loop installed)
  • Sciennes Gallery #1
  • Sciennes Gallery #2
  • TechCube Zero (access via Main Summerhall building, no access via TechCube entrance)
  • The Royal Dick (ramped access via a second entrance around back. No lowered counter)
  • War Memorial Library
  • Summerhall Arts Boutique
First Floor Venues and Spaces:
  • Main Hall – (Main Hall lift)
  • Lab Gallery (Main Hall lift)
  • The Dissection Room (No raised platform, 27 steps up. Lift access available)
Basement Venues and Spaces:
  • Basement Gallery (Main Hall lift)
  • Lower Library Gallery (Main Hall lift)
  • Former Women’s Locker Room (Main Hall lift)
  • Former Gent’s Locker Room (Main Hall lift)
  • The RUTS (Main Hall lift)
  • Red Lecture Theatre (14 steps down to the space, a further 10 steps through the seating and onto the stage. Currently no level access. Hearing loop installed)
Toilet Locations:

Ground floor

  • Reception – One all-gender toilet (1 step up)
  • Sciennes Gallery corridor – all-gender toilets, 4 cubicles (level access)
  • Cafe Corridor – Three all-gender toilets, 1 adapted with baby change facilities (level access)
  • Anatomy Lobby – One all-gender toilet (level access)
  • Techcube – One all-gender toilet (currently no level access)
  • Old Lab – One all-gender toilet (level access, closed in Festival period)

1st Floor

  • Main Hall (Galleries-side) – Two all-gender toilets (lift to 1st floor, 2 steps up)
  • Main Hall (Demarco wing-side) – One all-gender toilet (lift to 1st floor, level access)
  • Dissection Room – Two toilets, 1 all-gender with urinals and 1 cubicle, 1 all-gender with 3 cubicles (27 steps up)

The Royal Dick Bar

  • One all-gender toilet, 1 cubicle & urinals (1 step down)
  • One all-gender toilet, 3 cubicles – 1 large (1 step down)
  • One all-gender toilet, adapted (level access)