Life's a Journey

Tips for Seeing the Islands and Highlands in a Wheelchair

What follows in these posts represents resources we used during our 24-day trip to Scotland in July and August of 2009. I traveled with friends, one of whom has a spinal cord injury that caused incomplete quadriplegia. I am not taking bathroom facilities into account, as special accommodations in her case were unnecessary. We were most concerned with having a spacious room that could be reached by built-in ramp or with the aid of a portable sidewalk ramp, and doorways and hallways that were easy to navigate. There may be other, perhaps even better, resources available, but this is what we found.

Finding Accommodations

• Contact Visit Scotland, the official site of the Scottish Tourist Board, when planning your trip. They helped Dale make the majority of our reservations and were very helpful.
• Order a copy of Accessible Scotland from the Scottish Tourist Board.
• If you can’t find suitable accommodations through the Scottish Tourist Board, search for local tourist boards. Not all establishments choose to be listed with the Scottish Tourist Board, and we found the local tourist offices to be very helpful.

Where We Stayed — Edinburgh

Pollock Halls of Residence, University of Edinburgh. During the summer, this dorm becomes a very nice B&B. Our building was newer and very nicely accessible. A full Scottish breakfast (and more) was served daily in the John McIntyre Centre. Wi-Fi is available for an additional fee, but the signal is limited. You could always access the Wi-Fi in the Reception Centre or in the Absorb Café Bar, which offered light meals, snacks, and even a few alcoholic beverages in the evening.

The location is very convenient. My room had a lovely view of Arthur’s Seat. Disabled parking is very limited, and during the crowded days of The Gathering, it was very difficult to find a place to park. Also, a ramp that led from the Reception Hall to our building was closed, so Sara Jean had to go around the building – very inconvenient in the cold, drizzly weather. The Reception Centre staff at Pollock Halls were phenomenally helpful. I would definitely stay there again if I were in Edinburgh during the summer.

Pollock Halls of Residence

Pollock Halls of Residence, University of Edinburgh

Pollock Halls of Residence, University of Edinburgh