Located in the suburb of Ingliston, 9 kilometres west of the city centre, is Edinburgh Airport. It’s the sixth busiest airport in the United Kingdom, transporting over 11 million passengers a year. Visitors to Scotland who wish to visit the mythical Scottish lochs, historic cities and picturesque eastern coastline tend to arrive here.
Flights into Edinburgh airport operate domestically, from Europe and the American East coast. The terminal is also utilised by cargo carriers such as DHL and UPS. There’s plenty to see and do around the airport, as there are several bars, fast food restaurants and traditional gift shopping experiences inside the terminal building. Outside, the adventure really begins. Edinburgh Airport is 10 minutes’ drive from the picturesque district of South Queensferry. The Forth Rail Bridge starts here, transporting visitors across the river to the Kingdom of Fife. Classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Forth Rail Bridge is a must see for all rail and engineering enthusiasts. The bridge is considered an iconic symbol of the nation and features on Scottish bank notes. For family fun head to Edinburgh Zoo, also 10 minutes from the airport. The Airlink bus and tram have stops outside. The zoo is home to the UK’s only giant pandas and has the largest outdoor penguin pool in Europe. Those who wish to venture into Edinburgh City Centre will be spoiled for choice. Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Mile, Princes Street Gardens, Royal Yacht Britannia and Holyrood Palace, all await culture loving visitors.
Getting to and from Edinburgh Airport is easy. The Airlink bus operates several times an hour, transporting visitors to the city centre and close to Waverley Railway Station. Taxis, Uber and car journeys into the centre take approximately 25 minutes. Trams offer a frequent, reliable service to and from the city centre every 8-12 minutes making several stops on the route. The journey time to the furthest point is around 35 minutes.
During World War I, the airport was an air defence base used by the Royal Flying Corps. It was then known as Turnhouse Aerodrome which utilised a grass airstrip for aircraft landings and take-offs. After the Second World War, in the late 1940s, the first commercial aircraft services began to operate between Edinburgh and London. Today, the Scottish airport continues to expand, with larger terminal buildings, a direct tram service from the city centre, and room for a higher capacity of flights. Its proximity to major Scottish cities and scenic landmarks makes it a first choice for visitors arriving into the country.