Getting to Glasgow
Glasgow is in west central Scotland. It’s Scotland’s largest city and is easily accessible from the rest of the UK and overseas by train, sea, road and air. For assistance in planning your journey to Glasgow, please visit the local tourist information site.
Train
Glasgow is well connected by train from across the UK by 2 main stations:
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Glasgow Central Station links Glasgow to the south
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Glasgow Queen Street Station operates routes mainly to Edinburgh and the north
To book tickets, visit scotrail.co.uk, tpexpress.co.uk and avantiwestcoast.co.uk. To view all available routes from across the UK, visit thetrainline.com.
If you’re planning a trip from London to Glasgow, check out the Caledonian Sleeper’s website and arrive refreshed after a comfortable overnight journey.
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Network Rail engineering works that may affect your journey
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Phase 1-3 (Weekends during Saturday 4 March – Sunday 4 June) – No direct trains North from Carlisle
On most weekend dates, Avanti West Coast services will operate between London and Carlisle only, where onward connections will be available.
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Rail replacement services will operate between Carlisle and Glasgow on all dates. A limited rail service will operate between Carlisle and Glasgow via Dumfries (except on Sundays between 9 April and 21 May, when engineering work north of Carlisle prevents this).
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Avanti West Coast will not serve Edinburgh Haymarket or Edinburgh Waverley. Journeys to and from Edinburgh will involve a change at Carlisle, with extended journey times. Rail replacement services will operate between Carlisle and Edinburgh.
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We strongly recommend you plan ahead, make a reservation, leave extra time for your journey and check the Avanti West Coast and National Rail Enquiries websites before travelling.
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Sea
You can travel to Scotland by ferry from the major ports of Belfast and Larne in Northern Ireland. Ferries dock at Cairnryan in the southwest of Scotland, with a bus service taking passengers to the city centre in 2 hours 10 minutes.
You can also travel from mainland Europe. You can arrive in either:
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Hull in the northeast of England where it's around a 4 hours drive to the Scottish border.
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Newcastle, which is around a 2 hours 40 minutes drive from Glasgow.
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Road
Scotland has an extensive motorway road network. Glasgow is linked to the following places:
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Edinburgh with the M8
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England on the M74
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Stirling with the M80
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west coast of Scotland with the M77
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For more information on Scotland’s road network, visit the Transport Scotland website.
Air
Glasgow has 3 international airports nearby, with connections across the UK and the world:
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Glasgow Airport is the closest airport to the city centre. Catch the express bus service from outside the terminal and arrive in Glasgow in around 15 minutes. Visit glasgowairport.com for more information.
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Glasgow Prestwick Airport is 32 miles (51km) from Glasgow. It is very accessible with train and bus services to the city centre. Find out more at glasgowprestwick.com.
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Edinburgh Airport is 39 miles (63km) from Glasgow. There is a direct bus service from the airport to Glasgow’s Buchanan Bus Station which takes around 1 hour. Head to edinburghairport.com for more information.
Visa information
Visa requirements
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Visitors to Scotland must hold a valid passport before starting their journey and children may require their own passports.
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All visitors who wish to enter the UK must meet the requirements of the UK immigration regulations.
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EU citizens can stay in Scotland for as long as required. Visitors from other European countries outside the EU can stay for up to three months.
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Visitors from the USA, Canada, Australia or New Zealand, can stay for up to six months, providing they have a return ticket and funds to cover the trip
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Visitors from any other country in the world will require a visa.
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Application forms and information on how to apply for a visa, as well as guidance for visitors coming to the UK, is available on the UK Border Agency website.
Visa Assist Letter
If you require a visa to travel to Glasgow for WESC 2023 we will assist you by providing you with a letter confirming your registration for the conference. Please follow the below steps:
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Register for the conference when registration opens in November
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Fully pay registration fees associated with this registration
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Once you have fully paid your registration please contact us at wesc2023@abbeyuk.com.
Please send us the below information​
1. Nationality:
2. Full name as shown on passport
3. Passport number:
4. Passport expiry date:
5. Date of birth:
6. Registration confirmation number (shown at the top of your confirmation email)
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Once we receive all this information we will email the visa assist letter directly to you
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Please contact the conference office regarding any enquiries you may have in relation to the visa letter or general information at wesc2023@abbeyuk.com.