ESSENTIAL INFO – SOLAS 2010
If you need to get in touch with us about any issue please email Solas Office
GETTING TO SOLAS
Solas is taking place in the grounds of Wiston Lodge, the 52 acre site has ample room for camping amidst spectacular and beautiful lowland countryside. Wiston is about an hour south of both Glasgow and Edinburgh (also easily accessible for the north of England and Northern Ireland) and just 10 minutes from the M74 (J13). Wiston is a small village situated in the upper Clyde Valley, the nearest towns are Lanark and Biggar.
By Car
From Edinburgh (36 miles - One hour) take the A702 through Biggar. After a half mile turn right onto the A72. Follow the A72 through Symington village and take the next left at the T junction onto the A73. Proceed for about 4 miles, turn right to Wiston after the double bend and just before the bridge. Wiston Lodge is through the village on the right-hand side of the road next to the school.
From M74 to exit 13 (Abington Services) then take the A702 (Biggar/Edinburgh) straight on the A73 towards Lanark (do not take the right turn towards Biggar/Edinburgh). Continue on until reaching Wiston. Turn left and proceed through the village. Wiston Lodge is on the right beside the school.
By Public Transport
From Edinburgh take the MacEwan’s bus from Edinburgh Bus Station that is destined for Dumfries. MacEwans run three different services (100/101/102), all of which go past Wiston at certain times throughout the day. Please follow this link to the timetable: http://www.travelinescotland.com//pdfs/timetables/FSBO100.pdf.
Unfortunately the bus does not go directly to Wiston, though it can drop you off at a walkable distance away. You must ask the driver to let you off at the B7055/A73 junction. From there it is a 10-15 minute leisurely walk to Wiston. Solas will be putting up sign posts to direct you along the way.
Please note that there are only two services running on a Sunday.
From Glasgow take the train from Glasgow Central Station to Lanark. Once there you can take the number 30 Stuart Coach Service to Wiston road end, which is a short walk away from the site. There are only five buses that run each day between Lanark and Wiston, and none on a Sunday. Please follow this link to the timetable:
As there are such a limited number of buses, Solas will run a minibus service between Lanark and Wiston Lodge at peak times. The times of these transfers are as follows:
Friday 26th June; Saturday 27th June: Sunday 28th June:
Solas Minibus - 15:30 Solas Minibus - 9.30 Solas Minibus - 17:30
Solas Minibus - 17:30 Solas Minibus - 10.30 Solas Minibus - 20:30
Solas Minibus - 19:30
If your train does not coincide with any of the bus departure times you may wish to consider taking a taxi. A couple of companies have quoted prices;
Solas Minibus - 15:30 Solas Minibus - 9.30 Solas Minibus - 17:30
Solas Minibus - 17:30 Solas Minibus - 10.30 Solas Minibus - 20:30
Solas Minibus - 19:30
If your train does not coincide with any of the bus departure times you may wish to consider taking a taxi. A couple of companies have quoted prices;
Clydewide Taxis (01555 663 813) - £22.00 between Lanark and Wiston
Ellens Taxis (01555 664 105) - £25.00 between Lanark and Wiston
CAMPING AT SOLAS
Camping will be available onsite for festival-goers – just turn up and pay (bring cash if you can, as this will speed things up). Prices are per tent and allow you to camp for the whole weekend: £20 for a 2-man; £30 for a 3-man and so on up to a maximum of £50. (This is roughly equivalent to £5 per person per night, but it’s just a little easier to administer.) You will be provided with one camping wristband per tent – your camping pass should be attached to your tent, not an individual!
The Wiston site is not able to cope with traffic and, we’re sorry, but there will be no vehicle access to the campsite. Therefore, you will be required to carry your camping gear a short walk from the carpark to the camping field (5 mins apart). We hope to have a team of volunteers helping those who would struggle to manage this alone, and we hope to have a trailer to carry heavy items but please be mindful of this policy when packing. Our festival community starts here ... helping others get their things to the campsite. Campervans and caravans will have access to a separate area of the site but this must be booked in advance (please note there are no electricity points on the campsite and no facilities for emptying chemical toilets). There is a local caravan site on the road to Leadhills about 10 mins drive from the site.
Camping space is available on a first come, first served basis, with the exception of campervans and the disabled camping area – both can be pre-booked by contacting the office. To ensure that everyone has fair access to the camping areas, reserving space is not permitted. Access to the campsite is limited to those with weekend tickets. The campsite will open at 4pm on Friday 25th and close at 10am on Monday 28th June. If you have special access requirements, please contact the office to discuss how we can help accommodate you. There will be a disabled campsite with short-term vehicle access.
The campsite has running cold water and toilets. There are no electrical hook-ups on the campsite.
Remember the campsite - and the festival site - is a public space and the security of your tent cannot be guaranteed. Please consider leaving your valuables at home and report any suspicious activities immediately to Solas stewards.
Eating, Cooking & Alcohol
We have two main caterers who will supply hot meals over the weekend – this is not Glastonbury, so the selection of food will be limited.
If you intend to cook your own food please note that open fires will not be allowed on the campsite.
Alcohol may be consumed in the campsite, but you will not be able to bring alcohol into the Festival Village – we will not be selling alcohol onsite.
We do permit: Barbeques - please place in suitable containers with an extinguisher or water close by.
We do not permit: Personal generators or open fires.
BBQs are permitted at the festival, we encourage you to use the designated BBQ area and ask that you follow these safety guidelines: 1. If you are using a disposable BBQ, please ensure it is raised off the ground and placed on a stable surface (not on a plastic or formica table, for instance); 2. Please also check that you are not BBQ-ing near by anything combustable or flammable, such a stove, gas cylinders, or your tent!; 3. Please ensure that you do not leave the BBQ unattended and that you have a container of water close by.
Fire Safety within the campsite
Please don't place disposable barbeques on the grass or on formica-type tabletops. Do not change any gas cylinders while there is another stove or naked light in use. Please ensure a reasonable distance (at least 30cm) between stove and windbreak and never leave any apparatus unattended.
In the event of fire:
Raise the alarm and make contact with a steward
If you are involved in a tent fire, get yourself and all other members of your party out as quickly as possible. Only tackle the fire if you feel safe doing so. You must summon assistance from the onsite emergency services, no matter how small the incident is, or even if it has already been dealt with.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Alternative Accommodation
If camping is not your cup of tea there are dorm rooms available in Wiston Lodge for £20.00 per person per night. There are also hotel rooms available for £69.00 at the Days Inn. There will be regular shuttle buses between the hotel and the festival site throughout the day. If you would like more information on accommodation please contact the office by emailing Solas Office.
Site Access and Festival timings
You can access the site from 4pm on Friday 25th June 2010. The Festival programme will begin officially at around 6pm, the Festival then continues over the weekend, finishing at 11pm on Sunday 27th June 2010. Those camping must leave before 10am on Monday 28th June 2010. (Day ticket holders can access the site from 9am on the morning stipulated by their ticket – mainstage finishes at 11pm each evening.)
Cash
The nearest cash machine is at Abington services (a 10-15 minute drive from the site). We will have facilities for accepting card transactions for tickets, but we advise you to bring enough cash to pay for your camping pass and any food you might buy from our onsite vendors (you might also want to bring a little bit extra to treat yourself in the Solas shop…).
We aim to keep Solas a peaceful festival for all ages, so please tell an official if you’re offered any illegal drugs – we don’t want any onsite and will act accordingly. We will not be selling alcohol onsite and ask that you do not drink in the main festival village. Drinking in the main thoroughfares or inside venues is not permitted. We consider incompetence through the consumption of alcohol as anti-social behaviour. Solas reserves the right to eject from site anyone who is a nuisance through intoxication of any kind.
Rubbish and Recycling
Please separate your recyclable waste from any general rubbish and place it in the designated bins.
Activities for Children and Young People:
For children aged 3-10 - You will be able to book your child into ONE supervised session per day at the festival. The 90-minute sessions will be limited and places will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. You can pre-register your child by following the instructions on the website as soon as you have bought your tickets – another great reason to get them early! We don’t want anyone to be disappointed so if you’d like your children to take part in the children’s festival please get your tickets now and book them in. Please don’t assume that there will be a place for your child if you have not booked this in advance.
For young people aged 11 and over - We are offering the option to book young people into professionally supervised outdoor activity sessions on Wiston’s climbing and adventure equipment. Due to the need to pay professionally qualified instructors, these activities will incur an additional charge and must be booked in advance – the cost is £20 per half-day session. If you would like to book your child into either the Saturday or Sunday afternoon session please buy your tickets and send your reference number and the names and ages of your children to Solas Office. Spaces are extremely limited.
