Venue

Hidden Door specialises in finding forgotten spaces for our arts festival, which can mean they’re not always immediately on your radar. If you’ve found this page, you’re a step closer to finding us…

The Paper Factory – our 2025 venue

The Paper Factory is located at 1 Turnhouse Road, Edinburgh EH12 8NP.

It’s a 15.5-acre site occupied by the former Saica paper and cardboard manufacturing facility on the western edge of Edinburgh. The site features a mix of warehouses, factory floors, offices and outhouses.

The Paper Factory is well served by a variety of public transport links, with frequent bus, tram and train services all stopping nearby, making it easy to reach us from anywhere in the city. See below for more details.

What are the plans for the venue?

We will transform the entire site for a full-scale multi arts festival in spring 2025, but in the meantime, we are planning a special launch party to give audiences a preview of some of the extraordinary spaces within. Featuring live music, visual art and performances, the event will take place on Friday 22nd and Saturday 23rd November 2024.

As with previous Hidden Door events, there will be free access during the day on Saturday 23rd November.

Our Festival Director Hazel Johnson said: 

“Every new venue we take on presents unique opportunities and challenges, and this vast space is no different. We can’t wait to start work transforming the towering buildings, acres of warehouses and – in true Hidden Door style – all the nooks and crannies into one of our most ambitious arts venues yet. 

“In addition to the festival, The Paper Factory will provide a base for Hidden Door to work with artists on site specific performance and art, commission new work and take huge steps towards our sustainability goals with workshops, studios and more.

“Our Venue Launch Party in November will provide a sneak peek into what we have in store – we look forward to welcoming you to the Paper Factory!”

How to get here

The full address is: The Paper Factory, 1 Turnhouse Road, Edinburgh EH12 8NP

The Paper Factory is well served by a variety of public transport links, with frequent bus, tram and train services all stopping nearby, making it easy to reach us from anywhere in the city.

By Bike

Edinburgh’s network of cycle paths makes it a simple and eco-friendly way to reach The Paper Factory.

From Edinburgh City Centre: Cycle west along the A8 (Corstorphine Road) or use the quieter cycle routes parallel to the main road. Continue towards the Maybury Junction. The Paper Factory is located just off the junction, on Turnhouse Road.

There is space available at the site to lock up bicycles. Storage is uncovered and at your own risk. There is also covered storage space for 100 cycles nearby at Edinburgh Gateway station.

By Bus

Numerous Lothian Buses serve the area, making it easy to reach us from various parts of the city.

From Edinburgh City Centre, hop on services 31, X18, N18 or the Airlink 100 which all stop at Maybury Road (5 minutes walk). The journey takes approx 20-30 minutes from Princes St, depending on traffic.

From the north and west of the city, you can reach us on the 32 or Skyline 200.

Alternatively, Lothian Buses 12, 21, 22, 36, 70/71 and Skyline 400 stop at the Gyle Centre which is 10-15 minutes walk from the site.

The Airlink 100 runs up to every 20 minutes throughout the night. Visit the Lothian Buses website for further information or get directions from Google Maps.

Tickets cost £2.00 for Lothian buses or £3.00 for an Airlink single and £4.80 for a day ticket.

By Tram

Trams run frequently from the city centre and other key locations. The nearest tram stop is Edinburgh Gateway, which is located 5-10 minutes walk from the site.

Trams run until 22:56 and take approx 25 minutes from Princes St.

Tickets cost £2 single and £3.80 for a day ticket.

By Train

If you’re coming from outside Edinburgh or looking for a speedy route from the centre, Edinburgh Gateway is the nearest train station, which is located 5-10 minutes walk from the site.

Trains run frequently until 23:30 and take approx 12 minutes from Waverley. Plan your journey with the Traveline website.

Tickets start from £4.20 for a single or £4.60 day return from Waverley.

By Taxi

A taxi ride from the city centre typically takes about 15-20 minutes, depending on traffic. Taxi drivers are unlikely to be familiar with the site, so you may wish to direct them to Maybury Casino.
City – 0131 228 1211
Edinburgh – 0131 623 1624
Central – 0131 229 2468

By Car

If you need to drive, the site is easily accessible from major routes, including the A8 and A902. We plan to have a limited number of on-site parking spaces for Blue Badge holders.

What else do I need to know?

Food and drink at Hidden Door

As well as a full programme of art, music and performance the venue will play host to some of Edinburgh’s tastiest street food stalls. We’ll also have bars for you to quench your thirst and a coffee stall for anyone in need of a bit of a pick-me-up.  Stay tuned for more details coming soon.

Accessibility

We use derelict, undiscovered and temporary sites for our events, which means some areas may not be fully accessible. But by working with accessibility advisors, with every venue we transform, we do all we can to ensure safe access to as much of the festival as possible for anyone with disabilities.

Please do contact us at hello@hiddendoorarts.org if you have any questions or would like to discuss access with a member of the team.

Dogs

During the day (on Saturday 23 November) well-behaved dogs are very welcome, we just ask that they are kept on a lead.

Support/guide dogs are of course welcome at all times and in all areas.

Info for neighbours

We are working with the local council and the community near our venue to make sure our event is a positive experience for everyone. We have designed the festival layout to ensure that noise and disruption is limited. If you have any questions or would like to get in touch you can email us at Neighbours@hiddendoorarts.org.

Staying safe, post-pandemic

We know the pandemic had a massive impact on events and gatherings, and we want everyone to feel comfortable and safe when they visit our festival.

We no longer require face coverings or social distancing at our events, but we continue to follow the latest NHS, Scottish Government and Local Authority guidance carefully to ensure our events are safe.

If you have any anxiety about attending our event, we would be happy to tell you more about the format of the event and how you can ensure your own comfort and safety. Please do get in touch for a chat.

Find out more about Hidden Door in our FAQs