Yes, smoking is permitted at Edinburgh Airport — but only at designated outdoor smoking shelters near the main terminal entrances. Edinburgh is Scotland’s busiest airport and the UK’s sixth-busiest overall, handling around 16 million passengers annually. Scotland was the first nation in the UK to implement a comprehensive national workplace smoking ban (the Smoking, Health and Social Care Act 2005, effective 26 March 2006), and Edinburgh has operated outdoor-only at airport since then.
The Designated Smoking Shelters
Edinburgh’s smoking facilities are a series of outdoor shelters:
- Location: near the main terminal entrances, on the forecourt.
- Signposted: yes — directional signs lead from the terminal exits to the shelter locations.
- Specific door references: not published. The airport added explicit signage following the 2006 indoor ban, but current guidance directs passengers to follow the signs rather than naming specific doors.
The shelters provide protection from Scottish weather (rain, wind), which is a meaningful consideration year-round.
What the Tram Plaza Canopy Is (and Isn’t)
Edinburgh has an 800-square-metre tensile-canopy structure over the Edinburgh Trams plaza, built by Broxap. This is a transport shelter, not a smoking area:
- It covers the tram stop and the walkway between the terminal and the trams.
- Smoking is not permitted under or around the canopy.
- The designated smoking shelters are separate, away from the tram plaza.
Travellers sometimes mistakenly assume the covered tram area is smoking-permitted because of the shelter — it isn’t.
Edinburgh Trams and Bus Connections
Edinburgh has the best public transport of any UK airport:
- Edinburgh Trams — direct from the airport tram stop to Princes Street in 30 minutes, every 7-10 minutes.
- Lothian Buses Airlink 100 — direct to the city centre, similar timing, slightly cheaper.
- Both are non-smoking, with no smoking permitted at the stops or along the drop-off areas.
Smoke at the designated shelter before boarding either service.
Layovers and Transit
Edinburgh handles a balanced mix — UK domestic, European short-haul, and transatlantic to/from North America (United to Newark and Chicago, Delta to JFK and Atlanta, Air Canada to Toronto). For smoker connections:
- Under 90 minutes: tight given the round trip from gate to shelter and back through security.
- 90 minutes to 3 hours: comfortable.
- 3+ hours: comfortable. Edinburgh’s landside facilities include pubs and restaurants.
Scottish Indoor Smoking Ban (2006)
Scotland’s Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Act 2005, which took effect on 26 March 2006, was the first comprehensive national workplace smoking ban in the UK (predating the English ban by over a year). It closed all indoor airport smoking facilities at Scottish airports immediately.
Penalties for indoor smoking violations are enforced under Scottish law, separate from the rest of the UK’s Health Act 2006 framework. Fines apply to both individuals and the airport operator.
Vaping
UK and Scottish law treat vaping leniently for most enclosed public spaces, but Edinburgh Airport applies a stricter indoor ban that includes vaping. The designated outdoor shelters are the only places vaping is permitted on airport property.
Heat-not-burn devices (IQOS, glo) follow the same rule.
Tips for Smokers at Edinburgh
- Look for smoking-shelter signs at the terminal exits.
- The tram plaza canopy is not a smoking area.
- Scottish weather: bring layers year-round.
- For long-haul transit (United, Delta, Air Canada), no airside smoking — plan accordingly.
- Cigarettes ~£14-16/pack landside; duty-free competitive for transatlantic.
- Tram and Airlink 100 bus both non-smoking — smoke before boarding.