The Institute for Gravitational Research is pleased to announce the 2025 edition of the AIslands workshop series, which will be hosted in Rothesay on the Isle of Bute.

The Bute meeting will update on developments in the fields of machine learning and artificial intelligence in gravitational-wave astronomy since the 2024 meeting on Arran.

The AIslands meetings are discussion meetings intended to provide an environment which will nurture collaboration and network building.

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Getting to AIslands: Bute

The conference will be held in Rothesay on the Isle of Bute (at Rothesay Discovery Centre; Victoria St, Rothesay, Isle of Bute PA20 0AP, United Kingdom).

By Air

The City of Glasgow is served by two international airports.

Glasgow International Airport is located around 10km from the City Centre, however it is possible to reach Bute by taking a taxi from Glasgow International to Paisley Gilmour Street railway station, and then following the instructions for reaching Rothesay from Glasgow Central station (Gilmour Street is one stop along the line).

Glasgow Prestwick Airport is located around 40km from Glasgow, however it is served by a direct rail connection to both Glasgow Central Station and Paisley Gilmour Street. Once at Glasgow Central or Gilmour Street you should follow the instructions below to travel to Rothesay by train.

It is also possible to access the conference by travelling to Manchester Airport and taking a train from Manchester Airport to Glasgow Central Station, or from Edinburgh Airport and taking a bus to Glasgow Buchanan Bus Station. This is a 15-20 minute walk from Glasgow Central Station. Once at Glasgow Central or Gilmour Street you should follow the instructions below to travel to Rothesay by train.

By Train

Most trains arriving from South of Glasgow via the West Coast Mainline will arrive at Glasgow Central Station, however some trains may arrive at Glasgow Queen Street which is a 10-15 minute walk from Central Station.

From Central Station you should catch a train to Wemyss Bay which will meet the ferry. A full timetable can be found here for trains and the ferry times. It is possible to purchase a ticket from Scotrail which will also allow you to travel on the ferry. This can be done in advance from the Scotrail website, choosing Rothesay as the destination, or from ticket offices and ticket vending machines at Paisley or Glasgow. You do not usually need to book the ferry in advance as a foot passenger.

By Bus

Glasgow is served by most intercity bus services in the UK; the vast majority of buses arrive at Buchanan Bus Station, which is a 15-20 minute walk away from Glasgow Central Station.

From Glasgow it is easiest to follow the “By Train” instructions to reach Bute.

Accommodation

As this meeting is held on a small island, we expect that accommodation will be at a premium, and we advise you to book as soon as possible.

There are plenty of accommodation options in Rothesay itself, but please take care if booking further afield as public transport is limited. We’ve made a WhatsApp group to help coordinate accommodation sharing, whcih was linked in your invitation to register.

Additionally, please take special care that you’re booking accommodation on the island; as it’s not far from the mainland some websites will also show rooms in Wemyss Bay. This might be workable for this meeting, but do remember that you’ll need to “commute” across on the ferry.