How to Make Friends in Edinburgh: Clubs, Societies and Student Social Life

It can be a loud and confusing time when you arrive at university, and in Edinburgh, it’s often no different. History, crowds, and hundreds of faces you don’t know. The good news is that every one of those faces is looking for their people, too. Not many arrive at university with their friendship group ready-made. What helps is a simple plan. Simply pick a few things that interest you, keep going back to enjoy them, and let time take care of the rest. Now, let’s see how you can make friends in Edinburgh this year.

How Many Societies Are There at University?

More than 350! They are spread across 15 categories and can be viewed on the Edinburgh University Students’ Association website. Most offer free taster sessions for new students, and they all gather at a three-day activities fair in Welcome Week, so you can sign up for a handful in an afternoon.

Treat the subsequent taster sessions like speed dating. Try lots, and only go back to the ones you enjoyed.

What is Sport is Your Thing?

You have almost as much choice here as you do for societies. The Edinburgh University Sports Union looks after more than 70 sports clubs and over 200 teams. This variety ensures that beginners and seasoned pros are catered for in equal measure.

Not sure if you want to commit to a squad? The university’s intramural programme is the biggest in Scotland. It offers a range of leagues, tournaments, and fun events with a relaxed approach. Recreational sessions let you sample new sports without locking in for an entire season.

The facilities on offer make training easy, too. The Pleasance Sports Complex has several gyms plus a bouldering and roped climbing wall, while Peffermill has 3G, hockey, grass, and five-a-side pitches. Seeing the same people at a session is how teammates bond and become lifelong friends.

What If You Study at Napier, Heriot-Watt or Queen Margaret?

You get your own union, and plenty of choice. Edinburgh Napier Students’ Association has its own societies and loves it when students start something new. Heriot-Watt Union hosts its Watt Welcome Fair at Oriam on the Riccarton campus. At Queen Margaret University, you become a Students’ Union member automatically when you matriculate, and the union is clear that anyone can join any sport or society, or launch their own.

Can Volunteering Help You Meet People?

Yes, and it often brings together people you would never meet in your own course. At the University of Edinburgh, the Volunteering service advertises opportunities through a link on the Students’ Association website. Working side by side on something that matters gives you an easy reason to talk, and the conversation tends to carry on afterwards.

There is a bonus too. The Edinburgh Award combines volunteering and other extra-curricular activities with reflection, and it gives you formal recognition on your transcript.

Where Do Students Hang Out Between Lectures?

Head to Teviot Row House. Opened on 19 October 1889, it’s the world’s oldest purpose-built students’ union, it has just been through a refurbishment completed in early 2026, which added new spaces for socialising, studying and society meetings, better accessibility and a beautifully restored debating hall.

What If You Are Not Into Big Nights Out?

You are far from alone, and Edinburgh has plenty for you. Many societies meet over board games, films, walks or coffee rather than late nights. Choose the ones that suit your energy, and do not feel you have to say yes to everything to belong.

Small, repeated moments matter more than big ones. Sitting next to the same person each week, saying hello in the kitchen, suggesting a coffee after a session: these build friendships quietly and surely.

Insider Tips

• Missed the autumn fairs? ENSA holds a Welcome Back Fair in late January or early February, your second shot at signing up.
• Holyrood parkrun is a free timed 5km starting by St Margaret’s Loch in Holyrood Park at 9:30 am. Walkers are welcome, and the chat afterwards is half the fun.

Give it a few weeks, say yes a few times, and Edinburgh starts to feel like home. When you are ready, take a moment to explore the range of student accommodation in Edinburgh we have to offer.