Aberdeen

Historic Education

History can be found at every turn, and every corner, as you walk the streets of this architectural marvel of a city, and at Powis Place and Fraser Studios you are just a short 15-minute walk away from one of the oldest universities in the country.

Links can be found to The University of Aberdeen as far back as 1495, with a beautiful medieval campus to back up its claims.

It makes it the fifth oldest university in the whole of the UK, and as a consequence, it has always been a well regarded higher education establishment (it has been voted the Scottish University of 2019 and is ranked in the Top 30 Universities in the UK in 2019). With over 10,000 students it attracts people from all over the UK and abroad and distance learning options it is an attractive proposition to many students. The Sir Duncan Rice Library has stunning panoramic views of the entire city and beaches, and the university has one of the largest medical campuses in the whole of Europe.

Get Social at University

Aberdeen University Students’ Association (AUSA) is home to over 150 societies and hundreds of activities relating to those societies. It ensures that whatever you are interested in you are well catered for when moving to the city as a student. It is a fantastic way to meet and make new friends with people from all over the world. Within the Union there is a café and a shop, with many food outlets providing daily refreshments during breaks between lectures and study. There are also plenty of volunteering and training opportunities to take part in, whether you are looking for a hobby, to help others, to boost your CV, or all of the above.

The University of Aberdeen certainly holds some gravitas, home to five previous Nobel Prize winners, an internationally-focused university in teaching and research, and even its very own tartan (created in 1992 to celebrate the university’s 500th anniversary).

Innovation

Robert Gordon University offers innovative vocational training and practical learning for students from all over the country. It has a serious reputation as a university that helps students gain graduate-level employment, with a proactive approach to engaging and making connections with many types of businesses and industries. The innovative courses are designed to meet the needs of future employment and the workforce of the near future.

Courses are designed to ensure that students are prepared for specific vocations, providing work experience, skills, and knowledge that allow them the best possible foundation to succeed in their chosen career after graduation. With this in mind the Employability and Professional Enrichment Hub has a 15-minute drop-in session, 30-minute booked appointments, mock interviews and ongoing professional advice and guidance to help students reach targets and be as prepared as possible for the future.

The University was founded as a technical college in 1750, gaining full university status in 1992. It offers the only online law degree in Scotland, an indication of how it thinks outside of the box in order to help students fulfil their potential.

The Perfect Location

Our Aberdeen student accommodation is also the perfect location for those studying at the North East Scotland College – which is the leading provider of vocational education and professional training in the whole of Scotland. Courses are designed to provide flexibility to a wide range of students, from those just leaving school to those looking to try out a new career at an older age.

Food and Drink

If you are a lover of food then living at our student accommodation in Aberdeen will provide you with the perfect location to explore a city that is built on a variety of tasty cuisines from all corners of the earth. Aberdeen is truly multicultural, as many great port cities are, and if you are after traditional Scottish grub, posh Italian cuisine, Lebanese street food, Thai food, or Greek, you’ve got access to it all!

While you’re here check out our blog article to find out more about Where to Eat in Aberdeen.

Best of all is the local seafood, which is some of the best in the country so be sure to check it out during your time living in the city.

Delicious Seafood

Bistro Verde on The Green has some good offers for great seafood courses, whilst Moonfish Café and The Silver Darling are a little bit more expensive but as a treat have some exquisite seafood on offer. There are so many intimate, cosy pubs, luscious bistros, restaurants with art galleries and spectacular sea views, as well as some great student eats.

Mixed Grill Option

If you are looking for something a little bit out of the way, Kamoon Kitchen is a hidden gem out at Middleton Park. It serves up Lebanese street food with a punch, including fantastic atayef pancakes and Lebanese mixed grill. Foodstory is a small café and student-friendly hangout with a menu of mainly vegetarian food. Its in-house artists have come up with the décor and you’ll find a wholefoods shop attached to the café. It is a socially conscious, heart-on-sleeve enterprise where all are welcomed.

Coffee and Books

During the day students can combine a love of coffee and books at the gloriously named Books and Beans over on Belmont Street (right in the middle of the action actually). It is a café and bookshop in one, with a lovely selection of daytime lunch grub, from paninis and sandwiched (gluten-free options are always available), brilliant coffee, and a wide selection of books alongside every wall space. To take on board some of the famous Scottish seafood, the Cognito chain can be found throughout the town, with Cognito on the Corner is a fancy, exposed-brick, restaurant with an unpretentious menu including monkfish, smoked mussels, prawn kebabs, as well as chilli nachos and some spectacular desserts.

Campus Food Options

On the University of Aberdeen campus students have plenty of choice of a quick bite to eat or something more substantial, with 14 cafes and food outlets spread out across campus. These include the Union Brew Bar and first-floor food court in the Students’ Union Building.

A Scottish Night Out

The Aberdeen Union Bar has been renovated numerous times over the years but it is a staple on the student nightlife scene in the city. Understandably so when you consider it always has a great drinks promotion on the go, hosts plenty of fun themed quizzes and has karaoke on the regular. A lot of students find a great night out here, with a themed party a great night out. Alternatively, it is often a great starting spot for a night out, with 50p ‘Wild Shots’ and other drinks promos providing you the perfect, cheap way to start a great night out! Aside from the drinks angel, the bar is home to plenty of games machines and pool tables upstairs for you to get your competitive juices flowing, and they also have talent shows, and a big screen for things like Eurovision. It is always packed out, and with a taxi pick up point right at the front door you can be at home or on your way into town within minutes of leaving the bar.

University Union

The Robert Gordon University Union is located in the very heart of Aberdeen, so at our student accommodation at Powis Place or Fraser Studios you are just a ten-minute bus ride from all the action. It’s just a minute to walk from Union St and is exclusively open to students (the only bar of that kind in the entire city and it’s open to students from any other university). It has been renovated in recent years and has a bar on the first and second floors, an improved café and free Wi-Fi throughout the building. Every Thursday is the indie night in the bar, with a cheese night on a Saturday, pub quiz every Tuesday, and commercial tunes the rest of the week. Open till 1am during the week and 2am at the weekend it’s a great place to move on to after a pub crawl on your way through town.

The Bobbin Pub

Just a short walk from our Aberdeen student accommodation, The Bobbin is a firm favourite with students in the city. Right next door to the King’s College campus it offers a great pub lunch selection, as well as a pub quiz and karaoke, with great discounts and student promotions throughout the year.

Going to Town

If you are heading into town you are really spoiled for choice, especially around Belmont Street. Take your pick here, with Triple Kirks (with Exodus upstairs) close to Espionage, Slains Castle, Siberia Bar, The Wild Boar, and Revolution all within sight of each other. From that list alone you’ve got a choice of a nightclub, a Dracula-themed pub, and a cosy pub, so you can see how much choice there is within such a small area! If it’s live music you are after big touring bands and artists play the AECC in Bridge of Don, whilst the Music Hall is home to touring artists regularly. For smaller, more intimate gigs The Moorings Bar near the harbour is a lovely venue, as is The Blue Lamp.

Sports for All

Whether you are interested in taking part in sport as an individual, as part of a team, just for fun, fitness, or more seriously, there is something for all sportspeople, of all abilities at the universities in Aberdeen. There are countless clubs and activities taking place throughout the year, with sports facilities for you to take advantage of during your time living in the Granite City.

High Quality Sports Facilities

Aberdeen Sports Village has changed how the city sees sport, and it is full of high-quality sports facilities including indoor and outdoor athletics tracks, a top-class gym, and a 3G football pitch that can be used all year round. Aberdeen Aquatics Centre is home to an Olympic standard 50m pool, a 25m swimming pool, diving boards, as well as a sauna and a steam room. All of the sporting activity mentioned is within easy reach of both Powis Place and Fraser Studios by bus or on foot.

Going for A Hike in Aberdeen

If you are interested in getting out in nature for some hiking or more leisurely strolls there is certainly something for everyone in the surrounding countryside. Scotland has some breathtaking scenery to explore and Aberdeen is a great base from which to see Cairngorms National Park (the largest national park in the UK), with its castles and distilleries and plenty of walking trails for all abilities. Forvie National Nature Reserve is located at the Ythan Estuary close to Aberdeen and has stunning sand dunes, and marked walking trails. From here you can often see seals on a clear day. To the South of Aberdeen, Stonehaven and Dunnottar Castle provide a beautiful backdrop, and after a walk along the coast, you can indulge in some award-winning Fish and Chips.

Aberdeen Football Club

For spectator sports look no further than ‘The Dons’. Aberdeen is a football-mad city and a trip to Pittodrie is an absolute must for any sports fan (but especially those interested in football). The stadium is easy to get to at just a 20-minute walk from Powis Place and Fraser Studios. Aberdeen has won two European trophies in its time, making it one of the biggest football clubs in Scotland, and regularly competes at the top of the Scottish Premiership, for the cups, and in the Europa League. Close to Pittodrie you can also find the home of Aberdeen Lynx, the Scottish National League ice hockey team (now that is an interesting sport to go and watch, as it’s fast and furious at times!).

A Round of Golf

On the outskirts of the city and throughout Aberdeenshire golf is a really popular sport. In fact, there are over 50 golf courses in the region, including Royal Aberdeen, which hosted the 2014 Scottish Open. There are some stunning greens to play on, with many courses running alongside the coastline.

Shopping in Aberdeen

Aberdeen has several shopping centres in the city centre itself and the surrounding areas, as well as areas with plenty of independent stores and crafty boutiques for you to explore as a new student in the city. Late night shopping is every Thursday night in the city, so take advantage of that extra time!

Also read: What is Aberdeen Famous For? 15 Aberdeen Facts

Union Square is home to Aberdeen’s largest shopping and leisure destination, and is open 7-days a week (until 8pm on weekdays). It is home to over 50 recognisable high street shops and top brands, and you can even find some tasty treats at one of the 30 restaurants and food outlets inside. Smack bang in the centre of the city, Union Square is a must-visit for students and locals alike. It’s also incredibly easy to get to, as it is attached to the main railway station and bus station in Aberdeen, so it’s easy to reach by bus from Powis Place. You can even take a trip to the cinema as Union Square is home to a 10-screen cinema complex including a 4DX experience screen.

Trinity Shopping Centre

Another city centre shopping centre that attracts the crowds is Trinity Shopping Centre, which is home to many different high street brands such as Schuh, Debenhams and the much-loved Primark.

Bon Accord Centre

Across the way on Belmont Street, you’ll find all the previously mentioned pubs, bars and clubs along the cobbled streets, but you’ll also find the route to the Bon Accord Centre. Here, you’ll experience over 65 stores, focused on beauty, fashion and homeware. Belmont Street Market takes place every last Saturday of the month, this is a fantastic chance to take a look at the wonderful produce from Aberdeenshire, with local sellers and local goods on sale.

West End Shopping

Out in the West End of the city, Rosemount provides yet more shopping areas with plenty of independent stores, boutiques and places for you to find those charming trinkets and special gifts as you explore your new city.

Granite City Events

There is plenty to see in the Granite City and from your base at the comfortable student accommodation in Aberdeen that we offer at Powis Place and Fraser Studios, you are close to the oldest museums in Scotland. King’s Museum and the Zoology Museum at the University of Aberdeen have records and collections going back as far as the late 17th century and have been awarded status as Recognised Collections of National Significance.

The Art Gallery

There is so much culture in the city as a whole though, which is unsurprising for such a striking architectural city and one that has such a spectacular coastline. Aberdeen Art Gallery is home to a vast array of exciting displays and regular exhibitions, alongside permanent collections of costume, paintings, ceramics and sculptures. The collection of contemporary art is widely regarded as one of the best in the UK.

Venues for Fun

For regular events in the world of music, comedy and theatre there are a few venues to excite you in Aberdeen, from the AECC (Aberdeen Exhibition & Conference Centre) to His Majesty’s Theatre, Music Hall, The Barn, and Lemon Tree. The Event Complex Aberdeen (TECA) is due to be finished in 2019 and will host even bigger names from the world of showbusiness.

Classic and Modern Cinema

If you are more interested in modern and classic films Belmont Filmhouse was opened as a Trades Hall in 1896 and now shows the newest film releases, alongside classic films, world cinema releases, and cult classics. Aberdeen is a town that is built for the sea, and it is a wonderful town to get lost in, to wander the cobbled streets of the old town, visit the 15th century cathedral, or explore Footdee (or Fittie as the locals know it) and its amazing fishing quarter.