Student Accommodation

Edinburgh

Edinburgh University

The University of Edinburgh is a large university that was founded in 1583. It continues to be ranked as one of the top universities on the planet (coming in at number 18 on the latest QS World University Rankings). It has been home to many of the worlds top scientists, politicians and philosophers over the last 400 years and more, and continues to shape the leaders and thinkers of tomorrow (21 Nobel Prize winners are associated with the university).

George Square Library

The university offers over 500 undergraduate courses across a diverse range of disciplines, with 89% of graduates leaving with a 1st or 2:1 classification of degree. Living and learning in such a beautiful and historic city is an inspiring factor for many students. The main university library in George Square is one of the largest of its kind in the world – home to over 2,300 study spaces – and counting all the libraries available to students there are over 1.8 million books, 700,000 e-journals, and 700 licensed databases in storage at the university.

At the Students’ Association, there are over 290 societies and volunteering groups to help you take up a hobby or add to your CV whilst helping others, and there is an award-winning Careers Service aimed at supporting students to find part-time jobs at university as well as discover future careers and network with relevant industry professionals. Teviot Row House is the oldest purpose-built Student Union in the UK, and it is a truly spectacular building.

Edinburgh Napier University

Living at our student accommodation in Edinburgh also puts you close to Edinburgh Napier University, named after the 16th-century mathematician John Napier who invented the decimal point and logarithms. The university is home to over 20,000 students from over 140 countries.

At this university, there is a combination of professional, hands-on knowledge and an academic approach. The idea is to provide students with the practical tools that will take them into a chosen career and help them to be as effective and successful as possible. It has a heavy approach to research, aiming to help improve the quality of life for the people of Scotland and beyond.

The Edward Clark Collection

There is a full library facility and service on the three university campuses, with specialities linked to the academic schools, with extensive collections of both print and audio-visual materials to help with research and learning. The Edward Clark Collection is home to over 5,000 items and displays the development of the book from the 15th century on, as well as a War Poets Collection that exhibits poetry from the First World War alongside other documents, correspondence, and memories.

The Student Union

Edinburgh Napier Students’ Association (ENSA) runs the Union Bar at The Three Sisters in Cowgate, and it is here that the social heartbeat of the university sits. It is home to many society meetings, fundraisers and parties, and sports clubs events. Open till 3am it is an all-round unique bar within Edinburgh student circles.

Fantastic Restaurants

As a thriving capital city you can expect to find all of the chain restaurants that you know and love in the city centre. There are some fantastic restaurants on George Street and throughout the city centre, including the likes of Prezzo and Bella Italia that are familiar places with tasty cuisines. There is though a thriving independent food scene in Edinburgh that is hard to beat, and within that there is plenty of choices that is suitable for a student budget.

City Centre Options

Right in the heart of Edinburgh city centre is El Barrio, home to some tasty Latino food with big portions to feed the hungriest of students after a hard day of work. Malones Irish Bar is another student joint, right next door to the main University of Edinburgh campus you can stop by for lunch and get a two-course sitting and a drink for under a tenner!

At The Three Sisters you can get fed on a 2-4-1 meal every single day of the week at the ENSA-run pub. Other cheap student-friendly grub in Edinburgh can be found at The Mosque Kitchen (a great curry and rice for under a fiver offer), Elephants and Bagels (a selection of lunchtime meal deals), and Café Piccante (a chip shop with an in-house resident DJ and classic Deep Fried Mars Bar on the menu!).

Cheap and Tasty

In such a big city that has embraced the foodie scene in a big way over the last few years, there is plenty more to discover in the way of cheap food that doesn’t compromise on quality. As a student that is all, you want to hear. So you can really fill your bellies with tasty treats and easily walk or get the bus back to your comfortable Edinburgh student accommodation.

Cuisine Variety

Red Box is a fantastic noodle bar that offers massive portions without charging you the earth. You can also build your stir-fry of choice online for a takeaway portion, or grab them on the go. Ting Thai Caravan offers amazing Thai street food, including pad thai noodles with your choice of vegetables, fish, or fresh meat, within an interesting setting.

Head over to Chapel Street and you’ll find a few restaurants in the middle of student-town. The Nile Valley Café is one of the best you’ll discover, offering a Sudanese and Middle Eastern menu including tasty tagines, falafel and fish curry. It is hard to find a better lunch on a budget in the entire city.

Massive Portions

If you’re after something a little bigger, Illegal Jacks provides Tex Mex – massive portions of fresh and healthy Mexican food. Choose from veg, chicken, steak, haggis, BBQ pork, or whatever else you want and stuff a large burrito.

There are plenty of great Mexican accompaniments to go with it. The morning after the night before Snax is the place to be to get a big Full Scottish breakfast in your belly and to begin getting over the hangover – all for an average price of under a fiver.

A Sunday Roast

At Milk in The Fruitmarket Gallery there is plenty to choose from in terms of sandwiches, coffee, and some great bakes, all alongside some great contemporary art. For a Sunday Roast to rival your mums take your pick from The Antiquary, The Cumberland Bar, and The Queens Arms for some great roasties and gravy.

The Biggest Student Night

On campus at The University of Edinburgh there are two clubs and 13 bars to choose from, and it is home to the biggest student club night of the week. There are so many choices for students to make a great night out in this fine city, and with general drinks prices rising steeply at the weekend in Edinburgh due to tourism, most students will take to a big night out in town during the week.

Just like neighbouring Glasgow, there is much to see and enjoy in Edinburgh, with old-fashioned pubs sitting comfortably next door to fancy cocktail bars and big nightclubs. There are plenty of club nights on George Street for students, as well as great live music venues on Lothian Road and a great selection of cheap drinks offers and bars at The Cowgate.

Music Variety

If you are an indie rocker there are loads of indie nights at some of the biggest clubs in the city. The Liquid Room is probably the most popular student haunt in the city. It is home to many different music genres every night of the week and has been host to many big touring indie bands over the years. Pop on by for Mansion Wednesdays and Indigo Thursdays for the popular nights. For a smaller live indie music venue, Sneaky Pete’s is a great shout.

There are plenty of bars and clubs where you can get your fix of cheesy music to sing and dance the night away. ATIK on a Sunday night is a popular choice for Edinburgh students, with a huge dance floor and plenty of drinks promotions to choose from. Other clubs with great drinks deals include Why Not? on George Street – especially Monday nights where it is student only night with much cheaper drinks than the rest of the week. For Hip Hop and RnB head over to The Bongo Club on Cowgate.

Whatever You Fancy

Where you choose to go out really depends on what you fancy that night, as there are different areas of Edinburgh with different flavours. Victoria Street and Candlemaker Row in the Grassmarket and George IV Bridge area of town are home to some really old, characterful pubs with great ale, as well as modern cocktail bars.

For late-night drinking and dancing, there are plenty of underground options in the Old Town and South Bridge Street, with more upmarket offerings (with the occasional student offer) on George Street and New Town. In Bruntsfield and Marchmont you’ll find plenty of student-friendly boozers, club nights and loads of quiz nights to keep your brain ticking over when you’re away from your studies.

Historic Football

A weekend in Edinburgh is full of sporting possibilities, especially between August and May when the football season is in full swing. The Scottish capital is home to two truly historic football clubs. You can choose to go watch Hearts play at Tynecastle or Hibs at Easter Road (just be sure not to confuse the two, as it is a heated rivalry to say the least). Edinburgh is rightly seen as one of the best cities in the UK for a football away day, and you’ll have both stadiums close to your doorstep at your comfortable Edinburgh student accommodation.

Rugby Union

If Rugby Union is more your thing, Murrayfield is the home of Scottish rugby. During the Autumn term you can watch top visiting rugby sides from the Southern Hemisphere, and from February each year all of Scotland’s home games in the 6 Nations are played at Murrayfield, with home games against Wales, Ireland, England, Italy, and France spread over every two years. It is a wonderful sporting city with so many massive sporting events to choose from if you love your spectator sport. Edinburgh Rugby also play at Murrayfield in the exciting Pro 14 league.

Stay Fit and Healthy

For many students there is a desire to stay fit and healthy when going to university. It is easy to get side tracked with nights out drinking, and too many unhealthy takeaways (all important parts of uni life if you want to experience them in moderation of course!). Even in the cold Scottish weather there are plenty of opportunities to keep fit and have fun in Edinburgh. CSE is the gym at the University of Edinburgh and has some great sporting facilities, including a swimming pool. You can choose student memberships for one semester up to an entire year.

There are other cheap student-friendly gym offers throughout the city, and for those who like to jog The Meadows is a popular daytime destination. Through the university you can take on team sports as well, competing with friends for fun or to a competitive and elite level in some cases (against other universities in Scotland and the rest of the UK).

From Ice Hockey to Golf

Aside from these things you can take in sports as diverse as Ice Hockey, Roller Derby, American Football, and paddling on the Union Canal! There are also a range of stunning golf courses in Edinburgh and the surrounding areas, as you would expect from a country like Scotland that loves the game of golf.

Private courses such as Bruntsfield Links Golfing Society offer lovely views across the Firth of Forth, with a range of Edinburgh Leisure courses available at competitive rates of play – Braid Hills is a good choice due to its panoramic views of the city and its welcoming of beginners and seasoned pros alike.

The Finest Shopping in The Country

Shopping in Edinburgh is glorious, even for those living on a student budget. At your Edinburgh student accommodation you are just a short hop and a skip away from some of the finest shopping in the country, including a wide range of independent boutiques and vintage clothing stores, alongside the big brand names and high street fashion that you find in every big city centre – from the Gyle shopping centre to the west of the city centre to the central St James shopping centre. It really is a vibrant place to live (and to shop), with plenty of outstanding bookstores (The Edinburgh Book Shop and Armchair Books are worth a visit) and record stores (Unknown Pleasures on Canongate and Assai on Grindlay Street to name two) amongst the amazing independent retailers in the city.

The Best High Street Brands

Let’s look at the different areas to shop in Edinburgh. Princes Street and Waverley Mall are central locations and home to some of the best high street brands around, such as H&M, Urban Outfitters, Primark, and Debenhams to name a few. Just one street parallel on George Street and you are quickly amongst more of the high-end fashion retailers, such as Karen Millen, Hobbs, Jack Wills, and French Connection. Being so close to each other these are two areas worth checking out as a student looking to buy an outfit for a big night out.

Popular Destinations

For more of an independent feel Stockbridge is brimming with boutiques, vintage stores, gift shops, arts and craft stores, and all away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre. Nicolson Street is also a good shout for students on the lookout for a bargain, with plenty of charity shops on this street, as well as a Superdrug and Holland & Barrett to stock up on the beauty and health essentials.

A Vibrant City Centre

Whatever you are looking for in Edinburgh you will find it, from those who are shopaholics and want to tour the trendy, up-scale retailers to those willing to look for a bargain in a charity shop or vintage clothing store. The boutiques and other independents, as well as the book shops and record stores always make up the heartbeat of any city, and Edinburgh is packed full of vibrancy and vitality in that area.

A Historic Capital

As you would expect from an historic capital city with such a rich vein of tradition, you’ll never be short of a sight to see, an attraction to visit, or an event to witness in Edinburgh. First of all, as soon as you arrive as a student moving in to our Edinburgh student accommodation, do yourself a favour and get up to the Castle and Arthur’s Seat. There is no better view in the entire city, and it is seeping with a history many centuries old.

The Stone of Destiny and Crown Jewels are both great attractions to visit when you first live in the city. The breathtaking views are worth the trip up to Arthur’s Seat alone, allowing you to see the entire span of the city from up on high. Another must-see attraction is the Camera Obscura and World of Illusions – a great thing to see with a group of new friends as you encounter mind-boggling illusions and an exciting new world!

The Royal Botanic Garden

To get away from the stresses and strains of daily student life the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh is a tranquil sport to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature in all its glory. There are so many scenic walks and things to admire about Edinburgh, The Royal Mile is the famous street in the city, with many traditional Scottish pubs to explore with a pint or a whisky in hand, and Edinburgh Castle at the top.

Princes Street Gardens is another relaxing area to spend some time in after a day out shopping or drinking, whilst Edinburgh Zoo provides one of the best examples of a zoo in the whole of the UK. It has student-discounted prices for entry and continues to promote the safety and sustainability of rare and endangered animals, with conservation work at the zoo stretching back over 100 years.

The Fringe Festival

Of course, you can’t talk about events and attractions in Edinburgh without mentioning the Fringe Festival, and in the summer months, the city comes alive. The Festival is home to a variety of theatre productions, comedians, artists, musicians, and performances of all kinds, and it takes place in every nook and cranny within the city (from the smallest rooms above pubs to the biggest theatres). It doesn’t have to be an expensive visit to see some of the best work on offer at the Edinburgh Fringe, however, with free and heavily discounted shows on offer throughout the city, as well as plenty of free music and art exhibitions to explore.