Top Reasons to Attend University in
Edinburgh
- Population 450,000
- Student population 37,000
An elegant and cultured capital city, historic Edinburgh, visually spectacular, vibrant and cosmopolitan, is one of the most sought-after cities by students. The home of the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh is enjoying a prosperous time. The compact city centre has an enviable range of pubs, bars and nightclubs, many with extended hours of opening. Students make up a good proportion of the population, and are generally welcomed. Areas such as Marchmont and the New Town are popular, but the city is expensive for accommodation. Shopping and entertainment costs are comparable with other major UK cities.
Some of the best universities in Edinburgh
Getting around
- Edinburgh's seven hills make cycling hard work, but the city centre is easy to walk around.
- The local bus service is comprehensive. Bus lanes and cycle paths exist. Travel cards are available, though more expensive than in some cities.
- The National Express coach network links to many destinations. London is 373 miles away, and trains take 4 hours 30 minutes. Trains to Glasgow are frequent and the journey takes about 50 minutes.
- Edinburgh Airport is 8 miles from the city centre, providing national and international flights.
Attractions for students
Sport
- Murrayfield Stadium is home to Edinburgh Rugby Team and Scottish Rugby Union.
- The city also supports two football clubs, Hibs and Hearts, ice hockey and basketball.
- There are three major golf courses, an Olympic-size swimming pool, a sports stadium and the largest artificial ski slope in Europe.
Culture and nightlife
- Edinburgh offers six commercial cinemas and three independents. Theatres are plentiful.
- The city is home to a wealth of art galleries, including the Queen's Gallery at Holyroodhouse, and museums as well as the Castle and the Royal Botanic Garden.
- The recently developed dockland area of Leith is alive with bars, restaurants and clubs.
Edinburgh is well-know and much visited for its festivals. The festivals website is www.edinbrughfestivals.co.uk.
- March–April – Science Festival
- May – Imaginate Children's Festival
- June – Film Festival
- July – Jazz & Blues Festival
- August – Art Festival
- August – Edinburgh Military Tattoo
- August – Edinburgh Festival Fringe
- August – International Festival
- August – Book Festival
- August – Mela Festival
- October – Storytelling Festival
- 30 December–1 January – Edinburgh's Hogmanay
Shopping
- Princes Street is the main shopping area in the city with most national chains as well as Edinburgh institutions, such as Jenners.
- George Street, Rose Street, the Grassmarket, the Royal Mile and the Stockbridge area of the city have more unusual shops.
- Ocean Terminal, a new shopping and leisure complex is situated on the waterfront at Leith.
Proximity to the city centre
- University of Edinburgh: in the centre, with science and engineering 2 miles south.
- Heriot-Watt University: campus 7 miles west of the city centre.
- Edinburgh Napier University: 2 miles south of the city centre.
Content was accurate at the time of compilation.
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