The Student Room Group
Student at University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh

University of Edinburgh Accommodation Thread for Entry 2015/16

PART 1: OFFICIAL UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH ACCOMMODATION THREAD

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN. Apply now for accommodation, even if Edinburgh is only your insurance. Apply here.


If you have already applied for accommodation but something has gone wrong or you want to change your preferences, call Allocations on +44 (0)131 651 2042, or you can tweet general queries to them: @UoEliving


Please note that parts of this thread remain out of date and are based on threads from past years. Please check facts with other sources or post questions in thread for clarification.

Please do not post room numbers in this thread. It is visible to anyone, whether they are a member or not. Please consider before posting that people may be able to identify you elsewhere (Facebook etc) from details you post here!

If you are a new or current student looking for private accommodation in Edinburgh, please see post #2. For links to other threads discussing accommodation in Edinburgh see post #3.

Before posting questions in this thread please read through post #1, post #2 and post #3 to ensure your query has not already been answered! There is also a ‘Search This Thread’ tool at the top of the thread which may well help find your answer.

Towards the start of the academic year, there will be Facebook groups available for each residence. These can be found on Facebook.

The University of Edinburgh owns a vast array of accommodation throughout the city. All properties are managed by Accommodation Services. They are based in the Reception Centre at Pollock Halls, and can be visited in person as well as contacted in a number of ways. See here for contact details.

You can view various maps to see where this official accommodation is located throughout the city here.

You can download the university’s official undergraduate accommodation guides for September 2014/January 2015 entry here. (Postgraduate guide available here). You can search the accommodation database for details, specs, prices, etc. here.

Is accommodation guaranteed?

Spoiler



I’m a Postgraduate - is my accommodation guaranteed?

Spoiler



So does the guarantee work?
[spoiler] The accommodation guarantee has caused some issues during for entry in 2008, 2009, 2011, and 2012 due to the vast popularity of the university amongst applicants and the generous almost-universal guarantee of accommodation. Some measures have been taken to address this, including but not limited to the increase in entry requirements to the university. In the past instances accommodation was vastly oversubscribed and the university struggled to arrange housing for everybody. The good news is that Accommodation Services appear never to have compromised on their promise: they have ensured that an offer of accommodation is made to every applicant who is eligible even in oversubscribed years. Despite the increase in fees to RUK students, applications to Edinburgh have continued to rise year-on-year and accommodation under more pressure than ever before.

Spoiler



What does this mean in practical terms if you are applying for entry in 2014? You are guaranteed a room if you meet the eligibility criteria, but it may well not be the room you want. If you have selected Edinburgh as your insurance choice you may well be considered a lower priority when allocation is taking place (although unlike other universities, you should still be guaranteed something). Likewise, allocation is liable to take longer if there are more students who need to be accommodated. And you will only be made ONE offer. If you turn down your offer you will not receive another.

How do I apply?

Spoiler



Accepting an offer of accommodation

Spoiler



Room Sizes

Spoiler



Internet and Phone

Spoiler



Residence Life

Spoiler



Leaving at the end of your tenancy

Spoiler



Catered or Self-Catered?

Spoiler



Twin Rooms in Pollock Halls

Spoiler



Food at Pollock Halls (Thanks to fwapper for this)

Spoiler



Pricing

Spoiler



Payment

Spoiler



Insurance

Spoiler



Car Parking

Spoiler



What does the accommodation look like?

Spoiler



Council Tax

Spoiler



University accommodation after first year

Spoiler



See post #2 for details on private accommodation in Edinburgh. See post #3 for handy links to other threads about accommodation in Edinburgh.

Disclaimer:

This post does not represent the views of the University of Edinburgh or Accommodation Services in any capacity whatsoever. The thread is intended to offer information and advice in an informal and personal capacity. Any advice given in this thread by me (or any other poster) is not given in any official capacity as a representative of the University or Accommodation Services. If anything is ever in doubt it is always recommended that you check with Accommodation Services.

Scroll to see replies

PART 2: PRIVATE ACCOMMODATION IN EDINBURGH

Living in university managed accommodation may not suit you, or there may be issues with the supply of accommodation once again this year. So do remember that you do not have to accept the offer of accommodation if you do not want to and there are plenty of alternatives - Edinburgh has a lot of very good flats on offer to students. The following advice is also fully relevant if you are a continuing student looking for new accommodation.

The university’s Accommodation Services offers a fairly handy overview and guide to private student accommodation in Edinburgh here.

EUSA also provide some advice on their webpage, along with a flatfinder. EUSA’s Advice Place is also happy to offer impartial advice on accommodation in Edinburgh.

What do I need to do first?

Spoiler



I want to join an existing flat

Spoiler



I want to live in private halls of residence

Spoiler



Landlords and Letting Agencies

Spoiler



Finding a flat

Spoiler



Where should I live?

Spoiler



Pricing

Spoiler



Payment

Spoiler



Council Tax

Spoiler



Insurance

Spoiler



Car Parking

Spoiler



What are the properties like?

Spoiler



See post #3 for handy links to other threads on Edinburgh accommodation.
Student at University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
PART 3: Conclusion and Useful Links

Conclusion

So there you have it, hopefully the full and comprehensive guide to accommodation, both university owned and private in Edinburgh, that you were looking for. It is quite possible that some important points have been missed out from these posts, so if there is anything that has been forgotten or skimped on, then please go ahead and ask a question below. Edinburgh students past and present will be more than happy to try and answer as best as they can, and share their experiences of living and renting in Edinburgh with you. Many thanks to oxymoronic for her original accommodation thread for entry in September ’09, which is linked to below.

And remember, to discuss anything relating to application/entry to the University of Edinburgh in September 2014 apart from accommodation, head over to our stickified and officialised discussion thread.

Here are some handy links that we’ve compiled over the years to other threads - if your question isn’t answered in this thread then maybe it’s in one of these:

Official accommodation thread for entry 14/15

Official accommodation thread for entry 13/14

Official accommodation thread for entry 12/13

Official accommodation thread for entry 11/12

Official accommodation thread for entry 10/11

Official accommodation thread for entry 09/10

Official accommodation thread for entry 08/09

Why did you apply for your accommodation/where did you apply 08/09


Where is the best place to live in Edinburgh?

Price of accommodation, artorscience's post in particular

UNITE at Edinburgh

Where to live/prices for after first year

Edinburgh is my insurance choice, do I still apply?


Self catered accommodation = single sex (in general)

Last year’s postgraduate accommodation discussion thread


Detailed stuff:


Pollock meal times

Mini fridge? What to and what not to bring!

Should I bring a TV?

Should I bring my bike?

Where can I buy a bike in Edinburgh?

Can I bring my dog to Edinburgh?

Are there mirrors in the rooms?

To access university account when not on university network - ie from home or private accommodation

Internet and gaming in university accommodation

Postgrad accommodation thread 2010/11

Does accommodation allow dogs?
(edited 9 years ago)
Reserved for future use.
Reserved for future use 2.
Edinburgh Student accommodation
Where to live?
Whether you are a fresher or an exchange student, deciding where to live for your first year at the amazing Edinburgh University can be a difficult choice. I should know, almost half way through my first semester here, I believe I have gained enough knowledge on the array of options Edinburgh accommodation has to offer.
Firstly, yes it really does matter if you are a fresher or a one semester/one year exchange student. Why? If you are a fresher ready to embark on your university path, then you are here for the long run, the friends you make are your ‘friends for life’ and trust me, you don’t want to make the wrong choice. i promise all my writing is honest, I am a kind open minded person (if I do say so myself) and I do actually want all you new pieces of fresh meat to make the best possible choices because Edinburgh is one of the best places to study I truly believe it!
‘fresher’ however does NOT refer to those of you that are offen refered to as ‘trustfund babies’, if you are male, to meet the trustfund baby requirments you must have a gold ring ‘coat of arms’ with your family emblum engraved, you must have been on a ‘gap yah’, with hair longer then most girls this year (either tied in a knot on your head or simply greased down the side of your face) and you MUST wear clothes that appear you’ve stolen them from a tramp, however they’re worth close to the value of my four year tuition fees nothing compared to your life’s worth of private schooling (Harrow or Eton with suffice) and for girls unsure whether you belong in this ctogory? Well if your daddys worth is in the millions, your mother has never worked a day in her life spending most of it doing yoga or on obscured diets, and your name is something along the lines of Apple or Anouk, then you pass. These ‘freshers’ are known as the Yah’s, you belong to this list? Fabulous, no need to continue reading, you are a simple bunch to house, you are made for one place only. Chancellors Court. The only place for you I promise. This overly priced experience brings you neighbours of the same breeding you don’t want to be mixing with poorer students now! Chancellors will provide you with a safe environment, away from the lower class hooligans, I swear.
The only other people I would recommend Chancellors to (or any other Pollock Halls residence although the other houses are not even worth mentioning, not in chancellors? You may as well not exist) are international students. Why? To be honest I just know that all the international students go there, and it’s much easier for such to socialise (in self-catered accommodation international students often hide away in their rooms ignore their flatmates (not recommended) however in Pollock you’re pretty much forced to make friends.
Just one last thing, if you are thinking of living in Pollock Halls because it’s catered, DON’T. The JMCC has little imagination when it comes to food, along with no Michelin stars. You’re likely to miss most breakfasts and eventually give up on the hope of any nice dinners. Inbetween you starve because despite knowing you have to make your own lunch, the houses provide no ovens in the pantries, just microwaves and kettles. Not that you’ll ever use the pantry’s because any food you store in there will be eaten by 4am drunks . So you may plan on buying lunch everyday (which is extremely expensive by the way) however this is often the only option because as soon as you leave Pollock for the day, you will not return until completely necessary. Not because it’s an awful place. Just that it is about a million miles from everything. (ok slight exaggeration, it takes about 20 minutes to get near to university, it takes 20 minutes to walk to the gym (trust me all motivation goes knowing you’ll do half your cardio walking to the gym) and its at least 40 minutes from clubs, princes street and the train station all vital factors in a student’s life. But of course, the main distance felt by all it the 20 minute walk to the nearest supermarket, spontaneous nights out are a no no when at Pollock, unless you have £30 spare for a tiny bottle of vodka from the onsite shop, trying to walk to a cheap drugstore before 10pm when you only realise you want to go out at 9:30pm is a killer.
Ok, now I’ve got past all the problematic areas, here goes, all you newbies that are actually quite normal and want to have the best university experience possible. (I will soon begin to ramble on about distances to places, people and probably much more useless facts, but when you have a 9am tutorial you simply cannot miss one more bloody time, you’ll be thanking me for your accommodation that requires you to roll out of bed at only 9:45, (well if you skip a shower and speed walk) to make it in for such. Just to clarify, I am biased, currently residing in Darroch Court (best place ever) I have much more of a portfolio of views on such housing, but being quite sociable I know a bit about many other places too! However, I do not study in Kings Buildings, (about a 40 minute walk no matter where you are- don’t worry free shuttle buses are provided, and people often cycle too) I cannot inform you of the perfect accommodation for such studies, however most of you will be studying in and around George Square, and that my friends is something I am familiar with.
So here goes, accommodation;
Darroch Court it doesn’t look like much from the outside world but I love it. Literally a Ten minute walk to the train station, meaning an equal 10 to princes street (located just behind the train station) and in winter the Christmas stalls! Something you don’t want to miss. It’s literally a 30 second walk to the gym I would put money on 15 seconds but you usually bump into someone you know coming out of Darroch! To continue with distance, it takes about 7 minutes to get to Potterrow (a place you will spend many a Saturday night wondering how you got roped into going to the big cheese AGAIN). After Potterrow its just a further 1 minute to Teviot one of the oldest studnt unions in the world (HAS GREAT NACHOS AND A WICKED LIBRARY BAR) and a further 2 mintues from Appleton tower, George square lecture theatre, the library etc (all the main places) a total of just ten minutes from Darroch court to get to all your vital sources. You can shop on the way home as you walk straight past the Aldi, Farmfoods, Tesco and Poundland (all vital nutrition points). Now Actual Darroch Court. Well, as far as im concerned, despite being next to a halfwayhouse it’s a pretty safe place, has a shed for bikes (coded) and is always clean. The flats vary, some blocks being single sex with either five girls or five boys in, others mixed with more or fewer people, it really changes depending on the block. Not to worry though, you’ll end up meetingn 90% of the people within a couple weeks. I believe our facebook page (lame I know) is used far more then any other, with regular invites to anyone for predrinks (this year block 9 is the party flat im ngl). The page is also used to voice concerns (someone freaking out about a subject they take and begging anyone to come and help them- it usually works aswel). The flats themselves are pretty damn nice for student accommodation. So far from what I have seen, each flat with five or more have two fridges’freezers, plenty of cupboards, a dining table with stools and two sofas and a coffee table, all sufficient. You can fit about 30 people into the kitchen/lounge before it gets MAJORLY crowded, not to worry though as th bedrooms are bigger than I expected! YES you will have to put up with a single bed SORRY but there is plenty of floorspace, a massive cupboard (im a girl and didn’t fill half the wardrobe) a bookshelf, a desk and a massive pin board. No we don’t have ensuits, but having three toilets and two showers its surprisingly easy to forget you share with other people I have never had to wait for a shower in the morning. Finally, the people, as you can tell by the facebook page, everyone my year is pretty dam friendly. It may change year on year, but I really don’t think it does. Everyone is so fun to go out with, and usually pretty helpful when it comes to you begging them to help you study! I knew everyone in my block (five flats all together) after just one week, (we had a block party to meet each other) and now almost done with a semester, im pretty confident in saying I could name at least 70 people living here. (trust that’s a lot of new names). And to be honest, Darroch is a pretty cheap place to live, my total of just short of £4000 for the year of rent comes to one of the cheapest accommodations not only in Edinburgh but for a lot of university’s!
Anyway, moving on. Deaconess the scifi world of Edinburgh. Only this year opened up to freshers. Honestly? It’s a pretty cool place. Everything is silver or grey and looks like it’s be printed straight from a computer game. Its thought of as the Chancellors of Self catered. Understandable, the people here are a bit more snooty NOT TO PUT YOU OF THOUGH! Deaconess is much more modern, the lounges and kitchen areas have TV’s (a luxury at uni) and the bedrooms all have ensuits (if you desperately want to pay an extra £1000 for the privilege, Deaconess is the place!) however, the bedrooms are more compact, less floor space, and still a single bed. If I had to pick again, obv Darroch would be first choice, but Deaconess would probably my second choice, it is such a similar environment, just a bit more pricy. The people their? Equally as nice! Being a five minute walk from Darroch again time distances are pretty similar. It takes about 15mins to get to the train station, about 5 to the gym, but being further up the hill it takes only 8 minutes to get to Appleton! (trust me every minute counts when you’ve experienced walking into a full lecture theatre late ALL EYES ON YOU).
Sciennes, I have been informed, is a wicked place to make friends. However, it’s a much grubbier place. The flats are smaller and dingy, and it’s much more further away than many of the accommodations. Further then Pollock (and that’s saying something). However, the shared common room is pretty swish and if money is a big problem then this cheaper alternative isn’t the worse place in the workld (although I wouldn’t recommend it)
Cowgate any person in accommodation on cowgate probably did not pick to be there. Some of the flats can be gorgeous, but nothing beats a good night sleep before an exam, or a 9am. Impossible when living anywhere on cowgate. There is not one night where drunkards will quietly creep down cowgate, no rather they feel the need to scream, and shout, and let it all out. Do not choose to live here. Its just a no, even if the flats are amazing, trust me you will soon treasure sleep more.
Hermits croft is just a no. As is Fountain bridge (a million miles from anywhere). Despite being my 2nd and 3rd choice accommodation, I have never met anyone who lives in warrender park, accommodation, I’m pretty sure they’re all recluses.
Finally, Robertson’s close, yes 100% yes if you fancy the look of this place pick it. It’s a friendly atmosphere, almost everyone I know from here are amazing people. Not only that, but it is a pretty central place to live.
And just a little freshman advice. Freshers is wicked, but a bit overrated, everyone goes to the same events, so they’re always pretty crowded and by the time you get in your sober. Try getting a group of people and go to the other clubs being promoted but that arn’t so busy, you’ll meet just as many people, you’ll just be drunker and less squished (always a better mix). Download YIKYAK its hilarious and so relevant, but delete it two weeks before exams if not you will not study, it’s far too easy to procrastinate when you have yikyak.
Edinburgh Student accommodation
Where to live?
Whether you are a fresher or an exchange student, deciding where to live for your first year at the amazing Edinburgh University can be a difficult choice. I should know, almost half way through my first semester here, I believe I have gained enough knowledge on the array of options Edinburgh accommodation has to offer.
Firstly, yes it really does matter if you are a fresher or a one semester/one year exchange student. Why? If you are a fresher ready to embark on your university path, then you are here for the long run, the friends you make are your ‘friends for life’ and trust me, you don’t want to make the wrong choice. i promise all my writing is honest, I am a kind open minded person (if I do say so myself) and I do actually want all you new pieces of fresh meat to make the best possible choices because Edinburgh is one of the best places to study I truly believe it!
‘fresher’ however does NOT refer to those of you that are offen refered to as ‘trustfund babies’, if you are male, to meet the trustfund baby requirments you must have a gold ring ‘coat of arms’ with your family emblum engraved, you must have been on a ‘gap yah’, with hair longer then most girls this year (either tied in a knot on your head or simply greased down the side of your face) and you MUST wear clothes that appear you’ve stolen them from a tramp, however they’re worth close to the value of my four year tuition fees nothing compared to your life’s worth of private schooling (Harrow or Eton with suffice) and for girls unsure whether you belong in this ctogory? Well if your daddys worth is in the millions, your mother has never worked a day in her life spending most of it doing yoga or on obscured diets, and your name is something along the lines of Apple or Anouk, then you pass. These ‘freshers’ are known as the Yah’s, you belong to this list? Fabulous, no need to continue reading, you are a simple bunch to house, you are made for one place only. Chancellors Court. The only place for you I promise. This overly priced experience brings you neighbours of the same breeding you don’t want to be mixing with poorer students now! Chancellors will provide you with a safe environment, away from the lower class hooligans, I swear.
The only other people I would recommend Chancellors to (or any other Pollock Halls residence although the other houses are not even worth mentioning, not in chancellors? You may as well not exist) are international students. Why? To be honest I just know that all the international students go there, and it’s much easier for such to socialise (in self-catered accommodation international students often hide away in their rooms ignore their flatmates (not recommended) however in Pollock you’re pretty much forced to make friends.
Just one last thing, if you are thinking of living in Pollock Halls because it’s catered, DON’T. The JMCC has little imagination when it comes to food, along with no Michelin stars. You’re likely to miss most breakfasts and eventually give up on the hope of any nice dinners. Inbetween you starve because despite knowing you have to make your own lunch, the houses provide no ovens in the pantries, just microwaves and kettles. Not that you’ll ever use the pantry’s because any food you store in there will be eaten by 4am drunks . So you may plan on buying lunch everyday (which is extremely expensive by the way) however this is often the only option because as soon as you leave Pollock for the day, you will not return until completely necessary. Not because it’s an awful place. Just that it is about a million miles from everything. (ok slight exaggeration, it takes about 20 minutes to get near to university, it takes 20 minutes to walk to the gym (trust me all motivation goes knowing you’ll do half your cardio walking to the gym) and its at least 40 minutes from clubs, princes street and the train station all vital factors in a student’s life. But of course, the main distance felt by all it the 20 minute walk to the nearest supermarket, spontaneous nights out are a no no when at Pollock, unless you have £30 spare for a tiny bottle of vodka from the onsite shop, trying to walk to a cheap drugstore before 10pm when you only realise you want to go out at 9:30pm is a killer.
Ok, now I’ve got past all the problematic areas, here goes, all you newbies that are actually quite normal and want to have the best university experience possible. (I will soon begin to ramble on about distances to places, people and probably much more useless facts, but when you have a 9am tutorial you simply cannot miss one more bloody time, you’ll be thanking me for your accommodation that requires you to roll out of bed at only 9:45, (well if you skip a shower and speed walk) to make it in for such. Just to clarify, I am biased, currently residing in Darroch Court (best place ever) I have much more of a portfolio of views on such housing, but being quite sociable I know a bit about many other places too! However, I do not study in Kings Buildings, (about a 40 minute walk no matter where you are- don’t worry free shuttle buses are provided, and people often cycle too) I cannot inform you of the perfect accommodation for such studies, however most of you will be studying in and around George Square, and that my friends is something I am familiar with.
So here goes, accommodation;
Darroch Court it doesn’t look like much from the outside world but I love it. Literally a Ten minute walk to the train station, meaning an equal 10 to princes street (located just behind the train station) and in winter the Christmas stalls! Something you don’t want to miss. It’s literally a 30 second walk to the gym I would put money on 15 seconds but you usually bump into someone you know coming out of Darroch! To continue with distance, it takes about 7 minutes to get to Potterrow (a place you will spend many a Saturday night wondering how you got roped into going to the big cheese AGAIN). After Potterrow its just a further 1 minute to Teviot one of the oldest studnt unions in the world (HAS GREAT NACHOS AND A WICKED LIBRARY BAR) and a further 2 mintues from Appleton tower, George square lecture theatre, the library etc (all the main places) a total of just ten minutes from Darroch court to get to all your vital sources. You can shop on the way home as you walk straight past the Aldi, Farmfoods, Tesco and Poundland (all vital nutrition points). Now Actual Darroch Court. Well, as far as im concerned, despite being next to a halfwayhouse it’s a pretty safe place, has a shed for bikes (coded) and is always clean. The flats vary, some blocks being single sex with either five girls or five boys in, others mixed with more or fewer people, it really changes depending on the block. Not to worry though, you’ll end up meetingn 90% of the people within a couple weeks. I believe our facebook page (lame I know) is used far more then any other, with regular invites to anyone for predrinks (this year block 9 is the party flat im ngl). The page is also used to voice concerns (someone freaking out about a subject they take and begging anyone to come and help them- it usually works aswel). The flats themselves are pretty damn nice for student accommodation. So far from what I have seen, each flat with five or more have two fridges’freezers, plenty of cupboards, a dining table with stools and two sofas and a coffee table, all sufficient. You can fit about 30 people into the kitchen/lounge before it gets MAJORLY crowded, not to worry though as th bedrooms are bigger than I expected! YES you will have to put up with a single bed SORRY but there is plenty of floorspace, a massive cupboard (im a girl and didn’t fill half the wardrobe) a bookshelf, a desk and a massive pin board. No we don’t have ensuits, but having three toilets and two showers its surprisingly easy to forget you share with other people I have never had to wait for a shower in the morning. Finally, the people, as you can tell by the facebook page, everyone my year is pretty dam friendly. It may change year on year, but I really don’t think it does. Everyone is so fun to go out with, and usually pretty helpful when it comes to you begging them to help you study! I knew everyone in my block (five flats all together) after just one week, (we had a block party to meet each other) and now almost done with a semester, im pretty confident in saying I could name at least 70 people living here. (trust that’s a lot of new names). And to be honest, Darroch is a pretty cheap place to live, my total of just short of £4000 for the year of rent comes to one of the cheapest accommodations not only in Edinburgh but for a lot of university’s!
Anyway, moving on. Deaconess the scifi world of Edinburgh. Only this year opened up to freshers. Honestly? It’s a pretty cool place. Everything is silver or grey and looks like it’s be printed straight from a computer game. Its thought of as the Chancellors of Self catered. Understandable, the people here are a bit more snooty NOT TO PUT YOU OF THOUGH! Deaconess is much more modern, the lounges and kitchen areas have TV’s (a luxury at uni) and the bedrooms all have ensuits (if you desperately want to pay an extra £1000 for the privilege, Deaconess is the place!) however, the bedrooms are more compact, less floor space, and still a single bed. If I had to pick again, obv Darroch would be first choice, but Deaconess would probably my second choice, it is such a similar environment, just a bit more pricy. The people their? Equally as nice! Being a five minute walk from Darroch again time distances are pretty similar. It takes about 15mins to get to the train station, about 5 to the gym, but being further up the hill it takes only 8 minutes to get to Appleton! (trust me every minute counts when you’ve experienced walking into a full lecture theatre late ALL EYES ON YOU).
Sciennes, I have been informed, is a wicked place to make friends. However, it’s a much grubbier place. The flats are smaller and dingy, and it’s much more further away than many of the accommodations. Further then Pollock (and that’s saying something). However, the shared common room is pretty swish and if money is a big problem then this cheaper alternative isn’t the worse place in the workld (although I wouldn’t recommend it)
Cowgate any person in accommodation on cowgate probably did not pick to be there. Some of the flats can be gorgeous, but nothing beats a good night sleep before an exam, or a 9am. Impossible when living anywhere on cowgate. There is not one night where drunkards will quietly creep down cowgate, no rather they feel the need to scream, and shout, and let it all out. Do not choose to live here. Its just a no, even if the flats are amazing, trust me you will soon treasure sleep more.
Hermits croft is just a no. As is Fountain bridge (a million miles from anywhere). Despite being my 2nd and 3rd choice accommodation, I have never met anyone who lives in warrender park, accommodation, I’m pretty sure they’re all recluses.
Finally, Robertson’s close, yes 100% yes if you fancy the look of this place pick it. It’s a friendly atmosphere, almost everyone I know from here are amazing people. Not only that, but it is a pretty central place to live.
And just a little freshman advice. Freshers is wicked, but a bit overrated, everyone goes to the same events, so they’re always pretty crowded and by the time you get in your sober. Try getting a group of people and go to the other clubs being promoted but that arn’t so busy, you’ll meet just as many people, you’ll just be drunker and less squished (always a better mix). Download YIKYAK its hilarious and so relevant, but delete it two weeks before exams if not you will not study, it’s far too easy to procrastinate when you have yikyak.
could you either use spacing in the paragraphs or summarise in some sort of way?
I have a feeling of TL;DR
Reply 8
Original post by hopethishelpsu
Edinburgh Student accommodation

Cowgate any person in accommodation on cowgate probably did not pick to be there. Some of the flats can be gorgeous, but nothing beats a good night sleep before an exam, or a 9am. Impossible when living anywhere on cowgate. There is not one night where drunkards will quietly creep down cowgate, no rather they feel the need to scream, and shout, and let it all out. Do not choose to live here. Its just a no, even if the flats are amazing, trust me you will soon treasure sleep more.
Hermits croft is just a no. As is Fountain bridge (a million miles from anywhere). Despite being my 2nd and 3rd choice accommodation, I have never met anyone who lives in warrender park, accommodation, I’m pretty sure they’re all recluses.
Finally, Robertson’s close, yes 100% yes if you fancy the look of this place pick it. It’s a friendly atmosphere, almost everyone I know from here are amazing people. Not only that, but it is a pretty central place to live.


hi! thank you so much, your post is really helpful! i like the look of robertson's close a lot, but it is on Cowgate, is that a problem?
Original post by uwcstudent
hi! thank you so much, your post is really helpful! i like the look of robertson's close a lot, but it is on Cowgate, is that a problem?


Apart from some added noise there's no problem living on the cowgate!
Hi guys! My UCAS application has been sent away and my reference is currently being done so I haven't received any offers or had any sort of email yet. I'm worried about accommodation as I currently live in St Andrews. I was just wondering about halls and private accommodation? Anyone who has stayed in halls, what's the price like and is it nice? Am I better going for private accommodation? If so how do I go about finding flatmates? When's the best time to apply? Sorry for all the questions, I'm just really nervous! Thank you!xxxx
Original post by shannonedwardsx
Hi guys! My UCAS application has been sent away and my reference is currently being done so I haven't received any offers or had any sort of email yet. I'm worried about accommodation as I currently live in St Andrews. I was just wondering about halls and private accommodation? Anyone who has stayed in halls, what's the price like and is it nice? Am I better going for private accommodation? If so how do I go about finding flatmates? When's the best time to apply? Sorry for all the questions, I'm just really nervous! Thank you!xxxx


Most first years stay in halls (catered or self catered) and that's normally the best way to meet people!
There will be a place under uni accommodation where you'll be able to afford, just depends what you're looking for
Check http://www.accom.ed.ac.uk/ for more information and I can try to answer questions
Thank you! Do you know when it's the right time to look?
Original post by shannonedwardsx
Thank you! Do you know when it's the right time to look?


If you're coming up for the next academic year then feel free to look as soon as possible
Reply 14
Hi people,


I'm an Erasmus student looking for a cheap accommodation. Currently, these are my choices: "New Arthur Place", "Nicholson St and South College Street", "Robertson's Close" and "College Wynd". In this post, other users mentioned that "College Wynd" have noise issues, but what about the rest?


Thx for any advice.
Reply 15
Original post by hopethishelpsu
Edinburgh Student accommodation
Sciennes, I have been informed, is a wicked place to make friends. However, it’s a much grubbier place. The flats are smaller and dingy, and it’s much more further away than many of the accommodations. Further then Pollock (and that’s saying something). However, the shared common room is pretty swish and if money is a big problem then this cheaper alternative isn’t the worse place in the workld (although I wouldn’t recommend it)

1) Rooms are the same as in Nicholson Street (where you can end up with a windowless kitchen), Hermit's Croft, East Newington Place, Robbie's Close, New Arthur's Place...
2) It has an awesome Common Room, never have to worry about making friends, with TV, DVD and books library, a pool table and a ping pong table
3) It is by far the best situated accommodation! I can't believe you said it's further than Pollock :biggrin: It takes 8 minutes to reach Appleton Tower, 10 minutes to the library through the Meadows, 15 minutes to ECA through the Meadows and 20 minutes walk to KB, it's close everywhere.
I can wholeheartedly recommend it, and the people I've seen there through the years have stayed friends even after uni :smile:

Original post by hopethishelpsu
Hermits croft is just a no. As is Fountain bridge (a million miles from anywhere). Despite being my 2nd and 3rd choice accommodation, I have never met anyone who lives in warrender park, accommodation, I’m pretty sure they’re all recluses.

1) Touche. Hermit's Croft is pretty central, more so than Pollock, and on the way to the gym. The flats are nice and rooms larger than average, and it's not at all noisy as it's a little bit tucked away among houses.
2) Agreed as far as Fountainbridge is concerned, and the same goes for Beaverbank: they may be nice flat-wise, but the commute isn't worth it.
3) Warrender is situated in Marchmont, which is where a lot of your 2nd years move to after university accommodation. It's a wee bit further but it is in a nice place on the edge of the Meadows and not that far if you go across the Meadows, plus it's a nice walk.

I can see you've been singing praises to Darroch, and it is indeed very nice, but beware people who will be studying in KB - it's way too far.
Really good if you're doing education though, close to the Morey House campus.

SOURCE: Resident Assistant for 3 years running now, including summers, in numerous accommodations around Edinburgh. AMA :wink:
(edited 9 years ago)
Reply 16
Original post by JonaG
Hi people,


I'm an Erasmus student looking for a cheap accommodation. Currently, these are my choices: "New Arthur Place", "Nicholson St and South College Street", "Robertson's Close" and "College Wynd". In this post, other users mentioned that "College Wynd" have noise issues, but what about the rest?


Thx for any advice.


- College Wynd is a NIGHTMARE if you get a flat looking out on the street. Then again I spent a summer there in the lowest situated flat on the corner of the street during the summer, i.e. festival time and people partying through the day and night, while I had a full time job - so obviously I was a "bit" grumpy. But honestly, the windows are not double-glazed and it made very little difference noise-wise whether you kept them open or closed.
And we did receive a lot of noise complaints from the residents as well.
That said, if you get a flat looking out onto the courtyard, it can be lovely. Except from the strange cheese wedge-shaped rooms. But it's really a roulette...

- Nicholson St and South College Street - again, depends. The flats are all very small. But some rooms (not sure if all but possibly) have really nice large windows and let in a lot of light, as opposed to many other accommodations that have rather small windows. But, there are some flats where kitchens look like boxrooms, tiny and no windows at all... Overall, mixed feelings really. Noise-wise it's fine.

- Robbie's Close - flats are standard uni flats, just as anywhere else. Again, if you get a window looking out onto Cowgate, it can get very loud and thus frustrating especially if you have to be up early the next day. However, they got a Common Room this or last year, can't remember, and I cant stress enough how great it is to have a common room in your accommodation! So much easier to make friends!

- New Arthur's Place - it's between Deaconess and the gym, and so really quiet. I didn't hear very good things about the rooms, but I haven't ever been to that one s I can't vouch for anything.

Hope this helps.

Also, I don't think Kincaid's Court has been mentioned - it's also on Cowgate, opposite College Wynd, but more rooms look out onto the courtyard I believe. Also, Common Room!
Hi guys! I'm kind of torn at the minute between accommodations, mainly because I've found ones I like the look of and that I can afford, but obviously I can't know from the websites if they are noisy, really sociable, worth the cost, etc...

I'm thinking between South Clerk Street, Deaconess, Sciennes, Blackfriar's, Kincaid and Meadow. Anyone got any thoughts? :smile:

Also, I've got an offer for Mathematics & Statistics 1st year entry!
Original post by callmethed0ctor
Hi guys! I'm kind of torn at the minute between accommodations, mainly because I've found ones I like the look of and that I can afford, but obviously I can't know from the websites if they are noisy, really sociable, worth the cost, etc...

I'm thinking between South Clerk Street, Deaconess, Sciennes, Blackfriar's, Kincaid and Meadow. Anyone got any thoughts? :smile:

Also, I've got an offer for Mathematics & Statistics 1st year entry!


Noisy wise I'd avoid South Clerk Street (as it's on a busy street) and also Kincaids and Blackfriar's (as they're down cowgate, where there's a lot of night life).
If you want somewhere sociable though then Kincaids would be a good choice as I believe it is the Uni's biggest self catered halls.

Out of those I would personally choose Meadow Court or Sciennes, as they're really well placed.

Also, I'm a current maths student if you want to ask questions about the course
Original post by UPSDGoat
Noisy wise I'd avoid South Clerk Street (as it's on a busy street) and also Kincaids and Blackfriar's (as they're down cowgate, where there's a lot of night life).
If you want somewhere sociable though then Kincaids would be a good choice as I believe it is the Uni's biggest self catered halls.

Out of those I would personally choose Meadow Court or Sciennes, as they're really well placed.

Also, I'm a current maths student if you want to ask questions about the course



I do like the look of Meadow Court so I'll think about it a bit more!

Ooo finally! I've been trying to find someone who does maths at Edinburgh, so if you don't mind I have got a couple of questions:

1) I don't do Further Maths A Level formally but I'm doing FP1 in my own time. How else do you recommend I should prepare based on the courses you've been doing?

2) What do you think the best way to take notes in lectures would be? I hear it's pretty fast paced so I'm worried I won't be able to write quick enough haha

3) How different is the degree, like the structure, the content etc..., from A level Maths?

Thank you so much! :smile:

Quick Reply