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Student at University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh

Help!! Edinburgh terrible accommodation??

Hi,
So I've received an offer from Edinburgh to do an undergraduate degree there but don't know anything about their accommodation, I've heard that it's really horrible??
If anyone knows: what are the best en-suite, self-catered rooms that are social?

Thanks!

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Reply 1
Avatar for EdgyGem
EdgyGem
2
Original post by eleanorb1
Hi,
So I've received an offer from Edinburgh to do an undergraduate degree there but don't know anything about their accommodation, I've heard that it's really horrible??
If anyone knows: what are the best en-suite, self-catered rooms that are social?

Thanks!


Uhmm I haven't heard that, I mean to me its fairly typical halls. I am in Portsborough Court and its great..
Student at University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
Reply 2
Avatar for Daisi22
Daisi22
HI, Im in Sugarhouse Close down on Holyrood Road and that is pretty good!
Original post by eleanorb1
Hi,
So I've received an offer from Edinburgh to do an undergraduate degree there but don't know anything about their accommodation, I've heard that it's really horrible??
If anyone knows: what are the best en-suite, self-catered rooms that are social?

Thanks!
the halls can be quite loud at night. if it bothers you, you could go private or get a studio.
Reply 4
Avatar for Azzer11
Azzer11
17
Original post by Daisi22
HI, Im in Sugarhouse Close down on Holyrood Road and that is pretty good!


Any idea why Sugarhouse is no longer an option for the next academic year? I emailed Edinburgh and they just said that it was not available next year :/
Original post by Azzer11
Any idea why Sugarhouse is no longer an option for the next academic year? I emailed Edinburgh and they just said that it was not available next year :/


It's private uni accommodation and Edinburgh has a deal to use some of it. I'd assume something changed. If you really like it, you can book it privately but there are probably less expensive options with the uni.
Hi There,

Hope you don't mind me jumping in here. Just wanted to let you know about Potterrow Student Accommodation with Fresh Student Living. We offer stylish and modern cluster flats with spacious bedrooms, shared bathrooms (they have a bath!) and fully fitted kitchens including a dishwasher. We're right in the heart of Edinburgh located just a couple of minutes walk from Teviot and George Square so ideal for getting to classes.

Rent is inclusive of all bills, wi-fi, on site staff and contents insurance. Your flat will also get a communal area clean each week from our housekeeping team. We have a great social space and study area and plenty of social events throughout the year.

Our tenancies here are for 51 weeks so ideal for postgraduate studies or those of you who just want to stay in the city for the summer and make the most of the Edinburgh Festival being on your doorstep!

Take a look at our website or Facebook page for more info - http://freshstudentliving.co.uk/property/potterrow/

If you would like any further information or to arrange a viewing please let us know.

Thanks,
Susan @ Potterrow
My D and I toured Pollack Halls during open day in June 2016. For a student accommodations, I thought the options were pretty nice- especially compared to other halls we had toured.


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Original post by eleanorb1
Hi,
So I've received an offer from Edinburgh to do an undergraduate degree there but don't know anything about their accommodation, I've heard that it's really horrible??
If anyone knows: what are the best en-suite, self-catered rooms that are social?

Thanks!


Fear not, I am here to give you the low down. All my knowledge comes from friends and personal experiences.

Firstly Pollock
Pros
- Great way to meet people, if you're a social butterfly this is a great place for you
- equi distance between campuses, if you're split between King's Building campus and Central Campus, Pollock is good for being between the two

Cons
- It is full of rich people, which many at Edinburgh have no issue with but I met a guy once who confessed he was struggling to keep up with the people in his accommodation financially.
- the food is hideous, like I'm not particularly picky but the food is pretty appalling
- the actual accomodation itself isn't anything special, you could get a nicer room in self-catered for cheaper

Self-catered

Blackfriars - never met a soul from there
College Wynd - In Cowgate, so super noisy, very close to central campus, rooms are alright. Shared bathroom, relatively cheap.
Darroch Court - If you're not really sporty or an athlete this probably isn't the one for you.
David Horn - What?!!
Deconess - The pollock of self catered, gorgeous rooms, en-suite, very close to the gym. Isn't much of a community feel though, lots of residents complain that flats don't socialise together. Deconess is a mixture of 6 bed flats and studios
East Newington Place - Never heard of it
Fraser Court - Sorry, where?
Hermit's croft - a bit of a trek away but apparently lovely and quite sociable
Kincaid's Court - Ahh Kincaid's where do I begin? I stay here so if anyone wants the down low, I can do another post devoted entirely to it. Very, very noisy also the largest self catered accomodation. Rooms are decent enough but there is the ominous block 4 at kincaid's made up entirely of 12 person flats, as someone who lives in block 4 I can tell you its fairly interesting. Tbh, i wouldn't recommend but it's not the end of the world if you end up here.
Kitchener - again never heard of this
Murano Place - ?
New Arthur Place - apparently it's all right
Riego - I believe this is made up of edinburgh uni and other students from different universities
Robertson's close - Or robbie close, everyone I've met from here is amazing. Flats are 6 beds with some shared rooms. The kitchen/living room set up is great, they're in cowgate so is still noisy.
Sciennes - Heard its got a great atmosphere and lots of parties, the acommodaiton itself though apparently is a bit ****
Shrubhill - This is such a trek, pretty much a non-starter if you're based at King's Buildings. Accomodaiton itself is nice, lots of international students, quite sociable
South Clerk Street - Rooms itself are very nice, don't know much about how sociable it is
Warrender park cresecent/road - apparently the views out the window is great, a bit of a trek from king's and central campus. Not the most sociable place and in a residential area so not as student-esque.

Thinks that's it, feel free to ask me any questions at all!
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Azzer11
Any idea why Sugarhouse is no longer an option for the next academic year? I emailed Edinburgh and they just said that it was not available next year :/


I believe sugarhouse privately owned and edinburgh pay an amount to have a certain number of rooms which they then rent out to students so they must have decided not to anymore.
Reply 10
Avatar for cwsh33
cwsh33
4
Read something about rats problems in the halls on Facebook. Any truth about that?
Original post by cwsh33
Read something about rats problems in the halls on Facebook. Any truth about that?


Yes, unfortunately! It's nothing to worry about, they're confined to the kitchen areas and there are traps down in the accommodation. You'd be hard pressed to find any university halls in the UK where rodents aren't an issue. I saw one in my kitchen the other day and screamed and the mouse looked promptly turned around and ran back the other way!!!
Reply 12
Avatar for cwsh33
cwsh33
4
Original post by MissNoir98
Yes, unfortunately! It's nothing to worry about, they're confined to the kitchen areas and there are traps down in the accommodation. You'd be hard pressed to find any university halls in the UK where rodents aren't an issue. I saw one in my kitchen the other day and screamed and the mouse looked promptly turned around and ran back the other way!!!


You mean kitchens in the self-catered halls? Suppose that's where the students do the serious cooking that attract the rats? What about catered halls like Ewing and Turner where there are only pantries?
Original post by cwsh33
You mean kitchens in the self-catered halls? Suppose that's where the students do the serious cooking that attract the rats? What about catered halls like Ewing and Turner where there are only pantries?


Yes, self-catered is where they are most prevalent. I've just asked my friend at Ewing and he said he has never heard of rats at Pollock :smile:
Reply 14
Avatar for cwsh33
cwsh33
4
Original post by MissNoir98
Yes, self-catered is where they are most prevalent. I've just asked my friend at Ewing and he said he has never heard of rats at Pollock :smile:


That's a relieve. Ewing is one of my hall choices.

BTW I also posted on the Ask a student thread and I am now cut-and-pasting my questions here again so maybe you could help me out? (You have already answered Q.2)

1) Would I be the odd man out because of my age (although I learned that the scottish people starts university at an earlier age than say the English because of their different high school system)?

2) I will probably stay in uni accommodation as I would like to make new friends. One thing that worries me is rats problems that I read about on Facebook. Is it serious? Anyone lived in Ewing House or Lee House before? Any comments?

3) Silly question here...I read about the windy and rainy climate of Edinburgh. People did not recommend bringing an umbrella. Do I need a genuine waterproof raincoat or can I survive with one of those water repellent windbreaker?
Original post by cwsh33
That's a relieve. Ewing is one of my hall choices.

BTW I also posted on the Ask a student thread and I am now cut-and-pasting my questions here again so maybe you could help me out? (You have already answered Q.2)

1) Would I be the odd man out because of my age (although I learned that the Scottish people starts university at an earlier age than say the English because of their different high school system)?

2) I will probably stay in uni accommodation as I would like to make new friends. One thing that worries me is rats problems that I read about on Facebook. Is it serious? Anyone lived in Ewing House or Lee House before? Any comments?

3) Silly question here...I read about the windy and rainy climate of Edinburgh. People did not recommend bringing an umbrella. Do I need a genuine waterproof raincoat or can I survive with one of those water repellent windbreaker?


Hi :smile:

1) Don't worry about the age thing, when you're at school age difference seem a big deal but no one really cares about this at uni. I was seventeen when I started (I'm scottish) and turned 18 during semester one. One of my friends is 25! Most english students are 18 turning 19 in semester one. The only time age is going to be an issue is when you want to go out clubbing, it can be really frustrating when you want to go to a bar or club with your friends and you can't get in because of your age! You can get in to the university bars and club (potterow) at 17 but obviously you won't be allowed to drink alcohol. Apart from that, no one is particularly bothered about age, it's just a number as they say!

2) Honestly try not to worry about the rats, its not as bad as you would think. They're very timid, I've only seen one and my flat has had our cleaner taken off us multiple times because it is so gross (not my fault!) so that give you an idea of how messy it is. My friend in Ewing loves it, it's very sociable and I've seen his room and its pretty nice - lots of storage and the bathroom is decent. Lee is much of the same. The food isn't great like I said, but there's always take-away!

3) Edinburgh isn't actually that rainy, I come from another city in Scotland and I couldn't believe how little it rained in Edinburgh! What you do need is a decent winter coat, it gets very cold and quite windy and remember you will be walking literally everywhere so having a decent coat is a good idea. Just sticking an umbrella in your bag is usually fine, just as long as you're warm!
Original post by MissNoir98
Fear not, I am here to give you the low down. All my knowledge comes from friends and personal experiences.

Firstly Pollock
Pros
- Great way to meet people, if you're a social butterfly this is a great place for you
- equi distance between campuses, if you're split between King's Building campus and Central Campus, Pollock is good for being between the two

Cons
- It is full of rich people, which many at Edinburgh have no issue with but I met a guy once who confessed he was struggling to keep up with the people in his accommodation financially.
- the food is hideous, like I'm not particularly picky but the food is pretty appalling
- the actual accomodation itself isn't anything special, you could get a nicer room in self-catered for cheaper

Self-catered

Blackfriars - never met a soul from there
College Wynd - In Cowgate, so super noisy, very close to central campus, rooms are alright. Shared bathroom, relatively cheap.
Darroch Court - If you're not really sporty or an athlete this probably isn't the one for you.
David Horn - What?!!
Deconess - The pollock of self catered, gorgeous rooms, en-suite, very close to the gym. Isn't much of a community feel though, lots of residents complain that flats don't socialise together. Deconess is a mixture of 6 bed flats and studios
East Newington Place - Never heard of it
Fraser Court - Sorry, where?
Hermit's croft - a bit of a trek away but apparently lovely and quite sociable
Kincaid's Court - Ahh Kincaid's where do I begin? I stay here so if anyone wants the down low, I can do another post devoted entirely to it. Very, very noisy also the largest self catered accomodation. Rooms are decent enough but there is the ominous block 4 at kincaid's made up entirely of 12 person flats, as someone who lives in block 4 I can tell you its fairly interesting. Tbh, i wouldn't recommend but it's not the end of the world if you end up here.
Kitchener - again never heard of this
Murano Place - ?
New Arthur Place - apparently it's all right
Riego - I believe this is made up of edinburgh uni and other students from different universities
Robertson's close - Or robbie close, everyone I've met from here is amazing. Flats are 6 beds with some shared rooms. The kitchen/living room set up is great, they're in cowgate so is still noisy.
Sciennes - Heard its got a great atmosphere and lots of parties, the acommodaiton itself though apparently is a bit ****
Shrubhill - This is such a trek, pretty much a non-starter if you're based at King's Buildings. Accomodaiton itself is nice, lots of international students, quite sociable
South Clerk Street - Rooms itself are very nice, don't know much about how sociable it is
Warrender park cresecent/road - apparently the views out the window is great, a bit of a trek from king's and central campus. Not the most sociable place and in a residential area so not as student-esque.

Thinks that's it, feel free to ask me any questions at all!


Hey, I have an offer from Edinburgh Uni and I am trying to find out as much info as possible at the moment because I'm really not sure what uni to pick! Do you like it at Edinburgh Uni and would you recommend it? Is there anything you wish you had known before you went or wished you'd done differently?

Also, if you could chose knowing what you know now, which self catered accommodation would be the best in your opinion?

Thank you!
Original post by Mai.Zielinski
Hey, I have an offer from Edinburgh Uni and I am trying to find out as much info as possible at the moment because I'm really not sure what uni to pick! Do you like it at Edinburgh Uni and would you recommend it? Is there anything you wish you had known before you went or wished you'd done differently?

Also, if you could chose knowing what you know now, which self catered accommodation would be the best in your opinion?

Thank you!


I LOVE edinburgh uni, so I'm going to tell you pick here! There is of course pros and cons like any university, and depending on what you study this can vary tremendously. I'm a science student so of course a big con for me is trekking all the way to the King's Building campus which is 2.3 miles away from the central campus very single day. There is a shuttle bus and the university are trialling a system currently where you can get on a normal paid bus for free with your student ID (score!) so it's not as bad as it could be. I think that's something thats really good about Edinburgh is they're always striving to improve. We needed more study space so they converted the basement of the library, we wanted longer opening hours so the library is now 24 hrs. We complained that student accommodation was too expensive and they're offering cheaper rooms for next year. It's the same with your classes, lecturers are always asking for feedback and ways to improve. Also I've got a friend who spent three years at another well regarded UK university and he said he can't believe how much better the teaching staff are at Edinburgh and how much more proactive they are. Every student has a dedicated teaching member assigned to them who you can go to about literally anything! The student life is great too, it is a very friendly city and there is always something going on. I heard the nightlife was terrible but I actually think it's pretty decent (and I come from a big UK city). I think something else to mention is that Edinburgh is there isn't a huge amount of ethnic diversity. Don't get me wrong you will meet people from all over the world but it is still predominantly white.

I think you can't go in with too many expectations. Every uni is different and every person is different and without sounding too cliche it really is what you make it. I watched a lot of uni vlogs on youtube before I started and they only give you about 10% of what uni looks like. There are days when you hate it and just want to go home and then others when you love it but if overall you wouldn't change it and thats how you know it's the uni for you.

The only thing I wished i had done differently was buying a freshers wristband. DO NOT BUY ONE! They're a huge waste of money, I didn't use mine once and wasted £50 :frown:

Knowing what I know now, I wouldn't have picked accommodations so far away from King's building campus - I underestimated how annoying getting up half an hour earlier would be. So my advice would be work out where your classes are and pick accommodations around there. I'll warn you barely anyone gets their 1st choice accommodation. Kincaid's was my 3rd. If i had to re-do my top 5 I'd pick:
1. Warrender Park crescent/road
2. Deconess
3. Robertson's close
4. Sciennes
5. Fraser Court


Anymore questions let me know!
(edited 7 years ago)
Do you know anything about Portsburgh Court?
I'd love to here more about Kincaid's Court as I am thinking of putting it as my first option for accommodation? How is it living in the big flats, would you recommend a small one or a big one? Is it social?

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