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Resources / City Guides / Edinburgh
Parent City Guide
Edinburgh’s central campus wraps around George Square at the heart of the Old Town, with the main first-year village — Pollock Halls — sitting beneath Arthur’s Seat, a fifteen-minute walk away. It is a capital city that behaves like a compact one.
First-year undergraduates who apply by the deadline are guaranteed university accommodation. Pollock Halls (catered) is the classic first-year home; self-catered flats cluster around the Old Town.
| Residence | Area | ≈ £/week | To campus | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pollock Halls | Newington, below Arthur’s Seat | 220–260 incl. meals | 15-min walk to George Sq | The famous catered first-year village |
| Kincaid’s Court | Cowgate, Old Town | 160–190 | 8-min walk | Self-catered, very central |
| Sciennes | Marchmont edge | 170–200 | 12-min walk | Self-catered, quiet |
| Salisbury Court | Newington | 180–220 | 15-min walk | Beside Pollock |
Everything a student needs within easy reach — so nobody is wondering where the nearest pint of milk or prescription is coming from.
Sainsbury’s Local, Nicolson Street — on the walk between Pollock and campus
Lidl, Nicolson Street — budget shop on the same street
Tesco Metro, Canongate — Old Town
Boots, North Bridge — central
Right Medicine Pharmacy, Nicolson St — beside the student corridor
University Health Service, Bristo Square — NHS practice inside the central campus — freshers register in week one
NHS dentists — Chalmers Dental Centre and local practices register students
Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh — major A&E at Little France — 25 min on buses 24/33/49 from Nicolson Street
Lothian Buses is consistently rated Britain’s best bus network, and the student corridor from Pollock to George Square needs nothing but feet.
Pollock→George Square is a flat 15-minute walk through Holyrood Park’s edge; lectures, libraries and the gym all sit around the square.
flat ≈£2 single, exact fare or contactless; a student Ridacard gives unlimited travel. Night buses cover every weekend hour.
the tram runs Princes Street→airport; Waverley station is 15 min on foot — London under 4½ hours.
Edinburgh Airport is one of the easiest in Britain to reach without a car.
From Princes Street direct to the terminal — every 7 minutes, about 35 minutes, ≈£7.50.
from Waverley Bridge, 24 hours a day, ≈30 minutes.
Direct Doha–Edinburgh flights operate year-round — no London connection required.
A direct flight home to Doha, a GP surgery inside the campus, catered halls in the shadow of a mountain park, and the UK’s best bus network for everything else. Edinburgh consistently ranks among the safest and most liveable student cities in Europe.
Our university application consultancy takes families from shortlist to offer — strategy, personal statement, and interview preparation led by the academics themselves. And when the offer lands, we help you plan the practical move with guides like this one, verified for your child’s exact situation.
Figures are indicative for the 2025/26 academic year, drawn from published university and sector data, and change annually. Distances and journey times are approximate. During consultancy we verify current costs, availability, and application deadlines for your child’s specific offer.
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