Edinburgh is located just off the Firth of Fourth, it is renowed as one of the most picturesque cities in Europe and also as one of the coldest! It has some stunning Medieval and Georgian architecture and the student houses are often some of the grandest in the country. It is important to note that it is the capital of Scotland. There are 3 Universities in Edinburgh and also the Edinburgh College of Art.
Edinburgh has over 448,000 in population, of that there are over 25,000 at the University of Edinburgh, over 10,000 at Heriot-Watt Universite and over 14,500 at Napier University. This makes for quite a populated student city.
Edinburgh University is one of the top in the UK and also in the top 25 in the World - it is a 4 year course as standard due to being in Scotland. This is often seen as a great selling point to the student as it means another year of not having to work! The centre of the Uni is around George Square; most of the academic buildings are around this area. First year accommodation consists of Pollock Halls and various other self-catering flats around the place. The main areas to live are; Marchmont, Newington, Bruntsfield, New Town and Leith areas. (more info)
Napier University is based around Merchiston, Craighouse, Craiglockhart and Sighthill campuses. The Unihas ties both nationally (with colleges such as Carnegie College), and globally. Napier University was the first Scottish institution to allow Chinese students to study for a Scottish degree without leaving their home country in 2004 via links with Zhengzhou University of Light Industry(Simplified Chinese:郑州轻工业学院). The Uni also operates an office in Bejing, and operates through articulation agreements and partnerships to deliver courses with Higher Education institutions in Hong Kong & Malaysia. (more info)
Heriot-Watt University is the eighth-oldest higher education institution in the United Kingdom. Heriot-Watt University now has four campuses. The main campus is now located in Riccarton in the Currie area on the outskirts of the city. Satellite campuses are located in the Scottish Borders Campus in Galashiels in the Borders; Stromness in Orkney; and a new campus in Academic City, Dubai. Moreover, the Orkney Campus in Stromness is home to The International Centre for Island Technology (ICIT) which is part of the University's prestigious Institute of Petroleum Engineering. (more info)
Edinburgh College of Art is located in the Old Town, overlooking the Grassmarket, and not far from Edinburgh University's George Square campus. Formerly associated with Heriot-Watt University, its now independent, with Edinburgh University now accrediting the college's degrees. (more info)
One of the huge bonuses of Edinburgh is the location if you are a bit of a country lad/lass. There are endless outdoor activities on your doorstep. You can ski on one of the UK's steepest dry ski slopes just a few minutes outside the city at Hillend - Waarning - take a lot of clothes - it is arctic!! Then once you have the hang get in the car and take a ride to one of Scotlands 'ski resorts', such as Glenshee for the real deal - it is not quite as extensive as the Alps but its not bad for Scotland!
Transport in Edinburgh is average; where it really benefits is its train line along the East Coast. You can get to London in about 4 hours which is pretty good going, it is also the hub of railways to and from Scotland so if you live to the North of Edinburgh its also pretty easy to travel by train. There is an airport as well where you can get some great internal flights across the UK - it can often be cheaper than the train - a point worth noting if you live in the South of England.
If you like to party then Edinburgh is the best city North of the Border. It has some of the swankiest bars and clubs. Dont be fooled though, its one of the more expensive places to drink. It is home to the infamous Royal Mile where there are hundreds of bars. Edinburgh is also home to the Edinburgh festival; this is the event of the year - loads of really cool stuff and of course a lot to drink - its a 3 week party!