Student Life in Scotland

With a population that barely exceeds five million, Scotland is an equal mixture of vibrant cities and beautiful natural scenery, making it one of the most appealing places to study in the UK. Students wishing to study in the country have the opportunity to choose between the big city experience provided by lively and culturally rich cities such as Glasgow and Edinburgh and the small town charm found in naturally beautiful and relaxed places such as St. Andrews.

Scotland also boasts some of the the UK’s oldest and most respected universities, each attracting a diverse mix of local and overseas students, which makes for a lively and cosmopolitan atmosphere in and around the country’s university cities. Scotland offers students the chance to live and study in a country as famous for its natural beauty as it is revered for its academic achievements. More and more students are choosing to live and study in up-and-coming university cities like Dundee, recently named the fourth best UK university for international student support and the best place to work in Europe by The Scientist magazine.

As the nation’s capital, Edinburgh is essentially a cultural hub for Scotland. Offering some of the country’s most popular tourist attractions and the UK’s biggest annual arts festival, Edinburgh is an ideal location for students who wish to expand their cultural horizons during their student years. Among the city’s main attractions are Edinburgh castle, Scotland’s most visited tourist attraction, and Princes street, the city’s main shopping area, providing locals and tourists alike with entertainment and great views of old town Edinburgh. The numerous city parks and botanic gardens also provide a great location for leisure pursuits.

Glasgow, Scotland’s biggest city, is no less popular with students, offering its huge student population plenty of social and entertainment opportunities. Glasgow is also home to some of Scotland’s main media facilities, including the country’s BBC buildings, the offices of the country’s biggest daily newspapers, and numerous radio stations, making Glasgow ideal for students with ambitions of breaking into the media industry. Fans of football couldn’t be much happier, with Glasgow home to Scotland’s two biggest football clubs, Celtic F.C. and Rangers F.C., while the city is also due to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games, an event sure to generate a lot of interest in coming years.

Away from the hectic pace of the inner city, students need not look further than St. Andrews, home of the country’s most respected university in terms of academic excellence and research standards. The St. Andrews area, whilst not as lively as Glasgow or Edinburgh, offers students beautiful natural surroundings, stunning architecture and a picturesque coastline. The area’s most famous pastime is golf, with St. Andrews boasting seven links golf courses, host to some of the world’s top golfing events.

Further afield, students should not to miss out on a chance to visit mysterious Loch Ness, only a day trip away from the city of Inverness, which lies on the northern coast of Scotland. The Loch has become famous as the rumoured home of 'Nessie', a giant monster similar to an ancient plesiosaur, a kind of swimming dinosaur. Regular sightings of the monster have been reported since the nineteenth century, but there is as yet no undisputed proof of Nessie's existence. Nevertheless, tourists flock to the Loch year round in the hope of seeing the ancient water beast, and the trip has become a cult attraction for visitors to the region.

Students living in Scotland will be glad to know that in general, the cost of living in the country is much cheaper than in other areas of the UK. St. Andrews and Edinburgh are probably the two most expensive places to study in the country, while places such as Glasgow and Dundee have reasonable everyday living costs.

Unfortunately, crime is an ongoing concern in many Scottish cities. In previous years violent crime has been a cause for concern with Scotland topping tables of homicide rates*. However, the government takes crime reduction very seriously and crime rates continue to fall: in 2007/2008, crime rates fell by eight percent**. The vast majority of students pass their time in the country without experiencing any problems, and as long as students are careful, there is no reason why their university experience cannot be a crime free one.

With most of the university towns and cities in Scotland located in the south or centre of the country, student access could not be easier. Motorways and train lines connect the country’s major towns and cities to one another, with Edinburgh providing a hub for long distance public transport services. Access to the rest of the UK is just as easy, with many motorways, A roads and train services connecting Scotland either directly or indirectly to cities throughout England and Wales. There are also a number of international airports in the country; Glasgow and Edinburgh are the two largest, offering flights worldwide. Low-cost airlines enable affordable international travel, even for students.


For more detailed information on student life in Scotland, see:

• University of Aberdeen
• University of Dundee
• University of Edinburgh
• University of Glasgow
• Heriot-Watt University
• University of Strathclyde
• University of the West of Scotland

* based on results of research carried out at Manchester University, report released June 2008: www.manchester.ac.uk.

** based on statistical crime publication 'Recorded Crime in Scotland, 2007/08', published by Scottish government: www.scotland.gov.uk.