Workplace: Living and Studying in Edinburgh

The Castle. The Festival. Tartan.

Edinburgh attracts millions of visitors from around the world every year, but what’s it like for the disabled student to actually live and study in the Scottish capital?

How to describe Scotland’s capital? Rough Guide uses words like venerable, dramatic, historic, cosmopolitan and cultured – and there’s no doubt that “Auld Reekie” is all of these. But it was Jekyll and Hyde author Robert Louis Stevenson who came up with one of the most succinct – precipitous! As in dangerously high and steep, sudden and dramatic!

Certainly, this self-declared Athens of the North also echoes ancient Rome in being built on (at least) seven hills – if you go anywhere in Edinburgh, it’s a safe bet that you’ll have to climb a hill to get there, and probably another on the way back! That’s obviously a consideration if you have a serious physical or mobility impairment, but shouldn’t put you off studying in the capital. Edinburgh was one of the first cities in the UK to insist on a fully accessible taxi fleet, and main bus provider Lothian Buses look to be operating a fully accessible fleet by 2010. And, of course, there are all the pluses of living in one of Europe’s greenest, most architecturally beautiful cities.

The heart of Edinburgh – a much admired World Heritage Site, no less – consists of the steeply packed closes and crowded tenements of the medieval Old Town (although if you walk the length of  the Royal Mile, between the Castle and the Palace of Holyrood House, you’ll pass buildings from every century since the 14th) and the contrasting neo-classical splendor of Edinburgh’s New Town just to the north. In the latter – only Edinburgh would refer to a 250+ year district as the New Town – you’ll find numerous former banks and financial offices transformed into classy bars, restaurants and luxury shops – many of the city’s financial institutions having largely moved to the western outskirts during the last decade. If this is an unsettling contrast with some of the city’s outer estates, the difference is less than it once was; many schemes have been gentrified by the city’s pre-credit crunch emphasis on new luxury housing.

With more than 100,000 students between them, the capital’s four universities are an important part of city life, even though only the University of Edinburgh has a campus close to the city centre. Relations between town and gown are good, with the City of Edinburgh Council, Lothian & Borders Police, and Lothian Fire Rescue Service running a Student Safety Forum which meets roughly every six weeks.

As possibly Scotland’s most middle class city – it is a capital, after all, with all the administrative and legal obligations that implies – Edinburgh has a reputation for being a rather severe, presbyterian maiden aunt – except during the Festival in August, when she metaphorically kicks her shoes off. The reality, of course, that Edinburgh knows how to party throughout the year; hence the Glaswegian slur that it’s east coast rival is “all fur coat and nae knickers”.

When it comes to entertainment and the arts, Edinburgh is well served by theatres, cinemas (both mainstream and art house) and galleries (most of Scotland’s national collections are housed in the capital). Compared with other cities, the capital’s club scene is admittedly smouldering rather than burning hot, but compensates with a wide range of bars and restaurants for all tastes and budgets. Shopping ranges from ubiquitous high street brands (though that does include Harvey Nichols) to regular farmers’ markets and long-established second-hand clothes stores that have served generations of students well.

Public transport in Edinburgh is dominated by one of the last independently owned city bus companies in the UK; Lothian Buses operate an increasingly accessible fleet of single and double-decker vehicles across the city and into East Lothian. Nearly a dozen routes run 24 hours a day, linking most of the city’s main retail areas and also providing effective access to its universities. Though Edinburgh doesn’t have a local rail network worth speaking off, work is currently underway to return trams to the city from 2011. While this upgrade work is gong on, you can expect a certain amount of disruption in some of the city’s main routes. The city council continues to fund a discount Taxicard scheme for local disabled residents.

Being Scotland’s capital, it’s fair to say that Edinburgh isn’t the cheapest place to live in the country, although it’s arguable that you do get what you pay for in terms of quality of life – indeed, in 2006, Edinburgh was voted the most desirable place to live in a survey of 33 leading European business cities. The University of Edinburgh estimates that it costs around £6,000 a year to study as an undergraduate in the city – that’s not including tuition fees, which you will have to pay if you’re coming from elsewhere in the UK. First year students are guaranteed catered or self-catered university owned accommodation if it’s needed – prices ranging from £89.74 to £102 a week. The city also has a lively and well-established private sector rental market.

It’s said that where you live in Edinburgh says a lot about you. Well-established student areas include Bruntsfield and Marchmont (close to both Edinburgh and Napier universities, as well as the city centre and the Meadows, one of the city’s largest public parks) and nearby Tollcross. Slightly further south is Morningside, which is not as posh as its reputation suggests – although it IS home to one of Scotland’s two branches of Waitrose.

Edinburgh has much to offer; an astounding environment in which to live and some of the best Higher Education institutions in the world. In fact, there’s a real danger that if you come to Edinburgh to study, you’ll chose to live here afterwards – despite the hills!

Edinburgh has long been a centre for education and the printed word – Scotland’s first printer set up shop in what is now the Cowgate in 1508. The modern city is home to two general Further Education colleges (Telford and Stevenson) and four universities. It literally has words carved into its paving stones – well, at least outside the city’s Writers’ Museum. So, what better place is there to choose to study in?

One of the UK’s oldest educational institutions, the University of Edinburgh is Scotland’s leading research university, with a top-flight reputation for teaching across many subjects. Split into two campuses, most humanities subjects are based around George Square close to the Meadows, while science and engineering courses are based at King’s Buildings several miles further south. Edinburgh’s Disability Office – part of its Student and Academic Services Group – provides a wide range of advice and support for all disabled students and staff.

Heriot Watt, contained within a 380 acre site on the western edge of the city, has a strong reputation for science, industry, engineering and textiles – most of its courses are accredited by the relevant professional bodies, and employability among its graduates is a clear priority. HW’s Disability Service provides support through disability advisers and nominated staff within most departments and schools.

Napier remains the most local of Edinburgh’s universities, in that most of its students come from the greater Edinburgh area – attracted by its career-minded focus and the flexibility of modular courses ranging from Accounting to Wildlife Biology, via journalism and midwifery. The University has a dedicated Special Needs Team which provides advice and support to disabled students and staff.

Queen Margaret University is now settled in its new purpose-build 35 acre campus near Musselburgh and has an established reputation for business and healthcare courses. Disabled Student Co-ordinators are located throughout its academic and support departments, while specialist tutors and student assistants are supported by a full time Disability Adviser.

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