Living on a Budget in Edinburgh

Edinburgh has a fantastic range of free activities and attractions that will keep students busy all year round. To give you a helping hand the team at The Student Housing Company have done a little research to ensure your money stretches that bit further when you move into your new student accommodation, Canal Point this September.

The city is a veritable mix of cultural highlights, from Scotland’s long and wildly interesting history into modern day, with the annual Edinburgh Festival and this year’s Commonwealth Games. While the Games are officially hosted by Glasgow, Edinburgh will play an important role throughout this summer’s athletic events.

Immerse Yourself in the Highlights of Edinburgh

Getting to know your new city doesn’t have to mean venturing to numerous museums, galleries and castles when you’re living in Edinburgh, but you can get well and truly stuck into the Edinburgh way of life just by making your way around the city and its outskirts.

Every day at 1pm residents and tourists in the near vicinity of Edinburgh Castle are treated to the sound of shellfire from the field gun – a sure fire way to remind you to pay the Castle itself a visit. When you do get around to exploring this impressive testament to Scotland’s history, don’t forget to take a few minutes to enjoy the view of the city afforded from this vantage point.

Strolling through the streets of this drizzly city, you will soon discover the impact literature has had on not only the architecture but on the names of landmarks around Edinburgh: the city’s main train station is named after the “Waverley” series of novels by Sir Walter Scott, while the large, gothic monument to the Scottish author lies just around the corner. Up on Calton Hill you will find the monuments of Robert Burns and David Hume, and once you reach the Old Town there are notable locations from more recent works. Irvine Welsh’s ‘Trainspotting’ crowd drank in Deacon ‘Jackson’ Brodie’s Tavern, which featured first in Robert Louis Stevenson’s ‘Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’.

Making Your Money Go Further

For a completely free weekend packed full of activities, take a look at our top five free things to do in Edinburgh:

The National Galleries of Scotland

Spread over three sites across Edinburgh, the National Galleries house 22 exhibitions with 156 events hosted each year.

Arthur’s Seat

Climb 823ft above the city to Arthur’s Seat, the rocky hill in the middle of Holyrood Park, and enjoy the panoramic views of Edinburgh and beyond.

The Writers’ Museum

Find out more about three of Scotland’s great writers: Robert Burns, Robert Louis Stevenson and Sir Walter Scott.

Edinburgh Art Festival

In partnership with the city’s galleries and museums, the Edinburgh Art Festival brings a range of free exhibitions and events to the city each year.

The Royal Botanic Gardens

If horticulture is your vibe, take yourself down to Edinburgh’s Royal Botanic Gardens and explore the array of science, photography and cultural events available.

If you are prepared to splash a little bit of cash on your Edinburgh jaunts, between April and October each year you can take a tour of Mary King’s Close. You will see what lies beneath the city, accompanied by a costumed guide who will show you Edinburgh’s City Chambers from an alternative and supernatural perspective. Similarly worth a few pennies is the Scotch Whiskey Experience where, between June and August, you can learn all about the unique taste of Scotland in its premium export. Both the Mary King’s Close tour and the Scotch Whiskey Experience offer a student discount.

Life as a Student in Edinburgh

Edinburgh has so much to offer, and so do we at the Student Housing Company. If you’re still a little unsure about whether we’re right for you, pay the team at Canal Point a visit and see if we float your boat.

Alternatively, have a chat with a team member who can give you more information about the local area, and what to expect when you move in to one of our premier student residences.