Edinburgh is consistently named one of the best places to live and work in the UK. A fantastic city setting Image Edinburgh Castle viewed from the Princes Street Gardens Set on the shores of the Firth of Forth, nearby an extinct volcano and on seven hills, Edinburgh City boasts a stunning natural environment and an amazing quality of life. The harmonious juxtaposition of two contrasting historic areas, the picturesque medieval Old Town culminating with the 12th-century cliff-top Castle, and the elegant Georgian New Town, both of them UNESCO World Heritage Sites, contributes to its unique character. The city yet has a modern dynamism juxtaposed with these historical cobbled streets showing for example in the Enric Miralles’ Scottish Parliament building, which faces the 17th-century Holyrood Royal Palace at the bottom of the Royal Mile.Combined to this beautiful setting, the perfect size of Edinburgh makes it easy to walk or cycle across. Edinburgh World Heritage A magnetic cultural and social scene Image Street Performer during the Fringe Capital of Scotland, the city of Edinburgh has a long and enthralling history and a wide range of cultural institutions and centres. It is also known for being the world leading festival city offering many events across the year. This culminates every year in August with no less than 5 phenomenal festivals including the well-known Fringe, which transforms the city. As a student, you will very likely enjoy those opportunities of socialising and networking, the Edinburgh festivals are always in search of volunteers! Edinburgh has world class galleries and concert halls and offer a wide range of restaurants with food from all over the world. Tranquil parks are side-by-side with busy shopping streets such as the bustling Princes Street and its quiet gardens in the middle of the city. The city is also full of hidden gems such as Dean Village, by the river Leith. Edinburgh Life Edinburgh Festival City Astounding surroundings Whatever you like to do in your free time, you will surely find your fit in the varied options and places surrounding Edinburgh. Right outside the city, the East Lothian offers wondrous beaches and amazing wildlife spots such as the Bass Rock in North Berwick. Going South, you’ll find the hilly and peaceful countryside of the Scottish Borders. The eclectic Glasgow and historical Stirling are both less than an hour train from Edinburgh. And, in less than 2 hours drive, going North or West, you will find yourself immerged into the breath-taking sceneries of Scottish Lochs such as Loch Lomond, National Parks such as the majestic Cairngorms and, further away, the glorious Highlands. Image The Bass Rock and its amazing wildlife, North Berwick, East Lothian (Photo E.Szarek) A world-leading University in Scotland The University of Edinburgh is one of the world’s top research-intensive universities, ranked 4th in the UK for research power (Times Higher Education, Overall Ranking of Institutions), with 83% of our research activity classified as world leading or internationally excellent in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework. Based on the quality and breadth of our research, we are by far the most successful university in Scotland. As a student with us you will work with some of the most influential academics in your chosen field and learn about the very latest developments in your subject. Edinburgh is also one of a select group of British universities to achieve outstanding results when demonstrating the impact of its research on wider society. More than half of our research in this category has been classed as 'world leading'. Ranked in the UK's top 10 and in the world's top 100 for employability (Times Higher Education, Global Employability University Ranking 2017), the University of Edinburgh is an excellent choice for a postgraduate education with prospects. We’re committed to developing the skills and attributes that will enhance your capacity both to compete in the job market and to achieve your full potential within the global community. In addition to the provision of dedicated support through our award-winning Careers Service, we broker strategic partnerships between academics, industry, specialists and other institutions, to enhance your graduate attributes and to embed employability in all our curricula. More on Why to choose The University of Edinburgh for postgraduate studies Research at the University of Edinburgh This article was published on 2024-02-26
