One key attraction of picking Edinburgh over other vet schools was how much I loved the city itself and how I could see myself living and exploring the stunning surroundings here. During my past 4 years living in Edinburgh, I have fallen in love with both the city and the people. Whilst the vet course does take up a fair chunk of my time as a student, it is very important to step outside of the course and enjoy life as a student whilst it lasts. I thought I would use this blog post to share some of my favourite parts of Edinburgh and beyond.
Stockbridge – One of my favourite places in Edinburgh is Stockbridge, which is just north of New Town. Whilst often characterised by plenty of yummy mummy’s, this does mean that there are loads of incredible brunch spots in close-proximity and you can find absolute bargains in their charity shops! To make a day of it, I would recommend starting the morning off with a trip to the beautiful Botanical Gardens (very close to Stockbridge), and then popping over to the Sunday Stockbridge market where there are some amazing food merchants with lots of local produce and artisan goods. After this you can walk along the very atmospheric Water of Leith and see the high bridges leading to Dean Village.
Crammond Island – Around 20 minutes outside of town, you can go and visit Crammond island just beside the coast. Here there are some very cute pubs/coffee shops where you could grab yourself a pint or a hot chocolate before walking along the coastline (look out for Forth Bridge), or you make the crossing to the deserted island itself. Be careful if you do though, as when the tide comes up your route back is cut off!
Wild Swimming in the Lochs – Whilst this might be some people’s idea of hell, especially in Scotland with the sub-zero temperatures, it definitely is an experience worth trying! Wild swimming is meant to improve your circulation, boost endorphins, improve blood pressure and fat levels in the blood. It is also super fun to do with a society or with a group of friends, and then go and grab a hot drink afterwards. There are plenty of places close-by to the city centre to try this, such as Portobello Beach and Gladhouse or Threipmuir reservoirs.
Day trips – If you’re getting tired of Edinburgh and want a change of scene, there are plenty of incredible day-trip locations to escape the city. In my biased opinion, one of the best places is to go to visit St Andrews. This very small town made up of 3 streets has stunning beaches with lots of dogs, plenty of student-friendly coffee shops and a very cool arty scene fostered by the student population. If you prefer somewhere bigger, you can make the trip to Glasgow which is less than an hour from Edinburgh. There are always incredible music concerts going on here, and plenty of vintage shops to distract you for a day. Finally, you can do the classic trip that every student studying in Scotland should make and go to see Loch Lomond or try out your chances of spotting Nessie at Loch Ness!
