Arran House, Edinburgh

Where is Arran House located?

Arran House is slapped right in the middle of Edinburgh's buzzing Old Town at 5 Drysdale Rd, Edinburgh EH11 1FA, United Kingdom, basically the student district's heartbeat. It's that rare accommodation spot where the location isn't a marketing stretch. The immediate area is proper student territory – affordable coffee shops where the Wi-Fi password actually works, late-night takeaways that know exactly what post-club food should taste like, and enough convenience stores that you are never more than 2 minutes from emergency snacks. Living this central means your morning routine can be as chaotically last-minute as you like, and you'll still make your 9am lecture (though we can't promise you'll be fully awake for it). 

Why is Arran House accommodation a great choice for students?

Let's be real about why Arran House Edinburg isn't just another depressing student box: 

• Room setups for actual humans - Whether you want the social chaos of shared flats or need your own bathroom sanctuary for crying after deadline week. 
• Common rooms people genuinely hang out in - Not the sad, empty spaces with plastic plants that feature in the brochure but never see actual students.
• All bills are bundled without the faff - Because nobody wants to be that flatmate chasing people for the electricity money every month. 
• Security that does more than just exist - Actual working systems so your laptop doesn't grow legs while you're at lectures. 
• Internet that doesn't die during Netflix peak hours - Because choosing between your flatmate's Zoom lecture and your gaming session shouldn't be necessary. 

The whole place strikes that elusive balance between "doesn't feel like you're still in halls" and "doesn't feel like you're living in your aunt's spare room." They have somehow managed to create spaces where you can both host pre-drinks AND have a productive study session the next morning – the holy grail of student living. 

Which universities and colleges are close to Arran House Edinburgh?

The Edinburgh campus situation from your Arran House accommodation front door:

• Edinburgh College of Art is located 0.8 miles away and students can roll out of bed and be in studio within 20 minutes – meaning those massive portfolios don't need dragging across the entire city.
• University of Edinburgh main campus buildings are practically your neighbors located 1.2 miles away– we're talking 20-25 minutes away depending on your walking speed and hangover status. 
• Edinburgh Napier University city sites are a straightforward located 3.2 miles away, 15–20-minute bus ride without complicated transfers. 
• Queen Margaret University is connected by public transport that won't require three different buses, and a small prayer located 6.2 miles away.

The location is especially perfect for University of Edinburgh students – while your course mates from Leith are still commuting, you will have had time for breakfast, coffee, and possibly even reading something for your seminar. You are so close to some university buildings that you can literally see when lights are on for late-night library sessions – both convenient and slightly guilt-inducing when you're skipping study time. 

What are the top attractions and hangout spots near Arran House student accommodation?

The Edinburgh spots that will become your second homes close to this Arran House student accommodation: 

Affordable Food & Drink Havens

• Black Medicine Coffee – where the sofas are properly worn in and nobody minds if you nurse one coffee for three hours of "studying" just 1.4 miles away. 
• Teviot Row House – the oldest student union building in the world with bars that won't judge your 11 am pint during exam season located 1.3 miles away. 
• Ting Thai Caravan – where the queue is always worth it and you can eat like royalty for under a tenner located 1.1 miles away. 

Local Secrets Worth Knowing

• Bristo Square – where skaters provide free entertainment and the underground library has the best quiet study spots located 1.2 miles away. 
• The Basement Bar – that Mexican place with happy hour deals that'll make your student loan stretch further located 1.9 miles away. 
• Doctors – the pub where you will inevitably end up after submitting every assignment is located 0.9 miles away. 

Green Spaces for When Your Room Feels Too Small

• The Meadows – where every slightly warm day becomes an impromptu festival of portable speakers and suspect barbecues located 1.2 miles away. 
• Holyrood Park – home to Arthur's Seat, which everyone claims to climb weekly but actually visits maybe twice a year located 1.8 miles away. 
• George Square Gardens – perfect for pretending to read course material while actually people-watching located 1.3 miles away. 

Tourist Things That Are Actually Worth It

• National Museum of Scotland – free entry, excellent rainy-day option, and the rooftop terrace has views that'll make your Instagram followers properly jealous located 1.2 miles away. 
• The Royal Mile – yes, it's packed with tourists, but the closes (alleyways) hide some genuinely great pubs that even locals frequent located 1.1 miles away. 

Festival venues everywhere – during August, you're living in ground zero for the biggest arts festival on the planet, with shows literally happening in venues you can see from your window. 

How convenient is commuting from Arran House to nearby campuses and city centers?

Your transport situation from Arran House residence front door: 

Walking (Your Primary Mode)

• University of Edinburgh central area: A genuine 25-minute stroll. 
• Princes Street shopping: 18 minutes downhill (though the uphill return journey feels longer with shopping bags) 
• Edinburgh Waverley train station: A handy 30-minute walk for those weekend escapes 
• Royal Mile: 23 minutes away when parents visit and want the "real Edinburgh experience" 

 Cycling (If You're Brave Enough For Edinburgh Hills)

• Secure bike storage and easy access to university buildings make cycling around Edinburgh safe and convenient from Arran House. 

Buses (For Those Rainy Scottish Days) 

• Conveniently located near Morrison Crescent Bus Stop (0.1 miles away), the property offers access to major bus routes and night services—perfect for students on a budget. 

Trains

• Waverley Station, just 1.4 miles away, offers quick access to Glasgow and direct airport bus links for easy travel. 

The genuine beauty here? Most days you genuinely won't need public transport at all. Edinburgh's compact center means you are already where you need to be most of the time – your legs and your bank balance will thank you. 

What makes Arran House stand out compared to other student accommodations in Edinburgh? 

How Arran House residence beats those other Edinburgh student digs you toured: 

• The location that's actually central – Not "central-adjacent" or "only 25 minutes by bus to central". 
• Building that doesn't look like a prison block – Actual architectural character rather than the cheapest possible construction. 
• Staff who recognize your face – People who solve problems rather than robotically directing you to an online form. 
• A community that forms naturally – Events where students actually show up without being bribed with free pizza. 
• Facilities that survive student use – From working washing machines to kitchens with more than two functional hobs. 
• The entire setup feels distinctly un-institutional – more like proper flats that happen to be for students rather than a thinly disguised extension of university halls.  

You'll find yourself actually wanting to invite people over rather than always meeting at someone else's place because you are embarrassed about where you live. 

What does the rent at Arran House student accommodation cover? 

Your Arran House student accommodation payment sorts of way more than just securing a bedroom: 

The Boring (But Essential) Bills

• All utilities wrapped up – electricity, water, heating without the monthly flatmate venmo requests 
• Properly fast Wi-Fi that reaches every corner of your room 

The Practical Stuff 

• Laundry facilities that accept card payment instead of requiring specific coins 
• Study spaces with decent chairs that don't wreck your back after 20 minutes 
• Communal areas with furniture that people actually find comfortable 
• Secure bike storage that doesn't require tetris skills to use 

The Safety Essentials

• 24/7 CCTV that actually works and is monitored
• A proper secure entry system that strangers can't just tailgate through
• Staff presence during daytime hours
• Security support when the staff have gone home

The Support Network

• Maintenance team who fix things before they become disasters
• Regular cleaning of shared spaces (though your bedroom mess remains your problem)
• Parcel collection service so your ASOS deliveries don't disappear
• Staff who can handle everything from lost keys to noisy neighbor diplomacy 

The entire package means you can actually predict your monthly outgoings without the classic student housing surprise bills that send you begging to parents' mid-term. 

What are the key benefits of living at Arran House as a student?

The genuine perks that make Arran House accommodation worth the rent: 

• Sleep-maximizing location – Those precious extra 30 minutes in bed because you're not commuting from the suburbs 
• Academic environment that works – Spaces designed for actual studying, not just claimed to be "study-friendly" in the brochure 
• Built-in social network – The antidote to that classic first-term isolation when you realize your course doesn't automatically provide friends 
• Management that respects you – Staff who treat you like an actual adult renter, not a problem to be managed 
• Life-simplifying setup – From receiving packages to sorting maintenance issues, the small conveniences that make daily life less stressful 

A decent place like Arran House means you are not constantly dealing with housing drama when you should be focusing on your degree (or your social life). The mental health boost from having a properly functioning home base is something nobody tells you is crucial until you have experienced the alternative. 

What is the process to reserve a room at Arran House off-campus housing? 

Booking with University Living means peace of mind. Whether it’s your first year or your final semester, finding student accommodation at Arran House in Edinburgh is simple, safe, and supported from start to finish.