EDINBURGH

Scotland’s capital has an international reputation for being a fantastic place to spend four years studying, combining the history of an old city with a cosmopolitan 24-hour social scene and the annual Edinburgh Festival. It definitely has a bigger vibe to it (no doubt because it’s a national capital) than its size would normally merit. The university is academically prestigious and ranked 23rd on the world league tables. The University of Edinburgh’s Academic structure is based on 3 Colleges containing a total of 22 Schools. The university recently set up an LGBT Staff Network.

In August 2011, Edinburgh College of Art merged with the University of Edinburgh. ECA offers programmes in art, design, architecture, and visual and cultural studies. All art and design students will take a shared course in their first year, which prepares them for later specialisation. The architecture course is also well-regarded.

BLOGS, the LGBTI society runs a weekly social and a variety of events throughout the year. The gay scene in Edinburgh is eclectic and caters for a range of tastes.