The ancient universities are the four schools established centuries ago in Scotland that still exist today. They include the University of St. Andrews (f. 1413), University of Glasgow (f. 1451), University of Aberdeen (f.1495) and the University of Edinburgh (f. 1583). When I first came to Edinburgh in September, I made it a goal to visit all four universities while I have the chance, and I just recently completed this goal with a month to spare before I return home. I tried to explore the campus as well as the city/town of each university as much as possible though I did not experience every aspect of what it is to attend each uni, but here they are ranked based on my observations of the four ancients.
#4: Aberdeen
I was not too impressed with the granite city. The city center was a good mix of food and shopping though it seemed plain and lacking a lot of options for activity. The university campus is very far away from the city center with not a ton of shopping or food options near the campus. One bonus was the cafes that nearby were very cheap though the university campus did not seem unified to me and was hard to reach. I found a large discrepancy between Edinburgh and Aberdeen in terms of the quality of the campus and city. Again, though I am biased to Edinburgh since I had all year to explore it.
#3: University of Glasgow
Glasgow was the last of the four ancients I visited which is ironic since it is the most easily accessible to Edinburgh. I took Scotrail to Glasgow which was pretty affordable with an off-peak ticket and very fast. I was surprised to find the campus to be about a 40-minute walk from the city center where all the good shops and restaurants are. Once I got to the campus I was surprised at how pretty it was since Glasgow is known for being very industrial. The iconic cloisters on campus was beautiful and the Hunterian Museum was really interesting to peruse. The campus as a whole seemed to be a little spread out, which is understandable since the city is so large. The campus store was by far the best out of all four and had adorable Scottish goods beyond just university gear. Compared to Edinburgh though I had a hard time imagining myself at Glasgow since the city was more industrious and hectic with a highway running through the city center.
#2: St. Andrews
I had a hard time choosing between St. Andrews and Glasgow for my second choice but decided on St. Andrews since I thought I would have enjoyed it more long term than Glasgow. Though very small and a little removed geographically, St. Andrews as a town is beautiful and quaint. The beach is spectacular and the shops on the town high street are great. The charity shops have an awesome stock of clothing and the cafes are usually affordable and delicious. The university buildings seemed to be scattered across the town and everything is very walkable. The university store is also pretty great with a good stock of sweatshirts and other apparel. Though the town might seem a little sleepy, I think it would have been really nice to have walked the beach and read by the water between classes.
#1 and my favorite: University of Edinburgh
I am definitely biased towards Edinburgh since I have spent all year here, but I believe I would have chosen it as my favorite even if I did not study here. The city of Edinburgh is fantastic, safe and easy to navigate, historic and beautiful, a mix of city life with plenty of nature, not to mention tons of museums and a café dotting every block. The campus is also exceptional. I spent most of my time at George Square, the most central part of the university. George Square provides a kind of academic sanctuary in the middle of the city but also distinct from the city life around it, which gives students the feel of a detached campus at the same time as a city experience. The classes are very diverse and interesting, the student union building is reminiscent of Hogwarts, and top par library is opened 24/7. The only area where the university is lacking is its school store, which is very small and has limited options for such a large uni.
I am really pleased that I got to visit all four of the ancient universities. It was bizarre and fun to imagine myself studying at each of the other universities instead of Edinburgh. Ultimately though Edinburgh was the best place I could have gone to study abroad, and I recommend it to anyone contemplating studying abroad or even a future trip to Scotland.
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