Campus and city
Edinburgh operates across five main campuses spread through the city rather than behind a single gate. The Central Area around George Square and the Old Town houses arts, humanities, and social sciences within walking distance of the Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle. King's Buildings in the south hosts science and engineering with modern laboratories and the Bayes Centre for data science. Easter Bush, seven miles south, serves veterinary medicine with clinical facilities and farmland. The university guarantees accommodation for all first-year undergraduates in residences like Pollock Halls, a 2,000-bed complex beside Arthur's Seat. Over 300 student societies range from the oldest debating society in the world (the Speculative Society, founded 1764) to modern coding clubs and startup incubators. The Edinburgh University Students' Association operates Teviot Row House, the oldest purpose-built student union in the world. Students benefit from free NHS healthcare, extensive cycling infrastructure, and a city compact enough that most daily journeys take under 20 minutes on foot.