Your stay in Edinburgh will be at the Pollock Halls of Residence, run by our accommodation provider, Edinburgh First.  Pollock Halls is the first year student accommodation for the University of Edinburgh are was built to cater for students who are living away from their family for the first time.

Check In and Check Out

Arrivals can check in from 15:00 and need to check out on their last day at 10:00.  There are areas around the building where we can store suitcases for you. Please remember to give you room key to a member of CES staff on leaving the building for the last time. 

Your Apartment and Your Room

Our residence is organised in floors and corridors with eight rooms on each corridor. Your individual fob key is needed to access the building, your corridor and your room - providing you with three levels of security.  Each corridor has its own communal kitchen space and there are two large student common rooms where you can relax and interact with other students from the school.

• All rooms are single rooms and have a bed, desk and chair and a wardrobe.  

• There is a small wash-hand basin and sink in every room.

• Bed linen is provided and towels are provided.

• If you need a hairdryer you will need to bring one for yourself

• There is one bathroom and one shower room for every four rooms.

Facilities

Pollock Halls is purpose-built for student life. It has an excellent range of facilities for students, meeting places and outside sports areas.

• Wi-Fi is available everywhere

• Laundry machines:  washers and dryers are operated through an app which you can transfer money onto from a debit or credit card.  A wash will cost around £5 and drying a little more

• Common room: Social spaces and common areas are located inside the residential building

• Small café and convenience store on site

Meals

Breakfast and dinner are served at the John McIntyre Centre at the student residence. Students will have the option of a cooked or continental style breakfast, and every evening there are a minimum of three hot options available for dinner.

Meal times are as follows:

• Breakfast: 7:15 – 10:30 Monday to Friday

• Dinner: 17:00 – 20:00 Monday to Friday

Where is Pollock Halls?

Pollock Halls is in the Old Town area of Edinburgh, close to Arthur's Seat. Your address will be 18 Holyrood Park Road, EH16 5AY.

Transport

Public transport in Edinbrugh is safe, reliable and very regular. It is popular with young people and widely used. In 2025 Edinburgh was named as having the best public in the UK.

To travel from Pollock Halls to The Edinburgh Academy you will take public transport. There are several bus stops located very close to the residence and the most popular bus services - the 3, 8, 9 & 31 - run every 10 or 15 minutes.

Students can experience unlimited travel on the Edinburgh public transport system by using a Ridacard. This is a form of photographic identification and will be given to you when you arrive at the residence.

We strongly recommend that you use the Google Maps app while you are in Edinburgh. This will show you live times of buses from the stop that you choose.

On Saturdays or Sundays, you will need to make your own way to Edinbrugh Academy for weekend excursions, using public transport.  Make sure you collect your packed lunch from Pollock Reception before you leave.