[HDNG]INTRODUCTION:[EHDNG][PARA]It's on the east coast of Scotland. It is the country's capital. [ITAL]It is [PARA]one of the most cultural, beautiful and vibrant cities in the world.[EITAL] It[PARA]has been called 'the most ideal city to live in'. It is Edinburgh. [PARA]Enough from the Edinburgh Tourist Office, see below for a fuller [PARA]advert... There are 4 universities in Edinburgh: [ULNE]Napier[EULNE], [ULNE]Heriot-Watt[EULNE][PARA], [ULNE]Queen Margaret College[EULNE], and, of course, Edinburgh University, [PARA]itself - the 6th oldest in Britain, situated in buildings throughout the [PARA]city. There are 3 main areas, but departments and halls are [PARA]dotted all over the place. The largest concentration of [PARA]departments is in the George Square/Old College area in the city [PARA]centre and there are almost as many at King's Buildings - the [PARA]science campus - 2 miles south. The largest group of [PARA]residences, the Pollock Halls, are east of the centre near [PARA]Holyrood Park. The University buildings have steadily developed [PARA]over the last 2 centuries, many appearing in the last 40 years, [ITAL]but[PARA]almost all have been built with a love for the city's beauty and in [PARA]local stone.[EITAL][HDNG]ATMOSPHERE:[EHDNG][PARA][ITAL]There are over 50,000 students from various colleges in [PARA]Edinburgh and just as the University buildings are spread [PARA]throughout the city and reflect its beauty, so the students live as [ULNE]a[PARA]part[EULNE] of the city - rather than simply [ULNE]in[EULNE] it - and they reflect and [PARA]merge with its lively culture. Students are often from the south ([EITAL][PARA]40% are English[ITAL]) but get on with the locals nevertheless. It's hard[PARA]to find a student with a bad word to say about either the [PARA]University or the city. Involvement and enthusiasm are the buzz [PARA]words with so much buzz that you could say it's a hive of activity.[EITAL][PARA][PARA][ITAL][HDNG]THE CITY:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA][ITAL][STAT][BULL] Population: 421,213 [BULL] London: 391miles [BULL] Glasgow: [PARA]44miles [BULL] Newcastle: 93miles[ESTAT][EITAL][PARA][ITAL]Edinburgh is a stunning city with a tremendous heritage[EITAL]. [ITAL] Like all [PARA]the best cities,[EITAL] it is built on 7 hills, overlooked by Arthur's Seat, a [PARA]mini mountain. The centre hill is peaked by the castle and old city[PARA]walls. There are over 16,000 listed buildings, mostly built of the [PARA]local grey stone [ITAL]that picks up something ethereal in the quality of [PARA]the light[EITAL]. These buildings date mainly from 2 periods of [PARA]expansion: the formation of the centre from the 11th century [PARA]onwards; and later, the New Town, mainly to the north. The [PARA]broad streets, garden squares, cobbled alleys, parks and [ITAL]gasping[PARA][EITAL]views are [ITAL]well planned[EITAL] (all by one guy, George Drummond) with [PARA]3 main roads running parallel (Queen Street, George Street and [PARA]Princes Street). The Royal Mile, a straight stretch of linked [PARA]roads, runs through the city's heart. 4-storey tenements line the [PARA]Royal Mile. [ITAL]The Old Town is unique in its ability to look as though [PARA]Nature intended it to be there, and the names evoke the charm:[EITAL] [PARA]Grassmarket; Lawnmarket; The Pleasance; Cowgate; The [PARA]Mound. [ITAL]It is also a place with real people in it - including some of [PARA]the best buskers this side of New Orleans.[EITAL] There's no shortage [PARA]of shops, civic amenities or museums. Among the sites that [PARA]should be first on any tour of the city are the Holyrood Palace, [PARA]the Royal Museum of Scotland, the National Gallery, National [PARA]Gallery of Modern Art, Parliament House, the Castle and... forget [PARA]it. [ITAL]We could carry on praising Edinburgh, drawing out its long [PARA]history, its heritage and highlights, but frankly we might spoil the [PARA]fun of exploring every delightful nook and cranny of the place[EITAL].[HDNG]TRAVEL:[EHDNG][PARA][BOLD]Trains:[EBOLD] Edinburgh Waverley Station is the most central in [PARA]Edinburgh. There is a direct line to Glasgow, another to the north [PARA]and another to the south through Newcastle and York to London [PARA](ú37.60, 4:20hrs, 1/hr). Regular connections also to Birmingham [PARA](ú28.40) and Bristol (ú40.90).[PARA][BOLD]Coaches:[EBOLD] National Express, Stagecoach and Citylink services to [PARA]London (ú25.00, 7:50hrs, 2/day), Newcastle (ú12.00, 2:45hrs, [PARA]3/day), Glasgow (ú6.30, 1:10hrs, 9/day), Manchester (ú13.75, [PARA]5:55hrs, 2/day).[PARA][BOLD]Car:[EBOLD] The M8 and M9 connect with the A8 on the west of [PARA]Edinburgh. It is also served by the A1, A7, A68, A70, A71, A702,[PARA]A703 and A90.[PARA][BOLD]Air:[EBOLD] Edinburgh (Turnhouse) Airport, 51/2 miles west of the city [PARA]centre, has a range of international flights.[PARA][BOLD]Hitching:[EBOLD][ITAL] The A1 is a popular road for hitchers. Unfortunately, this[PARA]part of the A1 isn't so popular with the sort of driver who gives [PARA]lifts. But the lifts are there - eventually. It's easier to get into [PARA]Edinburgh than out of it. The M8 and M9 are good for routes to [PARA]Glasgow and Perth.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Local:[EBOLD] [ITAL]Bus services are good all round the city and quite cheap [EITAL][PARA](from 40p). They run less frequently after 7pm until midnight. [ITAL][PARA]The trains around town are irrelevant except for students living on[PARA]the west side.[EITAL] For them though, the route (60p) from Waverley [PARA]to Haymarket is a [ITAL]useful [EITAL]one.[PARA][BOLD]Taxis:[EBOLD] [ITAL]Useful for late night trips, otherwise they're a bit [PARA]extravagant[EITAL] (ú3 across town).[PARA][BOLD]Bicycles:[EBOLD] [ITAL]Very useful, but remember Edinburgh is built on 7 hills.[PARA]Bicycles also have a severe tendency to wheel themselves away.[EITAL][PARA][PARA][ITAL][HDNG]FACULTIES and STUDENT NOS:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Arts[EBOLD] 3,773[BOLD][PARA]Divinity[EBOLD] 529[BOLD][PARA]Medicine[EBOLD] 1,499[BOLD][PARA]Law[EBOLD] 862[BOLD][PARA]Music[EBOLD] 143[BOLD][PARA]Science[EBOLD] 5,613[BOLD][PARA]Soc Sci[EBOLD] 3,668[BOLD][PARA]Vet Med[EBOLD] 513[HDNG]LIBRARIES and COMPUTERS:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Books: 1,890,000 [BULL] Periodicals: 11,000 [BULL] Study places: [PARA]3,500 [BULL] Computer workstations: 1,500[ESTAT][PARA]There's an enormous Main Library and 7 other more specialised [PARA]ones (Divinity; Law; Engineering; the Europa Institute; Medicine; [PARA]Music; Science and Veterinary Medicine). What's more, [PARA]students can use the City Library and the National Library of [PARA]Scotland.[HDNG]CAREER PROSPECTS:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Careers Service [BULL] No of staff: 13full/6part [BULL] Unemployed [PARA]after 6mths (1992): 9.7%[ESTAT][HDNG]SPECIAL FEATURES:[EHDNG][PARA][BULL]Past Rectors (elected every 3 years by the students) have [PARA]included Muriel Gray, Donnie Munro, Sir David Steel, Stanley [PARA]Baldwin and Lloyd George.[HDNG]FAMOUS ALUMNI:[EHDNG][PARA]James Barrie (writer, 'Peter Pan'); Dr Barry (world's first qualified[PARA]woman doctor who impersonated a man in order to study and [PARA]practice); Elizabeth Blackadder (artist); Sir David Brewster [PARA](scientist who graduated at the age of 19 in 1800); Gordon Brown [PARA]MP (Lab); Ian Charleson (actor, who played Eric Liddel in [PARA]'Chariots of Fire'); Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (creator of Sherlock [PARA]Holmes); Robin Cook MP (Lab); Charles Darwin (revolutionary [PARA]evolutionary); Sir Nicholas Fairbairn MP (Con, [ITAL]barmy[EITAL]); David [PARA]Hume (philosopher, who had a nervous breakdown shortly after [PARA]graduating); Andy Irvine (Rugby player); Eric Liddel ('Chariots of [PARA]Fire' runner); Lord Mackay of Clashfern (Lord Chancellor); Julius [PARA]Nyerere (ex-President, Tanzania); Malcolm Rifkind MP (Con); [PARA]Peter Roget (of Thesaurus fame); Sir Walter Scott (writer); Sir [PARA]David Steel MP (Lib Dem); Robert Louis Stevenson (writer); [PARA]Kirsty Wark (TV presenter); James Watt (engineer/ inventor); [PARA]and so on.[HDNG]FURTHER INFO:[EHDNG][PARA]Prospectuses for undergrads, postgrads, mature students, [PARA]students with special needs and students in continued education.[PARA]Available from EUSA, an alternative prospectus (ú1) and the [PARA]Rough Guide to Getting a Degree [ITAL](sounds fun)[EITAL].[PARA][PARA]
