Buccleuch Street student accommodation sits at 91 Buccleuch Street, Edinburgh EH8 9NS, in the Southside. It offers around ten self-contained studios with private kitchenettes, free Wi-Fi at 100+ Mbps and a 24-hour front desk. The University of Edinburgh and The Meadows are both one minute's walk away.
The studios are small. Genuinely small. That trade-off is the whole decision, and this guide will not pretend otherwise.
Edinburgh or Glasgow?
Both cities have a Buccleuch Street, and both have student accommodation on them. Glasgow's runs through Garnethill near the Glasgow School of Art and Strathclyde.
For this search term, Edinburgh dominates, and that is what this guide covers. If you are looking for Glasgow, check the postcode before you book: Edinburgh's is EH8 9NS, Glasgow's is in the G3 area.
The location is exceptional
There is no way to oversell this. It is a one-minute walk to the University of Edinburgh.
| Destination | Distance |
| University of Edinburgh | 1 minute's walk |
| The Meadows | 1 minute's walk |
| Holyrood Park | 6 minutes' walk |
| Royal Mile | Within 15 minutes' walk |
| Edinburgh Castle and Princes Street | Within 2 miles |
| Edinburgh Airport | About 26 minutes' drive |
A one-minute commute is not a marginal improvement over a fifteen-minute one. It is a different way of living. You can go home between tutorials. You can leave the library at 11pm without planning a route. You will never own a bus pass.
The Meadows being equally close matters more than people expect. It is Edinburgh's main central green space, and for students it functions as a garden, a running route, a place to sit in summer and the venue for a large chunk of city life. Having it a minute away compensates for a small flat in a way that is difficult to quantify but real.
Now the honest part: the studios are small
Listings put the apartments at around 93.8 square feet, which is roughly 8.7 square metres.
Some context, because that number is hard to picture:
| Property | Studio size |
| Buccleuch Street, Edinburgh | About 8.7 sq m |
| Typical UK student en-suite room | Around 12–14 sq m |
| Canto Court, London (entry studio) | 20–21 sq m |
| Canto Court, London (largest) | 28–35 sq m |
At 8.7 square metres you are looking at a compact space with a bed, a kitchenette, a bathroom and a study area fitted together efficiently. It is a place to sleep, cook, and work at a desk. It is not a place to host six people.
This is the single most important thing to know before booking, and it is why we have put it near the top rather than buried in a features list.
Who this genuinely suits: students who are out most of the day, who study in libraries rather than their room, who want privacy over space, and who understand that in central Edinburgh you are choosing between location and square metres. At a one-minute walk from campus, choosing location is a defensible call.
Who it does not suit: anyone who spends a lot of time in their room, anyone with a lot of possessions, and anyone who would find a compact space claustrophobic over a winter where it is dark by four.
If you can, view before booking. Floor plans do not convey 8.7 square metres.
What is included?
- Self-contained studio with private kitchenette
- Free Wi-Fi, 100+ Mbps
- 24-hour front desk
- Lift, with a 59-inch wide door
- Wheelchair accessible, with some limitations
- Smoke-free building
- Laundromat nearby
- No on-site parking
- No pets
A few notes.
The Wi-Fi speed is published at over 100 Mbps, described as good for one to two people or up to six devices. Since these are single-occupancy studios, you are not sharing that with seven flatmates. In practice your connection here will be better than in a large shared flat with the same headline speed.
Laundry is off-site. There is a laundromat nearby rather than facilities in the building. Factor that in: it is a weekly errand rather than a walk downstairs.
No parking. Not a problem in central Edinburgh, where a car is a liability rather than an asset, but worth knowing.
Accessibility is qualified. There is a lift and the building is described as wheelchair accessible with possible limitations. If you have specific access needs, contact the property directly and get specifics rather than relying on a listing.
It is a small building
Around ten apartments. That is not a hall of residence; it is closer to a small block of flats.
The implications are worth thinking through.
Quiet. With ten units you will not have parties above you. For anyone who needs to sleep or work at home, that is a substantial benefit that larger buildings simply cannot offer.
No built-in social life. There is no common room, no games area, no residents' events, no cohort of two hundred first years. If you live here, your social life happens through your course, societies and the city, not your building.
For a first year arriving in Edinburgh knowing nobody, that is a genuine risk. For a postgraduate, a returning student, or anyone who already has friends in the city, it is a feature.
Buccleuch Street or Salisbury Court?
These are the two Southside options most students compare, and they are near-opposites. Worth setting out plainly.
| . | Buccleuch Street | Salisbury Court |
| Size of building | About 10 apartments | Around 586 rooms |
| Your space | Self-contained studio, about 8.7 sq m | En-suite in a flat of 8–9, or a studio |
| Kitchen | Your own kitchenette | Shared with 8–9 people, or your own in a studio |
| Facilities | Front desk, lift | Games room, micro-cinema, study space, outdoor BBQ area |
| Social life | You make it happen elsewhere | Built into the building |
| Walk to Edinburgh Uni | 1 minute | 10 minutes |
| Noise | Quiet | Busy |
Pick Buccleuch Street for independence and the commute. Pick Salisbury Court for people and facilities. There is no wrong answer, but there is a wrong answer for you, and it is worth being honest with yourself about which.
Who is it right for?
Good fit: postgraduates, mature students, returning undergraduates, anyone who prioritises a short commute and privacy, students who work in libraries rather than bedrooms, and light sleepers.
Less good fit: first years who want a built-in social group, anyone who needs space, and students who spend most of their time in their room.
FAQs
Q: Where is Buccleuch Street student accommodation?
A: 91 Buccleuch Street, Edinburgh EH8 9NS, in the Southside, one minute's walk from the University of Edinburgh and The Meadows.
Q: How big are the studios at Buccleuch Street?
A: Around 93.8 square feet, roughly 8.7 square metres. These are compact self-contained studios. View before booking if you can.
Q: How far is Buccleuch Street from the University of Edinburgh?
A: About one minute's walk.
Q: Does Buccleuch Street have shared flats?
A: No. It offers self-contained studios with private kitchenettes rather than shared apartments.
Q: Is there laundry at Buccleuch Street?
A: Not in the building. There is a laundromat nearby.
Q: Is there parking at Buccleuch Street?
A: No. There is no on-site parking, which is typical for central Edinburgh.
Q: Is Buccleuch Street in Edinburgh or Glasgow?
A: Both cities have a Buccleuch Street. This guide covers the Edinburgh one at EH8 9NS. Check the postcode before booking.
Q: Is Buccleuch Street good for first years?
A: It is quiet and independent with no communal social spaces, so first years hoping to meet people through their building may prefer a larger residence such as Salisbury Court.
