Salisbury Court is a Unite Students residence at 102–104 St Leonard's Street, Edinburgh EH8 9RD, in the Southside. It is one of the largest student buildings in the city with around 586 rooms, sits roughly ten minutes' walk from the University of Edinburgh, and offers en-suite rooms in large shared flats alongside studios.
Its defining feature is scale, and scale cuts both ways.
Where is it?
The Southside, which is the natural student quarter for the University of Edinburgh.
| Destination | Distance |
| University of Edinburgh | 10 minutes' walk (about 0.7 km) |
| Royal Mile | Roughly 5 minutes by car, walkable |
| Edinburgh Waverley station | About 1.8 km |
| Princes Street | About 2.4 km |
| Holyrood Park and Arthur's Seat | Very close |
| Edinburgh Airport | About 15 km |
St Leonard's Street runs along the western edge of Holyrood Park, which means Arthur's Seat is genuinely on your doorstep. For a large city-centre student building, having an extinct volcano and several hundred acres of open park a few minutes away is unusual and underrated.
The Southside has the shops, bars and restaurants students actually use, and it puts you between the university and the Old Town without being in the tourist crush.
What are the rooms like?
Two options.
En-suite rooms in shared flats. You get a private bathroom and share a kitchen and lounge with flatmates. Rooms are described as light and contemporary, with a comfortable bed, storage, and a study desk and chair.
Studios. Self-contained, for students who want their own kitchen.
The flats here are large. Listings for the building describe apartments of eight and nine bedrooms, with nine single beds and one living room in the largest configuration.
That is a big flat, and it is the single most important thing to weigh before booking. An eight or nine-person kitchen at 7pm on a Tuesday is a different experience from a five-person kitchen. Some students love it and make eight friends in week one. Others find the shared space permanently occupied and the washing-up situation unwinnable.
If you have lived in a large shared flat before and enjoyed it, this suits you. If you have not, think carefully, and ask whether smaller flat configurations are available.
What facilities does it have?
Salisbury Court is well equipped, which is what you would expect from a building of this size.
- Large common room with a games area: pool table, ping pong, foosball
- Lounge area
- Micro-cinema
- Large communal study area
- Big outdoor social space, with garden, barbecue grills and a picnic area
- Wi-Fi throughout
- Self-serve laundry
- 24-hour front desk
- Luggage storage
- Multi-function and meeting rooms
The outdoor space with barbecue facilities is genuinely rare in central Edinburgh and gets heavy use in the few weeks a year the Scottish weather permits it.
The 24-hour front desk is worth more than the games room. In a building of 586 people, having staffed reception at 2am is a real safety and practical benefit, particularly for first years and international students.
The summer accommodation thing
Salisbury Court is let out as short-stay accommodation during the summer break, which is why you will find it listed on hotel booking sites alongside its student listings.
This matters to you in two ways.
If you are a student: it means the building empties and is turned over between academic years, and your contract will have defined start and end dates that do not run through summer unless you specifically arrange it. Check whether you need summer storage.
If you are booking a summer stay: these are student rooms, and reviews reflect that honestly. Guests describe the rooms as small and spartan but clean and in good condition, with a single bed, shelves, a desk, a small closet and a small bathroom, plus shared kitchens and communal lounge and games spaces. Guest ratings sit around 7.7 out of 10 across several hundred reviews, with location scoring well.
One published guest review complained about a room being advertised as a double when it was very small. If you are booking a summer stay expecting a hotel room, recalibrate. If you are booking expecting student accommodation at a student price, it delivers that.
How does it compare to nearby options?
Salisbury Court sits within a cluster of Southside student accommodation, and its closest comparison for search purposes is Buccleuch Street, about ten minutes away.
The two are almost opposites:
| . | Salisbury Court | Buccleuch Street |
| Size | Around 586 rooms | Around 10 apartments |
| Room type | En-suite in flats of 8–9, plus studios | Studios with private kitchenette |
| Character | Large, social, facility-heavy | Tiny, quiet, independent |
| Distance to Edinburgh Uni | 10 minutes' walk | About 1 minute |
If you want people and facilities, Salisbury Court. If you want solitude and a one-minute commute, Buccleuch Street. We have covered that building separately.
Who is it right for?
Good fit: first years at the University of Edinburgh, students who want a big social building with things to do in it, anyone who values a 24-hour staffed reception, and people who like being near Holyrood Park.
Less good fit: students who would struggle in an eight or nine-person flat, anyone who needs quiet, and light sleepers, since St Leonard's Street is a through road.
Practical advice
Ask about flat size before you book. Eight and nine-bed flats are common here. If you want something smaller, ask specifically rather than assuming you will be allocated one.
Ask about aspect. A building of 586 rooms has quiet sides and loud sides.
Check your contract dates against the summer letting cycle. If you need to stay past the end of the academic contract, arrange it early, because the rooms get sold to summer guests.
Book early. Salisbury Court is one of the best-known student buildings in Edinburgh and a city with two large universities and a serious accommodation shortage.
FAQs
Q: Where is Salisbury Court Edinburgh?
A: 102–104 St Leonard's Street, Edinburgh EH8 9RD, in the Southside, about ten minutes' walk from the University of Edinburgh.
Q: Who runs Salisbury Court?
A: Unite Students.
Q: How big is Salisbury Court?
A: It offers around 586 rooms, making it one of the larger student residences in Edinburgh.
Q: What room types does Salisbury Court have?
A: En-suite rooms in shared flats with a shared kitchen and lounge, and self-contained studios. Shared flats can be large, with eight and nine-bedroom configurations.
Q: Does Salisbury Court have a gym?
A: It has a large common room with a games area including pool, ping pong and foosball, a micro-cinema, a communal study area and outdoor space. Check with the provider for current gym facilities.
Q: Can you stay at Salisbury Court in the summer?
A: Yes. Rooms are let as short-stay accommodation during the summer break and appear on hotel booking platforms. These are student rooms, so expect a single bed and a compact space.
Q: Is Salisbury Court near Arthur's Seat?
A: Yes. St Leonard's Street runs along the western edge of Holyrood Park, so Arthur's Seat is a short walk away.
