Before the floor plans, the room photos and the brochure language, here is what Edinburgh students themselves say about Yugo Brae House. Across the public review pools, on StudentCrowd, Yugo's own page, Facebook and the University of Edinburgh's accommodation listing, three themes show up again and again.

Students praise the location, the staff and the reliability of maintenance. One review on Yugo's own page reads, "I had a great time here for three years. The staff are friendly and helpful, and the location is unbeatable." Another says, "Just finished my first year of university in Brae House and had a great time. It is in a good location and has fantastic staff and maintenance that are always reliable." The University of Edinburgh lists Brae House as a partner accommodation, which sits in the building's favour.

The recurring concern is also fair to name up front: while Brae House is genuinely well placed for the Royal Mile and Moray House, it is a 20-minute walk or short bus ride from the University of Edinburgh's main central campus, which matters for daily commutes if you study there. The rest of this guide is a clear picture of the property in light of those real reviews, who it suits, and what you get for the rent.

Yugo Brae House at a glance

The review picture, theme by theme

Location

The single most consistent praise across reviews is the location. Brae House sits in Abbeyhill on the edge of the Old Town, with the Royal Mile, Princes Street, St James Quarter and Waverley Station all within a short walk. Arthur's Seat and Holyrood Park are minutes away, which more than one resident describes as a useful daily reset.

The honest caveat that comes up just as often is the commute to the University of Edinburgh's central campus, which sits a 20-minute walk away or a short bus ride. For students at the University of Edinburgh's School of Education at Moray House, a closer 15-minute walk, this is a non-issue.

Staff and maintenance

The second most cited positive is the on-site team. Students mention the staff and maintenance as friendly, helpful and quick to respond. Both quoted reviews above make this point, and it shows up in shorter form across StudentCrowd's 12 verified reviews and the building's Facebook presence. For first-year residents in particular, this is the detail that turns a building into a livable home.

Rooms and flats

Brae House offers 399 single en-suite rooms arranged into cluster flats of 4 to 9 students, who share a kitchen and a communal space. Each bedroom has its own en-suite bathroom. Yugo also offers separate studios in the building for students who want self-contained living.

Reviewers consistently describe the rooms as comfortable and the en-suites as a clear plus over older Edinburgh halls that have shared bathrooms. The studios get praised for privacy; the cluster en-suites get praised for the built-in social life.

Social spaces and study rooms

The building has common rooms, dedicated study rooms, an on-site gym, cycle storage and reportedly a table tennis room. Reviewers note the study rooms by name as the reason they did not have to leave the building during deadlines, which is a small but real quality-of-life win. Yugo runs a programme of resident events and a "Yugo & Beyond" support layer that some residents take advantage of and others quietly ignore.

Bills, Wi-Fi and the everyday stuff

Rent is all-inclusive. Electricity, water, heating and high-speed Wi-Fi are included in the weekly figure, which is the norm at modern PBSAs and matters most when winter heating bills would otherwise hit your account in February.

The property in detail

Brae House is at 31 Abbeyhill, Edinburgh EH8 8EH, in the Abbeyhill neighbourhood on the eastern edge of the Old Town. It is operated by Yugo, one of the larger global student housing operators, after the building's earlier life under The Student Housing Company. Importantly, Brae House appears on the University of Edinburgh's own accommodation page as a partner property, which sits the building in a different category from purely private blocks. That partnership is part of why the building is heavily booked by Edinburgh students every cycle.

Rooms are single en-suite, with each flat housing 4 to 9 flatmates. Studios are also available for students who want self-contained living. Tenancies run for the academic year, with bills included throughout.

Yugo Brae House prices for 2026/27

Listings from booking partners and aggregators have shown Brae House from around £250 per week. The price varies by room type and contract length, with studios at the higher end and cluster en-suites at the lower. Yugo runs a direct booking route on its own site, and you can also book through the University of Edinburgh's accommodation listing for the partner-property route. Always confirm the current weekly rate for your exact room and dates on the operator's page before paying anything, since rates are set per cycle and aggregator listings sometimes lag.

Universities served

The building is a sensible choice for students at three Edinburgh universities. The University of Edinburgh is the closest by far, with Moray House about 15 minutes on foot and the main central campus a 20-minute walk or short bus. Heriot-Watt University, based in Riccarton, is reachable by bus across the city. Edinburgh Napier University has campuses at Sighthill, Merchiston and Craiglockhart, all reachable by bus.

For students at Moray House specifically, Brae House is genuinely close. For the rest, the bus or a walk is part of your day.

Pros and cons drawn from reviews

Pros

• Strong, consistently praised location near the Royal Mile and Holyrood
• Friendly staff and reliable on-site maintenance, mentioned across review platforms
• En-suite in every cluster room, with studio options for more privacy
• All bills included, plus on-site gym, study rooms and cycle storage
• Recognised as a partner property by the University of Edinburgh

Cons

• 20-minute walk or short bus to UoE's central campus, not a doorstep commute
• Cluster flats of 4 to 9 can be noisier than smaller setups, depending on flatmates
• Studio rates push higher and book up first
• High demand means popular dates fill early in the cycle
• Some review references to the older fabric of the building, which is being managed

Who Brae House suits, honestly

A direct read from the review patterns and the building itself.

If you are a first year at the University of Edinburgh's Moray House campus and you want en-suite, a community, helpful staff and to live a short walk from your lectures, Brae House is one of the strongest fits in the city.

If you are a UoE student based at the central campus and you do not mind a 20-minute walk or a short bus, the trade is location plus the partner-property assurance. If you would rather be next door to lectures every day, look at residences closer to George Square first.

If you are a postgrad or a student who needs quiet, the studios at Brae House are a credible choice. The cluster en-suites are a stronger fit for first years who want a built-in social group.

If you are at Heriot-Watt or Napier and want a central Edinburgh base over the on-campus alternative, Brae House sits well, with bus access to your campus.

How to book

Two clean routes. Through Yugo's own website, which lists Brae House and gives the operator price and live availability, and through the University of Edinburgh's accommodation page, where it is listed under partner properties. Aggregators carry the listing too, sometimes with cashback offers, but the operator's site is the source of truth for the room you actually want.

A realistic verdict

Across the public reviews and what the building actually offers, Yugo Brae House is a well-located, well-staffed, en-suite-throughout student building that sits inside the University of Edinburgh's partner network. It earns its reviews because it gets the human side right, friendly staff and reliable maintenance, on top of a strong location. The only meaningful asterisk is the commute to UoE's central campus, which you should think about before booking. For most students it is one of Edinburgh's stronger PBSA choices.

FAQs

What is Yugo Brae House?

Brae House is a 399-room en-suite student accommodation at 31 Abbeyhill, Edinburgh EH8 8EH, operated by Yugo, and listed as a partner property by the University of Edinburgh.

What do reviews of Yugo Brae House say?

Students consistently praise the location, the friendly staff and reliable maintenance. The most common honest caveat is the 20-minute walk to the University of Edinburgh's central campus.

Where is Yugo Brae House located?

At 31 Abbeyhill, Edinburgh EH8 8EH, in the Abbeyhill area on the edge of the Old Town, close to the Royal Mile, Holyrood Park, St James Quarter and Edinburgh Waverley.

How much is Yugo Brae House?

Listings start from around £250 per week, with studios costing more than the cluster en-suites. Bills are included. Confirm the current weekly rate with Yugo for your exact room and dates before booking.

What room types does Yugo Brae House offer?

Single en-suite rooms in cluster flats of 4 to 9 students, and self-contained studios for students who want more privacy.

Is Yugo Brae House a University of Edinburgh hall?

It is a Yugo-operated building listed as a partner property by the University of Edinburgh. You can book through Yugo or through the University's accommodation process for partner-property routes.

How far is Yugo Brae House from the University of Edinburgh?

About a 20-minute walk to the central campus, or a short bus ride. The University of Edinburgh's Moray House campus is about a 15-minute walk away.

How do I book Yugo Brae House?

Through the Yugo website directly, or via the University of Edinburgh's accommodation page under partner properties. Always confirm room type, contract length and current price on the operator's own listing.

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