Student Accommodation

Glasgow

Glasgow University

Just a 10-minutes walk from one of our Glasgow student accommodation properties, the University of Glasgow has been recognised as a world leader in research and teaching for well over 500 years (it is in fact the fourth oldest English-speaking university in the world having been founded in 1451). It offers a modern range of learning environments to students from over 140 countries the world over, and is spread across two campuses in one of the friendliest cities in the world. It is a truly beautiful university to just walk through, let alone study in. It is home to over 100 listed buildings, and there has been major investment to improve teaching and learning facilities in the main campus in the West End of Glasgow.

Home to 2.5 Million Books

The university library is home to 2.5 million books and journals, plentiful study spaces and a social learning space. The university is committed to providing a student experience that provides a solid practical foundation for future careers and a happy life – encouraging students to learn, to work, to volunteer, and play sports, as well as helping find relevant work placements and experience within interested industries (through the Internship Hub which offers over 350 internship opportunities each year).

The Students’ Union

The Students Union is unusual compared to other universities as there are two to choose from at the University of Glasgow – Glasgow University Union (GUU) and Queen Margaret Union (QMU). GUU has a reputation has a leading debating institution across the world, as well as being home to a club and all the regular amenities you expect from a students’ union, whilst QMU has a reputation as the lively venue for live music and charity fundraising events.

Glasgow School of Art

Glasgow School of Art is recognised internationally as one of the top universities in Europe for visual and creative disciplines. It has a studio-based approach to teaching and research, combining different disciplines together to help students foster a love of shared learning and problem-solving within the creative arts. This helps to find innovative solutions that go a long way to creating artists who live and work at the vanguard of each generation.

The library at the Glasgow School of Art reflects its traditions as a leading light in the field of art education, and it is home to one of the finest collections of art, design, and architecture in the UK. By providing students with access to some of the highest standards of materials and information it is the hope that they will be inspired to the highest degree to fulfil their potential.

There are also specific course facilities such as 3D-making workshops, printmaking studios, mould making and casting, fashion and textiles, jewellery, media studios, photographic facilities, and high-quality archive print technology. Students also have access to project spaces within the Students’ Union to put on events and exhibitions, with profits put back into the venue and club.

The University of Strathclyde

In the heart of the city the University of Strathclyde has a history dating back to 200 years, and is home to over 23,000 students from over 100 countries. There are over 170 clubs and societies, as well as over 50 sports clubs at the university for students to explore and enjoy during their time in Glasgow. Plenty of volunteering opportunities are provided to help students fulfil their potential and have the best foundations for successful future careers. The Union has a wealth of student support services to help with welfare, accommodation, and fiscal issues amongst other things.

The University for the Common Good

Glasgow Caledonian University is the University for the Common Good, aiming to support students in entrepreneurial projects and to become capable and effective leaders in all sorts of industries and sectors. It provides career-focused courses and support for its students in areas such as business, engineering, nursing, life sciences, computing, and health. Its heritage dates back to 1875 but was established as a university as recently as 1993, and has campuses in New York and London.

Thriving Food Scene

Glasgow is a city that is thriving in many different areas, and the food scene is especially active. There are so many different styles of cuisine popping up in the city at any given time, from street food with tastes from all over the world, to juicy burger joints, big chain names and local cuisine – from the fancy to the cheapest student deals. There is really something for everyone’s taste buds when living at our Glasgow student accommodation – and you’ll be within waking distance or a quick subway ride to most of it.

From Cheap to Vegan-Friendly Choices

Ubiquitous Chip on Ashton Lane is a great place to start and a hot spot for lunch dates, as an innovative restaurant for the arty types in town. For under a tenner you can try their egg gribiche – packed with capers, syboes and pickled chillies – and a drink.

In recent times Glasgow has become one of the most vegan-friendly cities in the UK, always looking at new ways to make vegan food tasty for all palates. One of the most popular is The 78 in Finnieston, where you can try a katsu panko tofu burger that will rock your world. It is a cosy place in the West End, a welcoming and relaxed environment where you can relax and take your choice of the 100% vegan menu. Even better, it’s open 11am to midnight every day of the week (it closes at 1am Thursday-Sunday).

Great Glaswegian Cuisine

Another example of great Glaswegian cuisine mixed with the artistic temperament of the city is The Flying Duck on Renfield Street. The underground bar is easy to miss if you don’t know where to look for it, but it is home to live music, comedy nights, quiz shows, but also some amazing vegan junk food from as little as £3 an item! The veggie brunch is a joy to behold and cures any hangover with ease.

Cuisine From All Over

If you want to try out many different types of cuisine from all over the world, the Big Feed Glasgow is the largest indoor street food market on Govan Road. You’ll find Italian food stalls sat next to Asian cuisine, Mexican food straddling the boundary with Scottish flavours close by.

Other great options for food in Glasgow include Hillhead Bookclub on Vinicome Street with great Scottish, British, and European dishes at a good price for students (as well as some great cocktails and drinks offers – regular vintage fairs and retro video games to play). Bloc+ is an indie pub on Bath Street that doubles up as a popular choice for student food, as it has a really affordable menu of burgers, hot dogs, and other street food offerings from around a tenner.

Japanese Street Food

Bar Soba is another firm favourite with students looking for some great food, and it has three locations in Glasgow, on Byres Road, Mitchell Lane, and Albion Street. You’ll find top quality Japanese street food options and pan-Asian cuisine that is cooked with a twist in mind. Although the standard menu might be a little pricey for the average student they offer a whopping 50% discount off food and 25% off drinks, as well as other special student deals to keep an eye out for.

Great Food Choices

Other notable places to take a look at for great food include the Butterfly and the Pig, Saint Judes, Glad Café, and Lucky 7 (a laid back bar with a canteen-style restaurant offering home cooked meals, good drinks and live music).

Vibrant City Nightlife

In such a vibrant city you are sure to find a night out that suits your needs. Glasgow is home to many venues that double up as places that are great to grab a bite to eat during the day but provide a great night out with visiting bands and DJs during the night. Places such as Bloc + and Hillhead Bookclub are two great examples of those places that straddle the line between laid-back daytime vibes and a great bar to have fun in at night.

There are so many different types of nights out to explore from your base in our Glasgow student accommodation and one you might not immediately think of can be found at RollerStop – a vintage skating rink where adults-only club nights provide rock’n’roll fun and plenty of strobe lighting for under a fiver.

Laid Back Vibe

If instead you fancy a laid back vibe and some great hospitality, Stravaigin is a perfect example of this in Glasgow, as is Chinaski’s with its cosy candlelit bar and amazing range of bourbons and whisky’s.

Revolution

For most students though you want to know where to go for the best student-specific nights, and how to make sure you can get to the right places in a city where there are about 160,000 students living and looking for the same night out! Revolution on Renfield Street and Mitchell Street is a great example of a student night out that is hard to beat. There is always a party to be had, with great DJs, themed nights and great food, as well as a range of happy hour drinks offers.

Another top student bar is Tingle Shooter Bar. There is nowhere better in Glasgow to experience as many different shots as you could ever think of, from your standard tequila to a Jammy Dodger shot and everything in between. Vodka Wodka is another great place for cheap cocktails and a beer garden that is a hit with the students during the summer months. Its location on Ashton Lane makes it a popular one with students from the University of Glasgow.

For more of a DIY feel head on over to Flat 0/1 on Bath Street. Here you can find a flat party vibe in a bar with great drinks on offer, video games and amazing tunes. A fun place to dance and sing as loud as you want without having to worry about your neighbours.

Sauchiehall Street

There are plenty of great bars and clubs on Sauchiehall Street, including Nice ‘N’ Sleazy – home of the White Russians in the city. It’s a laid back bar that is the perfect place to take a break from a hectic pub crawl and to get away from the cheesy tunes in some of the other student clubs close by.

Firewater is another in this area that plays rock and indie classics and future greats, alongside a bar menu with some cheap cocktail pitchers. Campus on the other hand is a wild student joint, serving up chips and other student-friendly food in its bar and club. There are always drinks promotions here, free entry promotions and complimentary food!

Great Music Nights

‘Sesh’ @ The Garage is a big student night every Sunday with cheap entry and low-priced drinks, games and great chart music, whilst ‘Out on a Wednesday’ @ Distrikt is one of the biggest student nights involving cheap drinks and a great night out at a normally posh club. ‘Rip This Joint’ @ Slouch is everything Rock ’N’ Roll, punk, funk and soul every Saturday night.

130 Weekly Music Events

Glasgow is one of the UNESCO cities of music and has the largest music economy in the UK outside of London – hosting an average of 130 music events every single week. Famous venues include King Tuts, Barrowlands, and the SSE Hydro to name just a few. Expect to see plenty of up and coming bands and seasoned veterans in the world of music.

Sports Clubs and Societies

Scotland is a proud sporting country and Glasgow provides plenty of opportunities to both watch and play sport when living in our Glasgow student accommodation. There are plenty of sports clubs and societies available to join at the universities in the city, allowing you to compete at an elite and national level, or just take part for fun and fitness, with friends or alone.

Historic Football Tradition

Football is the major sport in Glasgow. There is no getting away from it. Celtic and Rangers are the two big teams in the city and both European heavyweights in their own right. The rivalry is pretty intense, but if you are just a fan of football you should definitely take the time to visit Celtic Park and Ibrox to take in a game.

The Old Firm derby is renowned as one of the top sporting spectacles in the world, but it can be pretty tasty. If you are after something away from the intense rivalry of the other Glasgow teams Partick Thistle play at Firhill and along with their mad mascot Kingsley (seriously, Google what he looks like as he was described as a ‘demented sun god’! ) you will find a warm and welcoming place to watch the beautiful game. With a much smaller crowd and friendly stadium bar you can watch the Jags just to the North of the city.

Rugby Union

Although rugby union is more associated with rival city Edinburgh the Glasgow Warriors play top-level rugby in the Pro14 league, as well as elite European competition. You can take in golf at one of the six affordable courses in the city if that is more your bag, with other sporting teams in Basketball (Glasgow Rocks) and Ice Hockey (Braehead Clan). There are also plenty of opportunities to play tennis, badminton, join running clubs in the city, boxing and martial arts, and archery. The Glasgow Ski & Snowboard Centre in Bellahouston Park has four dry slopes and specialist instructors to help, whilst Kelvingrove Skate Park is the pace to be for skateboarding and skating.

A Mecca For Shoppers

Glasgow is recognised as the second largest city for retail in the entire UK (only behind London) and is a mecca for shoppers from all over Scotland and the rest of the UK with its 1500+ shops of all types and sizes. Although students are primarily looking for the cheap bargains and hidden gems there is some amazing high-end fashion in the ‘Style Mile’ along Buchanan Street, Argyle Street, and Merchant City, and it is well worth visiting during your time living in Glasgow.

The Best Retail Options

Our Glasgow student accommodation leaves you within a stones throw of some of the best retail options in the entire country, so you would be mad to not take advantage of it, no matter your style or budget. The main shopping centres and department stores can be found centrally, in places such as Buchanan Galleries, St Enoch Centre, Ingram Street, Princess Square, and Buchanan Quarter to name a few.

Independent Shopping

For more of an independent vibe, including many different boutiques, vintage stores, arts and crafts, and classic jewellery, head on over to Creswell Lane to browse the stores in De Courcy’s Arcade, whilst The Barras is a singular location, Glaswegian shopping like nowhere else in the city. The market sells absolutely everything you can think of, from little trinkets to mad Rangers and Celtic memorabilia.

Artistic Integrity

The creative spark and artistic integrity is everywhere to be seen in Glasgow and you can see that in some of the established and emerging designers that have made it their home, including The Lighthouse shop, Iona Crawford, and Anta. For music lovers Glasgow has several top-notch record stores including Monorail Music and Missing Records.

Beautiful Outdoors

You don’t think of beautiful outdoor parks and great scenery when you first think of Glasgow but there are quite a few, including the Botanic Gardens, Kelvingrove Park and Pollok Country Park. It is also a city that provides the perfect base to explore the sheer beauty of Scotland’s national parks to the north – with plenty of walking holidays and cycling routes easily found from the outskirts of the city and beyond.

Charles Rennie Mackintosh

Back in the city itself and you should make a visit to The Mackintosh House a priority. It was home to the famous architect, designer, and artist Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Close by is the Hunterian Museum, which is the oldest museum in Scotland and includes fascinating zoological pieces, fossils and historical manuscripts.

Modern Art

For a city in love with art the Glasgow Mural Trail is a must-see, with a free guide available for you to find some of the most exciting and vibrant street art and murals in the city. The Glasgow Gallery of Modern Art and Kelvingrove Art Gallery are two fantastic places to see great art, and they are both free to enter. An afternoon wandering around the East End of the city, as well as the grounds of the University of Glasgow will provide you with some breathtaking architectural delights.

Glasgow Festivals

For events there is always plenty to see and do in Glasgow throughout the year. At your student accommodation in Glasgow you’ll be right in the thick of the action. We couldn’t possibly tell you about everything going on throughout the year as there is just too much, but keep an eye out for the Glasgow Jazz Festival, Glasgow Mela (the biggest multi-cultural festival of music, dance, arts, and food in Scotland), Doors Open Days (with free access to fascinating buildings not usually open to the public), and Celtic Connection (18-days of concerts, ceilidhs, art exhibitions, performances, and talks celebrating Celtic culture).