Student Accommodation

Aberdeen

The Universities

Aberdeen is known for its granite architecture and centuries of academic history, and its universities reflect both. From your Prestige Student Living accommodation, you’ll be close to your studies and within easy reach of somewhere to recharge after a long day.

The University of Aberdeen

Founded in 1495, the University of Aberdeen is one of Scotland’s four ancient universities. Its historic King’s College campus in Old Aberdeen sits alongside modern facilities, and five Nobel laureates have been associated with the university over the centuries. Students arrive from across the UK and around the world.

Robert Gordon University

Known as RGU, Robert Gordon University is built around practical, professional learning. Its roots go back to Robert Gordon’s Hospital, founded in 1750, and it gained university status in 1992. The main Garthdee campus sits beside the River Dee.

North East Scotland College

North East Scotland College (NESCol) offers vocational courses alongside part-time study, with daytime, evening and online options. That flexibility suits anyone returning to education or studying around work. The college was formed in 2013 through the merger of Aberdeen College and Banff and Buchan College.

Whether you’re studying full-time at one of Aberdeen’s universities or taking a vocational course alongside work, Prestige Student Living gives you a comfortable base to rest, study and make your own.

Food and Drink

Aberdeen’s position on the north-east coast of Scotland makes seafood a natural highlight, and the city’s food scene reaches well beyond it. Whether you want a quick lunch between lectures or somewhere special when your parents visit, you’ll find plenty to choose from across the city.

Seafood Options

Bistro Verde is an independently owned seafood restaurant on The Green, in the Merchant Quarter. The Silver Darling occupies the former Customs House at Pocra Quay and overlooks the harbour, and Moonfish Cafe on Correction Wynd serves modern British dishes built around local, seasonal produce. Both suit a special meal out. Restaurants and pubs across the city also serve fresh seafood.

A Restaurant for Everyone

YO! Sushi at Union Square offers conveyor belt sushi alongside hot dishes and street food, which makes it a convenient lunch stop in the city centre.

Foodstory on Thistle Street is a community café built around healthy food, art and music. Its menu is mostly vegetarian and vegan, with gluten-free options available.

Books and Beans at 22 Belmont Street combines a Fair Trade café with a second-hand bookshop across two floors. The menu includes soups, toasties, sandwiches and pancakes, with vegan and gluten-free options.

Nights Out in Aberdeen

Moving to a new city as a student can feel daunting, and finding the right places for a night out is one of the quickest ways to settle in and meet people who share your interests. Aberdeen’s student nightlife is spread between the city centre and Old Aberdeen, with something for a casual drink and for a late night.

Triplekirks sits on the corner of Schoolhill and Belmont Street, in part of the historic Triple Kirks church building. It’s popular with students for its pub menu and big screens for live sport.

Siberia Bar and Hotel at 9 Belmont Street is a Soviet-themed bar known for its cocktails and vodka list. It also has an outdoor terrace.

Aura is a large nightclub on Bridge Place that hosts student nights.

The Bobbin on King Street is a long-standing student pub close to King’s College. You’ll find pool tables, big screens for sport and a pub food menu.

Stay Fit and Healthy

Aberdeen has plenty to offer students who enjoy sport. Some want to stay fit through running or swimming, others want the camaraderie of a team, and others want to compete at a high level. The city also suits those who prefer to watch, with a football club to get behind.

Aberdeen Sports Village

Aberdeen Sports Village on Linksfield Road is a large sports complex run in partnership between the University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen City Council and sportscotland. Facilities include a gym, a sports hall, squash courts, indoor and outdoor athletics tracks, and a full-sized indoor 3G football pitch approved by FIFA.

Aberdeen Aquatics Centre

The Aquatics Centre is part of Aberdeen Sports Village and has an Olympic standard 50m pool, a 25m pool and a diving pool with a moveable floor. A health suite with a steam room and sauna is available for relaxing after a swim. The centre is open to students, staff and the public.

Support the Dons

Aberdeen Football Club, known as the Dons, play at Pittodrie Stadium. The club’s greatest era came in the 1980s, when it won the European Cup Winners’ Cup and the European Super Cup in 1983. It remains the only Scottish club to have won two European trophies. Pittodrie was also Britain’s first all-seater stadium, which makes a matchday a good way to experience the city’s football culture.

Golf in Aberdeenshire

Golf is hugely popular across Scotland, and Aberdeenshire has dozens of courses, including many links layouts along the coast. Royal Aberdeen Golf Club, founded in 1780, hosted the Scottish Open in 2014. Whether you want to play or simply enjoy the coastal scenery, there’s plenty to choose from.

Hiking and the Outdoors

Aberdeen is a good base for exploring Aberdeenshire’s countryside and coastline. Seaton Park beside the River Don is a pleasant spot for a local jog. For a longer day out, Forvie National Nature Reserve has waymarked trails through one of the largest dune systems in the UK. Stonehaven’s coastal path leads to the clifftop ruins of Dunnottar Castle.

Where to Shop

Moving to a new city as a student can feel daunting, and getting your bearings quickly helps. Shopping is a good place to start. You’ll want to know where to pick up essentials for your Prestige Student Living home, where to find familiar high street names, and where the independent shops and boutiques are that give the city its character. Many city centre shops stay open later on Thursdays, so it’s a good evening for a longer trip.

Shopping Centres

Union Square is Aberdeen’s largest shopping and leisure destination, open seven days a week. It brings together dozens of high street stores, more than 30 restaurants and cafés, and a 10-screen Cineworld cinema with a 4DX auditorium. It sits beside the railway and bus stations, with covered links to both.

The Trinity Centre is just off Union Street and is home to Primark, Schuh, HMV and The Works. It’s a handy stop for clothing, bedding and other essentials at student-friendly prices.

The Bon Accord Centre has entrances on Union Street, George Street and Schoolhill. It combines high street names such as Next and New Look with local independent businesses, which makes it a good place to find gifts and items to personalise your room.

Belmont Street Market

Belmont Street hosts a farmers’ market on the last Saturday of each month. Local producers sell meat, fish, cheese and vegetables, alongside crafters selling handmade items.

Rosemount

Rosemount, a short walk from the city centre, is known for its independent shops, boutiques and cafés. It’s also home to traditional family-run specialists such as bakers, fishmongers and cheese shops, plus gift shops for something a little different.

Museums and Art Galleries

The University of Aberdeen’s museum collections have been Recognised as nationally significant by the Scottish Government and have a history stretching back centuries. The Zoology Museum has displays ranging from protozoa to the great whales, including taxidermy and skeletal material. The Gallery in the Sir Duncan Rice Library hosts changing displays drawn from the university’s collections.

Aberdeen Art Gallery on Schoolhill reopened in 2019 after a major redevelopment and was named Art Fund Museum of the Year in 2020. Its collections span several centuries and include paintings, sculpture, textiles, ceramics and glass. They also include contemporary works by artists such as Tracey Emin and Damien Hirst, alongside a programme of temporary exhibitions.

Live Entertainment

Aberdeen’s venues range from intimate rooms to a large arena. P&J Live, at The Event Complex Aberdeen (TECA) in Bucksburn, opened in 2019 as the replacement for the former AECC arena. It’s the largest indoor arena in Scotland and hosts major touring concerts and events.

Closer to the city centre, His Majesty’s Theatre stages touring productions including musicals, ballet and opera. The Music Hall is the city’s main concert hall and also hosts comedy. The Lemon Tree offers an intimate setting for contemporary live music, comedy and theatre.

A community-led campaign is also working to bring the historic Belmont Cinema on Belmont Street back to life as an independent cinema.

Nuart Festival

Nuart Aberdeen is an award-winning street art festival that launched in 2017 and brings artists from around the world to paint murals across the city. Many of the works remain on the walls between festivals, so a walk through the city centre will reveal large-scale murals and smaller pieces tucked around corners.

These attractions only scratch the surface of what’s on offer in the Granite City, so there’s always something new to discover during your time living here.