Learn English in Edinburgh
Learn English in Edinburgh, a UNESCO world heritage site and one of the most beautiful and exciting cities in the UK in which to live.
Our school in Edinburgh
Our English school in Edinburgh is conveniently located in New Town right next to the vibrant West End, a lively and upscale neighbourhood that forms part of Edinburgh's UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's also within walking distance of some of Edinburgh's top attractions, such as Edinburgh Castle, Dean Village, the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Princes Street Gardens and The Royal Mile.
An excellent and contemporary learning environment welcomes you at our Edinburgh language school. The facilities include 12 bright and comfortable classrooms, a self-study area, student lounge and garden, all housed in one of Edinburgh’s distinctive Georgian townhouses. During the high season the school also uses external classrooms at two nearby buildings, ensuring class sizes are never too large. There is a dedicated, professional, and friendly academic and social programme team to help students with their English language studies and extracurricular activities.
Read on for further information on the English courses and accommodation on offer in Edinburgh! It is possible to start on any Monday of the year, with the school only closing for a couple of weeks at Christmas.
Photos
Edinburgh
Learn English in Edinburgh, the inspiring capital of Scotland and you will find yourself immersed in a place where world-renowned heritage and culture meets a vibrant and cosmopolitan city, in a truly breathtaking setting!
The city and surrounding "Lothians" are filled with iconic landmarks, rich, architectural heritage, and medieval charm. You will be studying English in a world-famous festival city, which hosts a huge number of major national and international arts festivals every year. You will be able to combine the bustle of the city and its attractions, activities, and entertainment, with trips to the scenic surrounding countryside and stunning coastline of outstanding natural beauty.
Edinburgh’s New Town and West End, next to where our school is located, offers a range of high-end hotels, fine dining restaurants, charming cafes, and sandwich shops. It's a hub for various events year-round, including art festivals, conferences, and craft fairs. One remarkable feature of this area is its collection of New Town Gardens, particularly Princes Street Gardens. This beautiful and unique urban park serves as a distinct divider between the old and new parts of Edinburgh and is an oasis of calm in the centre of the city. Moreover, these gardens contribute to Edinburgh's protected status, as they have held heritage status since March 2001.
Edinburgh offers you a wonderful variety all year round! The city is close to the sea and is spread over seven hills, giving it the name "The Athens of the North". The medieval Old Town stretches along the Royal Mile, which gets its name due to having Edinburgh Castle at the top and Holyrood House Palace at the bottom. The breathtaking stone of Edinburgh Castle dominates the city-centre skyline, from where you can look down on cobbled lanes and elegant terraces, filled with more cafes, restaurants, and endless shopping possibilities!
Holyrood Park is an enormous park in the centre of Edinburgh, where you will find Arthur’s Seat, an extinct volcano with more spectacular views. Crossing the wonderful Princes Street Gardens close to our school, you arrive at the neoclassical New Town, which dates to the 18th Century. As you explore the city further you will discover wonderful architecture and pass by quaint shops, impressive museums and smart galleries displaying cutting edge art.
Edinburgh is a dynamic capital city that draws top performers from around the world. It's not only vibrant and lively but also compact, safe, and friendly. Additionally, it serves as a hub for educational and professional development, dating back to the founding of the world-renowned University of Edinburgh in 1583. It's an ideal location for practicing your English language skills. Furthermore, with Edinburgh as your home base, you'll have the opportunity to explore various regions throughout the rest of beautiful Scotland and relatively nearby England.
Courses in Edinburgh
Available courses
We offer a wide selection of English courses in Edinburgh for all students and at all levels. If you choose an Intensive group language course of 20 lessons per week your classes will take place from 9:30 to 13:00 Monday to Friday. Each day, you'll have four 45-minute lessons that concentrate on improving your communication skills, which include reading, speaking, writing, and listening. These lessons are split into two parts with a 30-minute break in between and typically taught by two different teachers. In these lessons, you will not only quickly enhance your vocabulary but also develop a deeper understanding of English grammar. This will enable you to attain an exceptional level of proficiency and comprehension in the English language.
The Super-Intensive group language course, consisting of 30 English lessons per week, builds upon the standard Intensive schedule by incorporating three additional afternoon sessions from 14:00 to 16:30 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. During these sessions, you'll have the opportunity to reinforce the language skills you've learned from your morning classes. This reinforcement places a stronger emphasis on listening, reading, speaking, and writing, and involves various activities such as discussions, role plays, video work, and listening exercises.
All our group English courses in Edinburgh are ideal for anyone over the age of 16 years old and available at all levels from complete beginners (A1) to advanced (C1). There is also the option to prepare for and take an examination on the Intensive + IELTS Exam Prep course and practice essential exam-related skills. You can also use these afternoon sessions as preparation for other tests such as OET, TOEFL, TOEIC, BULATS, CAMBRIDGE BEC, and levels ranging from PET to CPE.
If you're interested in the Intensive course but prefer a personalised approach in a one-on-one setting, consider booking the Intensive + Private Lessons in Edinburgh. With this option, you'll receive tailored, focussed tuition, combining a personal learning plan in the afternoon with the group English lessons in the morning. In the typical schedule for your five private lessons per week, you'll have two sessions, each lasting 2.5 hours, held from 14:00 to 16:30. You have the flexibility to discuss your specific focus areas with the teacher. This can range from business English, addressing work-related topics, or preparing for any of the listed exams mentioned earlier.
For those seeking complete flexibility and individual attention, you can opt for Private Lessons at our Edinburgh school. These classes are entirely customised to align with your specific goals. You'll start by filling out a language needs analysis questionnaire and then have a conversation with the teacher to address your evolving requirements. The content can be adjusted as you make progress. While we typically offer a standard schedule of 20 private lessons per week, please get in touch with us to create a more personalised schedule that perfectly suits your needs.
If you are planning to work in a career that requires a good command of English, then our Intensive + Business Course is ideal for you! These courses are specifically tailored for business individuals, managers, and professionals who aim to achieve significant progress within a short timeframe. Our English school can assist you in various areas, including presentations, meetings and negotiations, telephone communication, collaboration with international clients, delivering reports, networking and more. This course is designed to help you excel with your professional communication and business tasks.
We also teach English teachers to teach English at our school in Edinburgh! The Teachers Course is available to non-native Teachers of English who wish to refresh their teaching skills or learn new teaching methodology and share best practises, helping them achieve their full potential. Contact us for more details on the available development courses for English language teachers.
Finally, visit our Club 50+ page for more information on our special English course for students aged 50 years old and above.
Special courses in Edinburgh
Accommodation
Available accommodation
For real insight into life in Edinburgh we recommend you stay with one of our English Host Families, either with breakfast included, or on a half-board basis which is breakfast and your evening meal. This is a popular accommodation option, where you have the chance to constantly improve, build on, and practise your English language skills, whilst making new and long-lasting friendships at the same time. You can choose a single room or a shared room in one of our Edinburgh host families.
Our homestays are spread throughout Edinburgh, and the average travel time to the school is about 40 minutes, with approximately 20-30 minutes to reach the city centre. While there may be a daily commute, this is normal in a large city like Edinburgh and is significantly more cost-effective compared to staying in a hotel or private apartments. Additionally, you have the option to include meals, and you can benefit from practicing your English with the family members. Please be aware that travel times might be longer during peak weeks, such as the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It's also worth noting that each family will host a maximum of four students from the school at any given time.
Activities
Whilst studying in one of the finest cities in Europe, we encourage all students of English to make the most of all that Edinburgh has to offer! Our teachers aim to bring the outside world into the classrooms and likewise we hope that you will be able to use all the English you are learning when you are out in the city and surrounding area. The exciting social programme offered at our school reflects the culture and the history of Edinburgh, with visits and excursions to galleries, museums, theatres, and more.
From the moment you attend an induction talk and embark on the city orientation tour, our school introduces you to our friendly and dedicated team known as the "Yellow Shirts." They will be your constant companions throughout your stay, accompanying you on visits to local landmarks and sharing unique local insights and trivia. Their warm and helpful demeanour will quickly make you feel like you've gained new friends rather than just interacting with staff members.
While any guidebook can provide you with information about what Edinburgh has to offer, truly immersing yourself in the location requires access to local knowledge, and that's precisely where our English school shines. Whether you're curious about the story behind the elephant statue at the end of Princes Street, the inspiration a local carpenter provided for Robert Louis Stevenson's "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," or the reason why Greyfriars Bobby's statue faces in an unexpected direction, our school's dedicated "Yellow Shirts" are here to breathe life into the city for you.
Edinburgh is a safe and compact city, where you can join one of the dozens of famous festivals that take place during the year, take countryside walks in the nearby beautiful surrounding highlands, make trips to the coast, or take part in underground ghost tours of the city! Some of the activities on offer are included in your course fees whereas others are available for a small extra fee. Likewise, monthly day trips and other visits or excursions are organised for you at affordable prices.
How to get there
Edinburgh airport is located around 30 minutes’ drive from our school and there are endless international flight connections into the airport. We would be happy to arrange an airport transfer for you on your arrival, although this is not included in the course fees.
If you are arriving in Edinburgh from another UK city then there are also extremely good road and rail connections, with Edinburgh’s largest train station - Waverley - less than 2 km from our school.
Location of our school in Edinburgh
Prices for Edinburgh
Choose your course below to view our prices in pounds sterling (GBP), US dollars (USD) or euros (EUR).