Ultimate Student Accommodation Guide In Stirling

If you are set to attend the University of Stirling, there are many different accommodations from which to choose, both on and off campus.

The university manages over 2,500 bedrooms across 19 properties, designed to meet a wide range of needs and preferences. Then, too, there are private rentals, for students who would rather not live in a university-managed property. In this guide, we discuss the benefits and drawbacks of each type of housing, what type of housing is available, and other information you need to know while you are making your plan.

Think Carefully About Your Lifestyle

Where are you in your university career? Most first and second year students benefit from living on campus, while they are getting accustomed to life at university. Now, think about your budget. It is important to know your budget before you start to shop around, because there is no point looking at a place to rent if you cannot afford to rent it. What is your personality? Are you someone who is always on the go, or a homebody? Do you want to live somewhere with an active nightlife, or will you be spending nights curled up with your books or watching television. Do you want to share space, or are you someone who prefers to live alone? How important is an ensuite bathroom? What kind of amenities are high on your list. Do you want to live somewhere with a gym, or a shuttle bus, or common areas? How much time do you spend out of doors? Do you want to be able to walk to restaurants and shops, or do you prefer the quiet of a more out-of-the-way setting?

All About Stirling

Stirling is a small city, but there is plenty to see and do! The University of Stirling campus is, in and of itself, a place with plenty of activity, with restaurants, pubs, a campus bar with pub quizzes and karaoke nights, walking trails, and much more. On its 330-acre campus, there are opportunities to get fit, like exercise classes, sports lessons, fitness groups, and leisure activities, as well as an Olympic-sized swimming pool. There is also an art centre, with live entertainment, cinema, art exhibitions, and an extraordinarily well-equipped library. At Campus Central, you will find shops, restaurants, and spaces to spend time with your friends, and at the heart of the campus is Airthrey Loch , where you can enjoy nature, exercise, and socialisation. The setting is picturesque, there are 2.5 miles of walking trails, and a castle overlooks the loch.

Venture off campus, and you will find a bustling little town with great restaurants, historic landmarks, and an active nightlife. This small, walkable city is well-served by public transportation, and a bike-sharing scheme with 200 bikes in 28 locations across the city is free for students. Perfectly situated in the heart of Scotland, Stirling is near Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, and just a short train ride from both Glasgow and Edinburgh. While it doesn’t have its own airport, it’s easy enough to hop the train to one of those larger cities and fly wherever your heart desires.

Student Life

Perhaps best of all, Stirling is ranked as the safest place in the UK for students, according to the 2023 issue of The Complete University Guide. No matter where you stay in town, you can feel confident that you will be in a safe place, whether it’s university managed or privately owned. However, there are some very good reasons to choose to live in university managed accommodations.

• Budget: Unlike privately owned accommodations, university -managed accommodations are all-inclusive. Heating, electricity, contents insurance, WiFi, and housekeeping assistance are all included in your rent, so it is much easier to budget.
• Location: University-managed accommodation is either on campus or just a short commute away, which makes it much easier and more convenient to get involved in student life. With all of the opportunities on campus, you never have to leave unless you just want to go exploring.
• Security: While Stirling is extremely safe, there’s another level of security on campus, where a 24/7 security team, emergency support, and variety of other support services are available, to give students- and their parents- peace of mind.
• Support: On or off campus, the university residences are served by the friendly Accommodation Operations Assistants, who handle problems and issues 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There are also housekeeping assistance in most of the university-managed accommodations.
• Friends and Fun: When you live in university-managed accommodation, it’s easy to make friends, especially since the application asks questions to make sure like-minded students live together. What’s more, when you are in the middle of all the campus action, you will have plenty of social activities, events, clubs, and societies within easy reach.

University-Managed Properties

There are 20 different properties with student housing, designated for students at different stages of their university career. Standard rooms come with basic furniture, an ensuite room has its own shower room, and a studio room is a mini apartment, with a living space, kitchen, sleeping area, and a shower room. Some of our accommodations are even two and three-bedroom flats, suitable for families.

• Alangrange: Single and large standard rooms for postgraduate students, just off campus in Bridge of Allan.
• Alexander Court Family Flats: On-campus two and three-bedroom flats for undergraduate and postgraduate students, suitable for families.
• Alexander Court Standard Flats: Single standard rooms, on campus, for new undergraduate students.
• Alexander Court Townhouses: On-campus single standard and ensuite rooms for new undergraduate students.
• Andrew Stewart Hall: Single ensuite rooms, on campus, for new undergraduate students.
• Beech Court Standard Flats: Single ensuite rooms, on campus, for new undergraduate, returning undergraduate, and postgraduate students.
• Beech Court Studio Flats: Single ensuite studio rooms, on campus, for new undergraduate and postgraduate students.
• Fraser of Allander House: On-campus single standard rooms for new undergraduate students.
• Friarscroft: Single ensuite rooms, just off campus, for postgraduate students.
• John Forty’s Court: Single standard and ensuite rooms, off-campus, on the main bus route, for nursing/paramedic, new undergraduate, and returning undergraduate students.
• Juniper Court Standard Flats: Single ensuite rooms on campus, for new and returning undergraduate students.
• Juniper Court Studio Flats: Single ensuite studio rooms on campus for new and returning undergraduate students.
• Lyon Crescent: Single standard rooms for nursing/paramedic, returning undergraduate, and postgraduate students, off campus in Bridge of Allan.
• Pendreich Way: Single standard rooms, on campus, for postgraduate students.
• Polwarth House: Single standard rooms for new and returning undergraduate students.
• Spittal Hill: Single standard rooms for returning undergraduate students.
• Thistle Chambers: Single standard rooms, off campus, in the centre of Stirling, for postgraduate students.
• Union Street Development: Off-campus single standard rooms for returning undergraduate students, in the centre of Stirling.
• Willow Court Standard Flats: Single ensuite rooms, on campus, for new and returning undergraduate students.
• Willow Court Studio Flats: Single ensuite studio rooms, on campus, for new and returning undergraduate students.

Private Rental Properties

If none of those properties suit, you can look for private properties online. Self-contained properties are in high demand, so it is smart to look for local letting agencies and companies that specialise in student accommodation. Websites like s1homes.co.uk and rightmove.co.uk are worth visiting, and you can sometimes find students looking for flatmates on sites like spareroom.co.uk. You might also look for a bedsit, consisting of a single room in a property, often located in private homes. In a bedsit, you are likely to share facilities like a kitchen or bathroom with others. An online search for bedsits in Stirling will be helpful in finding this sort of situation. If you decide to rent privately, try to see the property in person before paying a deposit. It can also be helpful to search for the landlord’s name with the word ‘scam’ and see if any results pop up.

Store Your Things While You Look for Student Accommodations in Stirling

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