You’ve studied hard for three years, passed university, got your folks to sit through the graduation ceremony together without bickering too much and even put together an outfit that doesn’t look weird paired with an ankle-length hooded cape.
Now it’s time to let your hair down and go wild, so here are the best places to celebrate graduation in Edinburgh.
Tigerlily
Address: 125 George Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4JN
Cost: Get a cocktail from £7.50
This super stylish cocktail bar will be the perfect setting for chic Gossip Girl-esque pictures (if you’re still looking presentable by this time, that is). Not only does this boutique bar have an amazing interior, it also is home to some of Edinburgh’s best cocktails concoctions – no mean feat. Downstairs from the bar, Tigerlily features an expansive dance floor surrounded with mirrored walls and contemporary design. The Georgian building also moonlights as a hotel, with 33 spacious bedrooms it’s the perfect option for those students who may not be local to the city or simply those who have slightly overdone the celebrations.
The Devil’s Advocate
Address: 9 Advocate’s Close, Edinburgh, EH1 1ND
Cost: Cocktails from £7.50
The Devil’s Advocate is a popular choice with both current and graduating students, which can possibly be owed to its vast shelves of over 200 types of whiskey. With its trademark Victorian interior, this bar boasts a brilliant atmosphere due to it being a refurbished authentic pump house in the historic Old Town of Edinburgh. If you are fortunate for your graduation to occur on one of Scotland’s few days of summer you can celebrate your hard-earned degree in an impressive beer garden which is often voted one of the favourites in the city.
Lulu
Address: 125b George Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4JN
Cost: Get a craft beer from £4.30
If good music and dancing is more your idea of a celebration than going to a bar, then Lulu is the choice for you. Known for its energetic nights and a host of guest DJs, it is one of Edinburgh’s trendiest clubs and is always packed with people having a great night. It has a massive LED dance floor, perfect for dancing away the impending fear of official adulthood. It also has an impressive VIP lounge and table service, fancy attire is also a must here so you can show off your glad-rags.
Vodka Revolution
Address: 30A Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1HU
Cost: Main meals start at £6.95
Home to inarguably the wildest and most flavoursome shot selection in the city, Vodka Revolution will please everyone due to its varied playlist, spacious dance floor but with comfy sofa booths for those much-needed breaks between dancing. Based just up the hill from student-central Cowgate, this two-floored venue has three bars which are always busy due to their amazing selection of cocktails. It’s also easy to book a private area with drinks catering and a delicious buffet – what more can you ask for?
The Hive
Address: 15-17 Niddry Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1LG
Cost: Bottles of beer from £1
Although you may not plan to go to this infamous club on your graduation night, as any Edinburgh student will know: ‘All roads lead to The Hive’. There are also bonus points if you complete ‘Hive till five’ and keep the celebration going till the early hours. This might not be the best venue for your fancy graduation smarts, with many students having dedicated shoes for The Hive due to its rough-and-tumble atmosphere. Deep down every student knows they love a night here, or at the very least hold a nostalgic soft spot for it. This is the ultimate goodbye to being a student in Edinburgh.
