Opportunities in and near Edinburgh

This interactive workshop explores how digital evidence is handled from a crime scene through to court proceedings. Participants are invited to step into the roles of law enforcement officers, analysts, lawyers, forensic practitioners and journalists as they work through a fictional case and learn how evidence is recovered, interpreted and presented. The session is designed as a collaborative team exercise, with group discussion, speaking and feedback built in. Attendees will have support from experts and digital tools as they navigate the investigation and consider how a charge and conviction may be reached in the courtroom. The fictional scenario is based on research from the Clarus EU project, which focuses on improving the quality, impartiality and reliability of digital forensic science. The workshop is part of the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s Curious festival of knowledge. It is suitable for ages 16+, and no prior specialist knowledge is needed. Please note that the event includes a fictional crime involving a suspected homophobic hate crime, and photography may take place during the session.

Join Professor Heather M. Ferguson for a one-hour talk exploring the surprising diversity of mosquitoes in Scotland and what new research is revealing about their ecology, distribution and potential to transmit disease. The session draws on work from the Mosquito Scotland project and looks at how environmental change may affect the spread of mosquito-borne diseases in the country. The event also highlights a nationwide citizen-science reporting scheme that has helped researchers understand where mosquitoes are being seen across Scotland. Attendees will hear about the history of malaria transmission in Scotland, the mosquito species found here today, and the latest evidence on the potential risks posed by diseases such as West Nile virus and Usutu virus. This is a hybrid talk with an audience Q&A, so people can attend in person or watch online. It is designed for curious audiences and does not require any prior specialist knowledge, making it a good fit for anyone interested in wildlife, public health and the effects of climate change on disease patterns.

Undergraduate Open Days at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies give prospective students an opportunity to learn more about the University of Edinburgh’s veterinary degree and how to apply. The June and September open days include a visit to the Veterinary Medicine Campus at Easter Bush, while the October event offers a more limited programme at the Central Campus. At the Easter Bush Campus, teaching staff deliver an information session and students lead tours of the teaching and clinical facilities. These sessions can be booked for either the morning or afternoon, and the rest of the day can be spent exploring wider opportunities at the University of Edinburgh. Advance booking is required for all open days. Registration is expected to open at the start of May for the June event, and at the end of August for the September and October events. If you cannot attend, the page also highlights university-wide online information sessions and a virtual tour of the veterinary facilities.

The University of Dundee runs a programme of open days, online events, taster days and campus tours to help prospective students explore courses and student life. Activities include subject taster sessions (for example Discover Law and S5-S6 taster days), student panels, moots, campus tours and Q&A sessions. Many events are free but often require booking. Events are offered in several formats: in-person open days and campus tours led by staff or student ambassadors, open evenings (including subject-specific evenings such as nursing at Kirkcaldy and Ninewells), and online webinars for postgraduate and undergraduate course information. International drop-in events are also scheduled for prospective students outside the UK. Booking is usually required for in-person tours and many online sessions; some international drop-in sessions do not require booking. The schedule includes single-day taster events and multi-day tour periods throughout March-June 2026, with specific times listed on the University of Dundee events page.

The University of Dundee is running Undergraduate Open Evenings for prospective students interested in studying nursing. These are in-person, on-campus events where attendees can tour facilities, learn about course content and entry requirements, and meet academic staff and current students to ask questions about student life and placements. Two open evenings are listed: Thursday 26 March 2026 (Kirkcaldy campus) and Tuesday 31 March 2026 (Ninewells campus). Each event runs from 17:00 to 19:00 local time and is free to attend. Booking is required for all sessions. These events are aimed primarily at prospective undergraduate applicants (typically Year 12 and Year 13 students / school leavers) considering nursing at the University of Dundee, but may also be useful for other applicants wanting to learn more about the campuses and courses.

Heriot-Watt University's Scottish Borders Open Days invite prospective students to visit the Scottish Borders campus in Galashiels and the Edinburgh campus to learn more about studying fashion, textiles and design. Bookings for Open Days will go live in May/June 2026. The events are aimed primarily at students considering undergraduate study and provide opportunities to meet academic staff and current students, attend subject talks, and tour campus facilities and accommodation. Each Open Day runs during set hours and includes information and subject talks, guided campus tours, and dedicated stands where visitors can speak with academics and support staff. Food outlets such as The Union and the campus cafeteria will be open throughout the day. The Scottish Borders campus is highlighted for its focus on fashion, textiles and design subjects, with hands-on demonstrations and facility visits expected during the sessions. If you cannot attend an Open Day, guided campus tours are available regularly and can be booked by emailing the Student Recruitment team. Prospective attendees are encouraged to sign up to Heriot-Watt emails to be notified when bookings open and to consult the campus tours page for alternative visit options.

Medic Mentor's Platinum+ Pathway is a comprehensive pre-med mentoring programme combining year-round application support with a 5-day residential summer school. The programme provides UCAT preparation (question banks, mock exams, and on-demand tutoring), personal-statement tutoring, 1-2-1 interview practice with doctors and medical students, medical research projects with mentor supervision, leadership training, and certified First Aid training. The residential summer school is delivered in-person at Queen Margaret University (Edinburgh) or the University of Greenwich (London).

The 5-day residential includes practical clinical workshops (manual dexterity, suturing), accredited First Aid training, research project design and presentation, leadership and presentation coaching, and a final national medical leadership & education conference with keynote speakers and a research poster prize. Accommodation is fully catered with individual rooms, same-sex blocks, on-campus dining and continuous on-site supervision by DBS-checked mentors.

Alongside the residential, Platinum+ students receive extensive virtual resources: an e-learning suite, a Virtual Work Experience programme, a 6-week unlimited UCAT tutoring package (daily group teaching and on-demand 1-2-1 support), and a flexible 4-day online personal statement tutoring programme (selectable weekend dates). The pathway supports students from Year 10/S3 through Year 13/S6 and is intended as a multi-year mentoring route into medicine.

The Dental Mentor Platinum+ Pathway (Platinum Pathway Plus) is a combined year-round dental application mentoring programme plus a 5-day residential summer school. The Platinum+ package provides comprehensive support for dental school applicants including UCAT teaching and tutoring, unlimited 1-to-1 mentoring sessions, personal statement tutoring, interview preparation (including virtual mock interviews), access to UCAT question banks, wellbeing support and a wider e-learning suite. The programme is tailored to students aiming for dental school and combines online and in-person components.

The residential Summer School runs across five days (differing dates and locations each year) and focuses on dental leadership training, accredited First Aid certification, dental research and project work, manual dexterity workshops, presentation and poster sessions at a national leadership conference and evening social activities. Participants leave with multiple certificates and practical experiences to strengthen UCAS applications, plus opportunities to present research and compete for a poster prize.

The programme is aimed at school students (Year 10/S3 through Year 13/S6), is delivered in-person with on-campus accommodation and 24/7 supervised pastoral support. Summer School locations include Queen Margaret University (Edinburgh) and the University of Greenwich (London). Booking is via the provider's online shop; the residential is fully catered with individual rooms and same-sex accommodation blocks.

This is a curriculum-linked video lecture titled "The US in 1783", delivered by Prof. Frank Cogliano of Edinburgh University and produced by MASSOLIT. It is part of the course "US Constitution - Background and Constitutional Convention, 1783-87", which offers an in-depth exploration of the historical background to the US Constitution, focusing on the period from 1783 through the Constitutional Convention of 1787.

The lecture examines the United States at the end of the War of Independence, addressing internal and external problems facing the new post-colonial state, the Declaration of Independence as a guiding document, tensions over popular versus elite political authority, and the challenges of governing a vast territory. The full course comprises five lectures that together cover the Declaration, the Articles of Confederation, the weaknesses that prompted constitutional reform, the key compromises of the 1787 Philadelphia Convention, and the Constitution itself. The materials are aimed at GCSE, A Level and IB students and are designed to be high-quality, curriculum-linked resources for classroom or independent study.

Smart Futures is a youth programme run by the EY Foundation that combines paid work experience, interactive employability skills training and mentoring for young people in Year 12 (England) or S5 (Scotland). The programme is run with employer partners and is designed to give participants practical insight into different industries and working environments while building transferable skills and confidence.

Participants take part in up to two weeks of employability training and workshops, receive a business mentor who supports them through the programme and beyond, and complete paid work experience placements during school holidays. Programmes are industry-specific in some locations (for example Business & Finance, Tech Futures, STEM Futures, Real Estate Futures, Data/Actuarial streams) but are suitable for young people unsure of their exact career path.

Smart Futures runs across many UK locations (including London, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Newcastle, Leeds, Liverpool, Bradford, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Reading and Luton) with multiple term-time, February, Easter, spring and summer cohorts. Applications are via an online form and shortlisted applicants are invited to a short telephone interview.

Tune Supply’s online "Dance the Tune" workshop with Nic Gareiss explores the musical potential of percussive step dance. Through imitation, idiomatic ornaments, and extended techniques for shoe sounds and textures, participants learn how to shape rhythm lines that echo melody and create rhythmic counterpoint, while developing listening, responsiveness, and sonic awareness.

The workshop is designed for dancers and interested instrumentalists of all levels. It is taught by ear and recorded for registered students, so you can join live or catch up later. Participants should wear comfortable smooth-soled shoes with a low or no heel to get the most from the session.

Hearing the Archive is an online Tune Supply workshop led by Cleek Schrey that explores how contemporary traditional musicians can learn from historic audio and digitized field recordings. The session focuses on listening deeply to archival sound, identifying what counts as musical information, and translating older styles into present-day playing.

Participants will take part in shared listening, close analysis of specific historic performances, and practical discussion of the technical, technological, and aesthetic challenges of working with archive recordings. The workshop is designed for players of all melody instruments and all levels, and it is presented in a way that welcomes both new and experienced participants.

Attendees receive a curated roadmap of historic performances, a resource guide for finding online traditional music archives, and a framework for turning style, tone, and inflection from old recordings into usable ideas in their own music-making. Registered students also receive the class recording after the session, so they can revisit the material later.

This online Tune Supply workshop focuses on building strong tune sets for traditional music performance and session playing. Participants will explore how to construct consonant sets by paying attention to keys, moods, and the movement from one tune to the next, including both seamless and more dramatic transitions.

The session draws on historic sets as a template, but it is also highly practical and participant-led: learners will work with family favourites and ideas shared in the Zoom room. The workshop is suitable for all melody instruments, and accompanying players may also find useful material for their own playing.

The class is taught by ear and is open to all levels. Registered students receive the recording after the workshop, so it can be useful both for live participation and later review.

This workshop looks at the music of Pádraig O’Keeffe through his manuscript notation and the slides and polkas that have come down through the Sliabh Luachra tradition. It introduces the ideas behind his notation methods and how his bowing directives shape the rhythmic personality of these tune types. Participants will learn a number of tunes from the manuscripts while also gaining context about one of the most influential Irish traditional musicians of the twentieth century. The class combines ear learning with sheet music, and the recording is made available to registered students after the workshop.

This conversational workshop explores the elements that make a beautiful Irish slow air, with an emphasis on listening, discussion, and practical application. Although the class is based around whistle playing, the ideas and techniques are framed so they can be adapted to any musical instrument. Class participation is encouraged throughout, with time for shared reflection and musical exploration. The workshop is taught by ear and includes a recording for registered students, so it can be enjoyed live or revisited later.

This online Tune Supply workshop explores how to build tasteful variations into traditional Irish flute and whistle playing. The session focuses on why tunes often change subtly from one repeat to the next, and how players can use chord structure, rhythmic shifts, and melodic ideas to create variation that still feels authentic and musical.

The workshop goes further into the instrument-specific details that shape variation on flute and whistle, including octave jumps, breathing placement, and characteristic notes such as the hard D and bent C natural. Participants will also look at how these ideas can be applied to specific well-known traditional tunes, making the material practical and directly usable in performance or session settings.

The class is suitable for flute and whistle players at all levels, and it is taught in a combination of ear learning and sheet music support. Registered students receive the class recording immediately after the workshop, so it is designed to work both for live attendance and for later viewing.

This workshop focuses on effective chord shapes and progressions for Irish guitar playing in standard and drop-D tuning. The class is centred on building ease and fluidity in accompaniment, with an emphasis on supporting traditional Irish music and songs. The session is taught by ear and is designed for players who want practical tools they can use straight away in session or performance settings. A class recording is provided to registered students, making it suitable for both live attendance and later practice.

Lancaster University’s Practical Budgeting webinar is designed for applicant students who are due to commence their studies in the 2026/27 academic year. It introduces practical money-management skills for young people who may be living independently for the first time, covering everyday costs such as meals, rent, household items, toiletries, haircuts and bus tickets. The session aims to help attendees understand how to budget effectively and make smarter spending decisions as they prepare for university life. There will be time at the end for questions, giving applicants the chance to get advice and clarify any concerns about managing money. This is an open event and registration is required. Participants can use an alias when signing up and do not need to switch their camera on, making it easy to attend comfortably and privately.

Mentoring United’s MU Mentorship Programme is a year-long mentoring offer for boys aged 11 to 18 in the UK. It is designed to help students strive for excellence in their studies, careers, and communities through structured support and guidance. The programme includes online group sessions built around the PAGE curriculum, which focuses on purpose, career awareness, good grades, and emotional intelligence. Participants also take part in in-person enrichment trips, one-to-one coaching calls, essay writing feedback, and a personal development report to track each student’s progress. The programme is offered on a rolling basis and spaces are limited.

This online careers talk gives an overview of the wide range of careers available in the creative industries, with a particular focus on Art and Design. It is designed to help prospective students understand how creative study can connect to different career paths and destinations after university. A member of the academic team will be joined by current students and graduates to discuss the courses offered, the experiences and opportunities available during study, and the kinds of roles graduates go on to pursue. The session also highlights ways students can build industry experience while studying, including placements, live projects, collaborations, and other professional development opportunities. Attendees will also hear first-hand insights from the student and graduate panel and can ask questions using the live chat function. The event is suitable for school groups in Year 12 and Year 13, as well as individual sign-ups, especially for those already applying or thinking about applying to study Art and Design.