I'll be travelling to Scotland for 3 weeks staring June 2 and would like to spend 3 nights in Edinburgh. I've heard that it's possible to stay at the various colleges/universities through out the city.
I'm just wondering if anyone would have additional information on this, recommendations/prices/advantages/disadvatages etc?

I wrote about this in my Edinburgh trip report. I stayed at the Edinburgh Metro hostel, which is not really a hostel, but student accommodation provided in single rooms. Take a look here:
http://www.syha.org.uk
http://www.venuemasters.co.uk/shortbreaks.asp

I once stayed at the University of Edinburgh dorms during the festival but that was a long time ago. I suspect that the University will still be in term in early June. You may want to check their web site.

The same as mjs.

Some of the campus accommodation is very basic but the Universities are now charging quite a bit for staying at their campuses especially during the summer. www.edinburghfirst.com.
If you are travelling alone then it may be a good idea to stay at one of their single rooms but try to get accommodation near the city centre. The Pollock Halls for example are ideal during term time for the students as they can all walk in together for lectures but for others they are considerable walk away (probably 30 + minutes) from the attractions of the Roayl Mile / castle etc.
One of the newer youth hostels which has been awarded a five star accreditation is Edinburgh Central Youth Hostel www.syha.org.uk/SYHA/Web/ Site/Hostels/EdinburghCentral.asp
It is located in Haddington Place (mistakenly referred to as part of Leith Walk) and is about a five / ten minute walk from Princes Street / Royal Mile.

Term finishes at Whitsun (end May)

Thanks to everyone for all the info, but does anyone know when most of the students finish for the summer and the universities begin to open up accomodations. Edinburgh Metro sounds very interesting, I'll take a look.

For another option on university accommendation for Edinburgh try www.qmuc.ac.uk (Queen Margaret University).

As Frances says, Whitsun term finishes the end of May.

Several years ago, I studied at the University of Edinburgh for 6 months and lived in student housing (Sciennes). I also had friends in Milnes Court (old stone building that you reach through a close right on the Royal Mile, just beneath the Castle, with wonderful views toward The Mound and New Town) and Pollock Halls (close to Arthur's Seat). Sciennes was a decent option. The flats themselves were not great, but they were located at the edge of the Meadows and within a relatively easy walk of the Royal Mile. There is also frequent bus service if you prefer.

It's not clear to me if the University has summer visitors stay anywhere but Pollock Hall, but if you can, I would definitely go for Milne's Court (New College). Its location cannot be beat.

If my memory serves, I was in Edinburgh until mid-June so the term must have ended sometime in that vicinity.

Have a great trip!

The accommodation used by Edinburgh Metro Hostel is University of Edinburgh student accommodation located in Robertson's Close just off Cowgate. So the location is extremely central to just about anything.

Here's a map of the various University of Edinburgh dorms...

http://www.accom.ed.ac.uk/accom_info...0_May_2005.pdf

And a list of accomodations with decriptions of the different dorms:

http://www.accom.ed.ac.uk/accom_info..._A-Z_Guide.htm

(note that Mylne's Court is composed of Patrick Geddes Hall, Philip Henman Hall, and Edward Salvesen Hall)

The hostel meks mentioned is a good suggestion. (It used to be my old office building !) It only opened (as a hostel, after extensive work) a few months ago so everything should still be nice. It has rooms from singles to 8-bedders & apparently they are all en suite. And it's quite central and also on a good bus route. I would try it.

I stayed at EdinburghFirst's Pollock Halls of Residence last summer, and there's a bus stop right outside the area and it's easy to catch a bus to the city centre any time of the day. Decent accomodations and full breakfast at reasonable price.