Edinburgh on
the circuit
Edinburgh competes on the IONA circuit and on the SSDC, the Scottish university circuit, from a first novice competition to the world championships.
The circuit
Every member can compete. The union pays toward travel and registration, runs squad sessions before the majors, and sends novice teams to their first intervarsity within weeks of joining.
| Competition | What it is | When |
|---|---|---|
| The IONA circuit | IONA, the Islands of the North Atlantic, is the British and Irish circuit, with an open competition almost every weekend. Teams are picked from the squad and from anyone who wants a weekend away. | Most weekends in term |
| The majors | The European Universities Debating Championship and the World Universities Debating Championship, plus the national championships. | Winter & summer |
| Novice competitions | Competitions restricted to first-year debaters. The usual first weekend away, and the fastest way to learn the format. | Autumn |
| The Edinburgh Cup | Our own open, hosted at Old College. Members judge, convene and run the tab. | 24-25 October |
British Parliamentary
The format used on the university circuit and at Worlds. Four teams of two, fifteen minutes of preparation, seven minutes a speech, and no idea which side you are on until the motion goes up.
- 4
- Teams
- 8
- Speakers
- 15 min
- Prep
- 7 min
- Per speech
Results
Results for 2026-27 go up here as the season runs. Send a result to the committee and it will be posted.
| Season | Competition | Team | Placing |
|---|---|---|---|
| No results posted yet. | |||
In pictures
The Edinburgh Cup from the floor: fifteen minutes of preparation, and the draw going up.
Come and find your voice
Whether you want to win tournaments or simply speak with confidence, there is a place for you in the union.