I would be pleased if anyone good provide me insight into the which university guide is deemed the most credible?

Why do I ask? For example, in the field of law, the complete university guide ranks Nottingham in at 4, Edinburgh in at 11; whereas the Guardian University Guide ranks Nottingham in at 19, and Edinburgh in at 8!

Look at the faculty roster of each law school and identify the subjects you intend to take, and the professors you would like to listen to, while reading for your LLM. If you are familiar with the books which they authored so much the better; if not, you may further research on their academic background. Be more specific than saying "public international law" when you look into the faculty roster; determine if you are studying international human rights, international environmental law, law on armed conflict and the use of force, international commercial arbitration, etc., within the international legal context. The school that would provide you with the more academically-enriching (and inspiring) experience should be your choice.

Nottingham and Edinburgh will give you a great legal education, either way. They are known worldwide for their international law programmes. They are both situated in idyllic surroundings conducive to in-depth intellectual enquiry. It's a matter of personal preference on your part which should not be dictated by published rankings. Good luck.

Opino juris, than-you so much for taking the time to reply to my post! The courses of particular interest to me are offered at both institutions(esp. int. criminal and human rights law), the professors appear to be equally authoritative in the areas they teach, both cities are known for their picturesque beauty; hence it all really boils down to reputation for me at this point. And, it is this precise point which makes this such a difficult choice for me. Should I have applied to the LSE (which ı unfortunately didnt) and should I have received an offer from this institution the choice would have been clear. But Edinburgh and Nottingham appear to be too close in terms of reputation to make this an easy choice on my part. And so...I'm still open to suggestions!

I must admit that you indeed have a difficult decision to make. At this point, may I just say a few words about the quality of academic work done by faculty members of both universities, work which I am acquainted with.

Prof. Patricia Birnie took her PhD from the University of Edinburgh. She has an authoritative book on international environmental law together with Prof. Alan Boyle (who still teaches public international law at Edinburgh). It is a textbook used internationally, even by some governments.

An international law book which I have used, "Cases and Materials on International Law," was written by Prof. David J. Harris, who teaches public international law at the University of Nottingham. In my estimation, this is one of the best and most comprehensive public international law books ever written (some Harvard Law professors use this book) insofar as teaching and learning the subject is concerned. It has an extensive chapter on international human rights (unfortunately, there has been no updated edition. If you finally decide on going to Nottingham, you can always enquire straight from the author when the new edition is forthcoming). You may want to look up this book in your local law library.

Perhaps you can also request some advice from your former law professors on their recommended graduate law school (between Edinburgh and Nottingham). With all things being equal, the academic reputation of the law school may come into play - with your former law professors, as well as the academic or professional community of the city and country you intend to work in after completion of the LLM programme. I believe your law school mentors in your home country can also provide additional insights for you to make a great choice. Hope this helps.

I agree with Opinio Juris and also replied to your other post. Reviewing the staff is definitely key. As your interests include human rights both are good choices. My PhD is in human rights treaty law and the faculty at Edinburgh has been excellent...in addition to my supervisors the other int'l law faculty are always keen to help.
Would be happy to answer any questions specific to Edinburgh.
Best of luck.