The University of Edinburgh, which has campus buildings dotted all around the Scottish capital’s historic Old Town, is one of the oldest and most well-respected universities in the world.
History runs through the veins of Edinburgh and its iconic university, which is why we’ve decided to take you on a tour around the campus buildings of Scotland’s capital.
A Short History of the University of Edinburgh
Visiting a friend or family member who’s studying in Edinburgh? Impress them with our short history of the University of Edinburgh, including some famous past students.
The University of Edinburgh was founded back in 1582, opening its lecture theatres to students a year later, making it the sixth-oldest university in the English-speaking world.
The university was at the forefront of the ‘Scottish Enlightenment’ in the 18th and early 19th centuries, and is where many scientific and intellectual breakthroughs took place.
Alumni you might know include Alexander Graham Bell, who is credited with patenting the first telephone, Robert Louis Stevenson, the novelist who wrote Treasure Island, and Gordon Brown, the former Labour Leader and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
The University of Edinburgh Today
The university continues to be a hotbed of cutting-edge research across a range of disciplines, attracting some of the brightest and best students from across the globe.
The University of Edinburgh is part of the prestigious Russell Group along with twenty-four leading UK universities, including the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge.
University of Edinburgh Buildings
If you’ve got a few minutes to spare, why not take a tour of the university’s most iconic buildings, which are all located within easy walking distance of our city centre hotel.
Old College
The Old College we can see today was designed by Robert Adam and William Playfair, two of the most important Scottish architects, who were tasked with improving the old buildings which had stood on the site for centuries.
After an initial consultation in 1789, Old College finally opened in the late 1820s, after its progress was halted by the death of Adam and the outbreak of the Napoleonic War.
The Playfair Library Hall, which is well worth a visit, is perhaps one of Edinburgh’s finest architectural feats, with its classical columns and a gorgeous vaulted ceiling.
Distance from our city centre hotel: 0.6 miles (13-minute walk)
Adam House
Adam House, a Category B listed building which dates to the mid-1950s, is used as a creative studio space for the university’s well-renowned architecture department.
Located across the street from Old College, the impressive neo-classical building is also used for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, which makes use of the basement theatre space.
Distance from our city centre hotel: 0.6 miles (13-minute walk)
University of Edinburgh Library
Formerly housed in Old College, the University of Edinburgh library moved to its current location, its eight-story purpose-built home at George Square, in 1967.
Designed by Sir Basil Spence to look like a bookcase, the brutalist design is at odds with other buildings around the university, yet is much-loved by students and locals alike.
Distance from our city centre hotel: 0.9 miles (19-minute walk)
Hotels Near the University of Edinburgh
If you're visiting friends or family studying at the University of Edinburgh, the Mercure Edinburgh City Princes Street Hotel is centrally located and ideal for a good night’s rest. In the shadow of the historic Edinburgh Castle, it’s around one mile from the university.
