To spot Old College, look for a grand, curved stone building with a striking central dome rising above ornate pillars and arched windows, right ahead of you on South Bridge.
Welcome to Old College, a place so rich in history you could almost trip over a 200-year-old secret as you walk past! As you stand here, take in the grandeur of that stately dome-it’s almost as if the building is wearing an academic cap, waiting for graduation day. The smooth honey-coloured sandstone, with arches and soaring Roman columns, gives the whole place the feel of an ancient palace-or perhaps a very serious giant’s dollhouse.
Let’s wind the clock back to 1582, when King James VI granted Edinburgh its royal charter. Back then, this area was known as the "Tounis College," but let’s be honest, once James popped by in 1617, “King James’s College” suddenly sounded much fancier. Before Old College rose up, this spot was the site of a medieval church called Kirk o’ Field. I like to imagine medieval students tripping over gravestones, books in hand, muttering Latin curses at the rain. The land was framed by the old Flodden Wall to the south, with a tangle of gardens stretching out to hospitals and lanes. What you see as a tranquil courtyard today? Back in the 1700s, it was a patchwork mess of crumbling old libraries and overcrowded classrooms.
Pressure started mounting for a proper university building when, in the late 1700s, Old College was more “falling down” than “institution of higher learning.” The Principal issued dire warnings about crumbling walls-nothing like a collapsing ceiling to inspire a little fundraising! Edinburgh folk back then were a practical, if sometimes cheeky, bunch; one letter joked that when South Bridge was built, exposing the college’s “posteriors” for all to see, embarrassment would force the town to pony up for improvements.
Soon enough, Robert Adam, the superstar architect of his day, was called in to design the new college. His vision? A grand entrance from South Bridge, sweeping into a dramatic first court and a majestic “Great Court” where academic life would buzz. The foundation stone was laid in 1789, with great ceremony, and for a brief, shining moment, everything seemed to be on track. Unfortunately, life (and building projects) rarely go to plan. Adam died, the Napoleonic Wars broke out, and money dried up faster than a Scottish picnic in April. By 1793, work stopped altogether-and all that fuss about posteriors had led to little more than a half-built shell and a very drafty portico.
Luckily for future generations (and current law students), help arrived in the form of William Henry Playfair, who finished the job in the early 1800s, sticking closely to Adam’s original plans, but combining all those courts into one glorious quadrangle. Still, no one could quite agree if it was “New College” or “the College.” Only in the early 1900s did the name “Old College” finally stick, after theologians and academics shuffled off to other campuses-hopefully waving goodbye with a bit less drama than the wars and financial squabbles.
But we’re not done just yet! There’s the dome to admire, a late addition from 1887, paid for by industrialist Robert Cox and topped with a gilded statue of Youth, which looks like it’s keeping an eye out for any more building delays. John Hutchison sculpted that young figure, and some say if you squint just right, you’ll catch it gazing longingly at graduation gowns.
Look to the center of the courtyard. The paving stones here were just laid down a few years ago, their warm glow matching the old Edinburgh Craigleith sandstone-so even the new parts feel like they’ve always belonged. In fact, this courtyard is so inviting now, it regularly plays host to graduation cheers, festival laughter, and more photo ops than you’d find at a royal wedding.
And let’s not forget the impressive bronze war memorial at the west end of the quadrangle, a quiet reminder, created by Sir Robert Lorimer and Pilkington Jackson in the 1920s, of all those who studied here and then served far beyond its walls.
So, take a moment to picture centuries of ideas, laughter, and heated debates echoing under this soaring dome. Old College is a living museum, a working school, and the grand old heart of the University of Edinburgh-all in one incredible package. And just think, it all started with a crumbling churchyard and a few too many exposed posteriors!
