Old College Edinburgh - Britain All Over Travel Guide

Old College, Edinburgh, Scotland

History | Architecture | Talbot Rice Gallery | Access | Universities in Britain

Old College, located on South Bridge in Edinburgh, is the most iconic buildings of the University of Edinburgh. It is the home of Edinburgh Law School and the Talbot Rice Gallery.

Part of Edinburgh University, Old College

History

The foundation stone was laid in 1789, replacing the older, inadequate university buildings that had existed since the university’s establishment in 1583. The original design was by the renowned Scottish architect Robert Adam, but financial constraints, the Napoleonic War and Adam’s death aged 63 in 1792 delayed the project. The young William Henry Playfair (1790-1857) later modified Adam’s original design and completed the building in the early 19th century. Playfair also designed the nearby National Gallery of Scotland and the Royal Scottish Academy.

The completion of Old College was achieved in stages, with Playfair making significant adjustments to Adam’s plans, particularly in the courtyard. A third architect, Robert Rowand Anderson (1834-1921), completed the dome in 1887, made possible by a bequest from Robert Cox, a Gorgie lawyer.

The building has housed the university’s Faculty of Law for much of its history and continues to be a central part of the University of Edinburgh’s academic and administrative life.

The iconic dome

Architecture

The building is a masterpiece of neoclassical architecture, reflecting both Adam’s and Playfair’s influences. The symmetrical design features grand facades, Corinthian columns, and intricate stonework. The quadrangle, or central courtyard, was one of the key elements of Adam’s vision and was later refined by Playfair, who introduced a more restrained yet elegant design. In 2011, the Old Quad was restored and a central lawn put in.
One of the most striking features of Old College is the Playfair Library with its long, barrel-vaulted ceiling and classical proportions. Another defining feature is the dome, which was finally added in the 1880s and designed by Robert Rowand Anderson. A statue of the Figure of Youth by local Edinburgh sculptor John Hutchison (1832-1910) stands on top of the dome.

Entrance to the Talbot Rice Gallery

Talbot Rice Gallery

The free Talbot Rice Gallery, located within Old College, and part of Edinburgh College of Art is one of Scotland’s leading contemporary art galleries. It is the public art gallery of the University of Edinburgh. Named after David Talbot Rice, an influential art historian and Professor of Fine Art at the University of Edinburgh from 1934 to 1972. The gallery hosts a program of exhibitions featuring contemporary artists from around the world. It combines historic and modern elements, with exhibition spaces spread across its historic neoclassical gallery and contemporary white cube gallery.