Old College

Old College stands on South Bridge in Edinburgh’s Old Town. Built between the late 18th and early 19th centuries, it replaced older university buildings on the site of the former Kirk o’ Field. Designed first by Robert Adam, the project was later completed by William Henry Playfair after Adam’s death. The building is a Category A listed structure and now houses the university’s administration, the School of Law, and the Talbot Rice Gallery. Its dome, added in 1887, was funded by industrialist Robert Cox and topped with a gilded statue of Youth by John Hutchison. The college’s history reflects Edinburgh’s academic and architectural evolution. Originally called the New College, it began as Tounis College after a royal charter in 1582. By the 18th century, its crumbling buildings were inadequate for a university gaining international fame. The South Bridge Act of 1785 funded its construction, though delays followed the death of Adam and the Napoleonic Wars. Playfair later unified two courts into a single quadrangle, completing the structure by 1827. Visitors find a grand quadrangle paved in Hazeldean sandstone, redesigned in 2011 with a central grassed area. The Playfair Library Hall, a notable feature, overlooks the space. A bronze war memorial by Sir Robert Lorimer and Pilkington Jackson stands at the west end, added in 1922. The Talbot Rice Gallery hosts contemporary exhibitions, while the School of Law occupies parts of the building. The courtyard serves as a venue for graduations and festivals, linking past and present.