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1 History

The University was established by a Royal Charter granted by James VI in 1582. This was an unusual move at the time, as most universities were established through Papal Charters. What makes the University of Edinburgh even more unusual is the fact that its funding came the following year from the Town Council, making it in many ways the first civic university, known as the "Tounis College". It became the fourth Scottish university in a period when the much more populous and richer England had only two. By the 18th century Edinburgh was a leading centre of the European Enlightenment and one of the continent's principal universities.

Before the building of Old College designed by Robert Adam, the University of Edinburgh did not enjoy a custom built campus and existed in a hotchpotch of buildings from its establishment until the early 19th Century. The university's first custom built building was the magnificent Old College, now the School of Law, situated on South Bridge. Its first forte in teaching was anatomy and the developing science of surgery, from which it expanded into many other subjects. From the basement of a nearby house ran the anatomy tunnel corridor. It went under what was then North College Street (now Chambers Street), and under the University buildings until it reached the University's anatomy lecture theatre, delivering bodies for dissection. It was from this tunnel that the body of William BurkeWilliam Burke ( 1792 January 28, 1829), was an Irish criminal. After trying his hand at a variety of trades there, he went to Scotland about 1817 as a navvy, and in 1827 was living in a lodging-house in Edinburgh kept by William Hare, another Irish labore was taken after he had been hanged.

Towards the end of the 19th century, Old College was becoming too cramped and so Robert Rowand AndersonRobert Rowand Anderson ( 1834 1921) was an important Scottish Victorian architect. His works include The Scottish National Portrait Gallery; Dome of Old College, Medical Faculty and McEwan Hall, Edinburgh University; Central Hotel at Glasgow Central Stati was commissioned to design a new Medical School premise in 1875. The medical school was more or less built to his design and was completed by the addition of the awe inspiring McEwan Hall in the 1880s.

The building now known as New College was originally built as a Free Church college in the 1840s and has been the home of Divinity at the University since the 1920s.

In addition, the University is responsible for a number of historic and modern buildings across the City, including the oldest purpose-built concert hall in Scotland, and the second oldest in use in the British Isles; St Cecilia's Concert Hall, Teviot Row House which is the oldest purpose built student Union Building in the world and the handsomely restored 17th-century Mylne's Court student residence which stands at the head of Edinburgh's Royal MileThe Royal Mile is the popular name for the succession of streets which form the main thoroughfare of the Old Town of Edinburgh. As the name suggests, it stretches for a mile between the two foci of royal history in Scotland, from Edinburgh Castle at the t.

Edinburgh's Library pre-dates its University by three years. Founded in 1580, its collection has grown to become the largest university library in Scotland with over 2 million periodicals, manuscripts, theses, microforms and printed works. These are housed in the main University Library building in George Square - the largest academic library building in Europe - and an extensive series of Faculty and Departmental Libraries. Edinburgh University also boasts a student newspaper ( StudentStudent is a weekly, independent newspaper produced by students at the University of Edinburgh. It was founded in 1887, succeeding an earlier publication run by author Robert Louis Stevenson. Although the newspaper works closely with the University, it is) founded by Robert Louis StevensonRobert Louis (Balfour) Stevenson ( November 13, 1850- December 3, 1894), was a novelist, poet, and travel writer. Life Stevenson was born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson in Edinburgh, Scotland, the son of Thomas Stevenson, a successful engineer, and Margar in 18871887 is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar). Events January 20 The United States Senate allows the Navy to lease Pearl Harbor as a naval base. January 21 The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is formed January 26 Battle of Dogali: A. The two oldest Schools - Law and Divinity - are both well-esteemed in their respective subjects, with Law being based in Old College, and Divinity being based in New College, on the Mound, just in front of the temporary home of the Scottish ParliamentThe Scottish Parliament Parlamaid na h-Alba in Gaelic, Scots Pairlament in Scots) is the national legislature of Scotland. The original Scottish Parliament (or Estates of Scotland was abolished by the Act of Union 1707 along with the English Parliament, t. Students at the university are represented by the Edinburgh University Students' Association, EUSA, comprising Edinburgh University Union (EUU) which was founded in 1889Events January-April January 8 Herman Hollerith receives a patent for his electric tabulating machine January 22 Columbia Phonograph is formed in Washington, DC. February 11 Meiji Constitution of Japan adopted; 1st Diet convenes in 1890 January 30 ? Crown and the Student Representative Council (SRC), founded in 1884 by Robert Fitzroy Bell.