Summerhall is an arts complex and events venue in

Edinburgh, Scotland Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

. Formerly home to the

Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, commonly referred to as the Dick Vet, is the veterinary school of the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and part of the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine the head of which is Moira Why ...

of the

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, it is now a major

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visual and performing arts venue. It also hosts events for the

Edinburgh Science Festival Edinburgh Science, founded in 1989, is an educational charity that aims to inspire people of all ages and backgrounds to discover the world around them. Edinburgh Science is best known for organising Edinburgh's annual Science Festival the w ...

and Edinburgh International Magic Festival and provides a home for arts practitioners year round; its many rooms are used for art exhibitions, drama and music performances, libraries, small museums, educational & research programmes, artist studios, arts organisation offices, and workshops.

History

Early records show the Summerhall site being used by a family run brewery, which was established in the 1710s. All that remains of this brewery are a well and stone rubble sandstone boundary wall. Terraced houses and shops occupied the site for many years, until they made way for the purpose-built

Royal (Dick) Veterinary College The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, commonly referred to as the Dick Vet, is the veterinary school of the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and part of the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine the head of which is Moira Why ...

, when it moved from Clyde Street in the north of the city. Building on the college began in 1913, and on 21 July 1914, a memorial stone and time capsule were laid underneath the grand entrance steps. Work ceased on the outbreak of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, due to a lack of labour as young men joined the

armed forces A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

. The veterinary college moved to the site in 1916, and the college was based in the main building and wings to the rear courtyard. The Anatomy Lecture Theatre, still extant, has wooden, curved, tiered seating and vaulted sky light. It is the last surviving example of this type of lecture theatre at veterinary colleges in the United Kingdom. Elsewhere on the site, the space known as the "Tech Cube", at the corner of Summerhall Crescent and Hope Park Terrace, was originally the Hope Park United Presbyterian Church designed by famous Edinburgh architects

Peddie and Mackay Peddie may refer to: Surname: *Dr Alexander Peddie, Scottish physician * Bruce Peddie, American college baseball coach *Jack Peddie (1876–1928), Scottish football player who played for various clubs in both England and Scotland * James Peddie, Ba ...

. It opened for worship in September 1867, and its spire could be seen from a large distance. The Hope Park Church Galleries were originally the Hope Park and Buccleuch Congregational Church, built in 1876 and designed to seat 730. The veterinary college became a full faculty of the

in 1964, and the school continued on the site until 2010, when the Royal Dick relocated to a new campus at Easter Bush in the south of the city. In November 2011, the former college buildings were acquired by the McDowell family, and developed under the direction of Robert McDowell as a multi-arts, and arts-related organization and business, centre. The Summerhall arts complex includes a bar and restaurant (The Royal Dick), a microbrewery (Barney's Beer) and the Pickering Gin distillery.

References

External links

Summerhall website
{{coord, 55.9399, -3.1822, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title Buildings and structures in Edinburgh