
George Square () is a city square in
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
, Scotland. It is in the south of the city centre, adjacent to
the Meadows. It was laid out in 1766 outside the overcrowded
Old Town
In a city or town, the old town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins. In some cases, newer developments on t ...
, and was a popular residential area for Edinburgh's better-off citizens. In the 1960s, much of the square was redeveloped by the
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...
, although the
Cockburn Association
The Cockburn Association, often subtitled Edinburgh Civic Trust, is an architectural, conservation, and urban planning monitoring organisation in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom.
The Cockburn Association, founded in 1875, is one o ...
and the
Georgian Group of Edinburgh protested. Most but not all buildings on the square now belong to the university (among the exceptions being the
Dominican priory of St Albert the Great). Principal buildings include the
Gordon Aikman Lecture Theatre
The Gordon Aikman Lecture Theatre is a category B listed performing arts and lecture theatre located in the historic George Square in Edinburgh. Primarily operated as a lecture theatre for the University of Edinburgh, it is also used for general ...
,
Edinburgh University Library
Edinburgh University Library is the main library of the University of Edinburgh and one of the most important libraries of Scotland. The University Library was moved in 1827 to William Playfair's Upper Library in the Old College building. The ...
,
40 George Square
40 George Square is a High-rise building, tower block in Edinburgh, Scotland forming part of the University of Edinburgh. Until September 2020 the tower was named David Hume Tower (often abbreviated as DHT). The building contains lecture theatres ...
and
Appleton Tower.
Georgian square

The square was laid out in 1766 by the builder James Brown, and comprised modest, typically
Georgian, terraced houses. Away from the overcrowded
Old Town
In a city or town, the old town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins. In some cases, newer developments on t ...
, George Square was the location of the homes of lawyers and nobles. Residents included
Sir Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European literature, European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'' (18 ...
, the judge
Lord Braxfield, and the politician
Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville. In June 1792, the square was the starting point of the
Dundas Riots, aimed at the house of the Lord advocate,
Robert Dundas of Arniston, who lived on the square. From 1876 to 1880,
Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for ''A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Hol ...
, later author of the
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...
novels, lived at No. 23 while studying medicine at the
University of Edinburgh Medical School
The University of Edinburgh Medical School (also known as Edinburgh Medical School) is the medical school of the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and the United Kingdom and part of the University of Edinburgh College of Medicine and Veterinar ...
.
Redevelopment of the square began in the late 19th century when numbers 4 to 7 were redeveloped as
George Watson's Ladies College. In the 1920s the college expanded to absorb numbers 8 to 10. These minor interventions were mild in comparison with the changes of the 1960s: the whole south side was demolished, together with half the east side, to provide new facilities for the university. Combined with the redevelopments on Potterow to the north-east and completion of
McEwan Hall
McEwan Hall () is the graduation hall of the University of Edinburgh, in Edinburgh, Scotland. Designed by architect Sir Robert Rowand Anderson, it was funded by philanthropist William McEwan at a total cost of £115,000 (approx. £ today). Co ...
, this made George Square the new hub of the whole university.
Gardens
The central gardens are privately owned and are not a public park as such. However, they are usually available to public use, though only the southern access is usually open.
The central gardens contain a memorial to
Winifred Rushforth entitled "The Dreamer".
The garden also contains several "Baillie lamps", which were formerly placed in front of the Edinburgh Baillies and latterly (until the 1970s) placed in front of councillors' houses.
The pavements adjoining the central garden are "horonised": a system of using vertical slivers of granite remaining from the squaring of the granite setts on the main road surface, thereby having no wasted material.
Famous residents
*
Dionysius Wielobycki
Dionysius Wielobycki (1813 – 16 November 1882) was a 19th century Polish doctor living in Scotland. A controversial homeopath during a period of scientific focus, his adventurous life ranged from being a soldier in the November Uprising and being ...
(at number 3)
*Rev
John Jamieson (4)
*
Allan Maconochie, Lord Meadowbank (5)
*
Henry Dundas
Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville, Privy Council (United Kingdom), PC, FRSE (28 April 1742 – 28 May 1811), styled as Lord Melville from 1802, was a British politician who served as Home Secretary from 1791 to 1794 and First Lord of the Ad ...
Lord Melville and
Elizabeth Rannie (5)
*
Richard Huie (8)
*
John Campbell, Lord Stonefield (11)
*
Rev John Paul and his son
James Balfour Paul
Sir James Balfour Paul (16 November 1846 – 15 September 1931) was the Lord Lyon King of Arms, the officer responsible for heraldry in Scotland, from 1890 until the end of 1926.
Life
James Balfour Paul was educated at Royal High School, Edinbur ...
(13)
*
Waller Hugh Paton (14)
*
John Struthers (anatomist)
Sir John Struthers Doctor of Medicine, MD FRCSE FRSE ( – ) was the first Regius Professor of Anatomy (Aberdeen), Regius Professor of Anatomy at the University of Aberdeen. He was a dynamic teacher and administrator, transforming the status of ...
(15)
*Rev
William King Tweedie (15) plus a short time at (50)
*Very Rev
Patrick Clason (22)
*
Simon Somerville Laurie (22)
*
Jane Welsh Carlyle (23)
*
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (23)
*
Sir Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European literature, European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'' (18 ...
(25)
*
Sir Adam Ferguson (27)
*
Robert Kaye Greville
Dr. Robert Kaye Greville FRSE FLS LLD (13 December 1794 – 4 June 1866) was an England, English mycologist, bryology, bryologist, and botanist. He was an accomplished artist and illustrator of natural history. In addition to art and scien ...
(31/33)
*
Joseph Noel Paton (33)
*
Charles Lawson (nurseryman) (35)
*
Dawson Turner (radiologist) (37)
*
Dr Andrew Fyfe (38)
*
William Archer Porter Tait (38)
*
Percy Portsmouth (39)
*
Alexander Adam (39)
*
Very Rev John Inglis (43)
*
Hugh Cameron RSA RSW (45)
*
Edmund Taylor Whittaker (48)
*
George Turnbull of Abbey St Bathans and his son
John
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Second E ...
(49)
*
Gerard Baldwin Brown (50)
*
James Dalgleish Hamilton Jamieson (52)
*
Robert Dundas of Arniston (57)
*
Charles Maclaren (58)
*
Thomas M'Crie the Younger (58) earlier at (45)
33 George Square was used as the base for HM Geological Survey of Scotland with notable employees including
John Horne.
Other residents (whose exact addresses are unclear) include
Henry Erskine,
Robert McQueen, Lord Braxfield (north side),
William Craig, Lord Craig (west side),
John Campbell, Lord Stonefield (north side) and Admiral Duncan of Camperdown.
Redevelopment

The University of Edinburgh began drawing up plans to redevelop the square in the 1950s. Architects
Basil Spence and
Robert Matthew were closely involved in the plans. Opposition to demolition of the Georgian Square was led by the
Cockburn Association
The Cockburn Association, often subtitled Edinburgh Civic Trust, is an architectural, conservation, and urban planning monitoring organisation in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom.
The Cockburn Association, founded in 1875, is one o ...
, and the Georgian Group of Edinburgh, which was established by
Colin McWilliam and others to resist the proposals. In the end, the western side of the square was retained. This was helped by the refusal of the
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers (, abbreviated OP), commonly known as the Dominican Order, is a Catholic Church, Catholic mendicant order of pontifical right that was founded in France by a Castilians, Castilian priest named Saint Dominic, Dominic de Gu ...
who owned 23 and 24 George Square to sell their premises to the university, despite the offer to build a replacement church and priory.
Fr Anthony Ross O.P. was instrumental in this refusal. On the northern side, the 19th century George Watson's Ladies College was retained alongside the modern Hugh Robson Building. Georgian terraces were retained along half of the east side, while the southern side was entirely redeveloped.
Today, George Square has the highest concentration of university buildings in its Central campus area, which includes the
Brutalist
Brutalist architecture is an architectural style that emerged during the 1950s in the United Kingdom, among the reconstruction projects of the post-war era. Brutalist buildings are characterised by minimalist constructions that showcase the b ...
Gordon Aikman Lecture Theatre, the university's main library, and the
Appleton Tower and
40 George Square
40 George Square is a High-rise building, tower block in Edinburgh, Scotland forming part of the University of Edinburgh. Until September 2020 the tower was named David Hume Tower (often abbreviated as DHT). The building contains lecture theatres ...
teaching and administrative buildings.
Edinburgh Fringe

During August each year, the square becomes an important hub for events during the
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as the Edinburgh Fringe, the Fringe or the Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest performance arts festival, which in 2024 spanned 25 days, sold more than 2.6 million tickets and featur ...
. Many of the university buildings, notably Gordon Aikman Lecture Theatre and various lecture halls and classrooms are converted for use as venues by operator
Assembly.
[ The gardens are filled with bars, food stalls and pop-up venues, including, in recent years while nearby ]Bristo Square
Bristo Square, Edinburgh, Scotland, is a public space on the estate of the University of Edinburgh. It lies in the south of the city, between George IV Bridge and George Square, Edinburgh, George Square.
The most prominent landmark on the sq ...
is being renovated, the Underbelly purple cow venue.
References
Bibliography
*
*
* Greenwood Tree, "George and Charlotte, The Old Squares", in Thomson, David Cleghorn (ed.), ''Saltire Review'', Vol. 6, No. 22, The Saltire Society, Edinburgh, pp. 9 - 14
*
*
External links
*
{{Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Squares in Edinburgh
Georgian architecture in Scotland
University of Edinburgh
1766 establishments in Scotland
Edinburgh Festival Fringe