George Square, Edinburgh
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George Square ( gd, Ceàrnag Sheòrais) is a city square in
Edinburgh 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 ...
, 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 after thorough renovations. There are ma ...
, 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 ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...
, although the
Cockburn Association The Cockburn Association (Edinburgh's Civic Trust) is one of the world's oldest architectural conservation and urban planning monitoring organisations, founded in 1875. The Scottish judge Henry Cockburn (1779–1854) was a prominent campaigner t ...
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 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 spaces, o ...
and Appleton Tower.


Georgian square

The square was laid out in 1766 by the builder James Brown, and comprised modest, typically
Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...
, 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 after thorough renovations. There are ma ...
, 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, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels '' Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy' ...
, the judge
Lord Braxfield Robert McQueen, Lord Braxfield (4 May 1722 – 30 May 1799) was a Scottish advocate and judge. Life McQueen was born at Braxfield House near Lanark on 4 May 1722, son of John McQueen. He studied law at Edinburgh University and was admitted to ...
, and the politician
Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville, PC, FRSE (28 April 1742 – 28 May 1811), styled as Lord Melville from 1802, was the trusted lieutenant of British Prime Minister William Pitt and the most powerful politician in Scotland in the late 18 ...
. In June 1792, the square was the starting point of the
Dundas Riots The Dundas Riots were a series of riots in Edinburgh over three consecutive days in June 1792. They are sometimes also called the King's Birthday Riots. Background The riots came on the back of a period of civil unrest, variously sourced from ...
, aimed at the house of the Lord advocate,
Robert Dundas of Arniston Robert Dundas of Arniston (6 June 1758 – 17 June 1819) was a Scottish judge. Dundas served as Solicitor General for Scotland between 1784 and 1789 and as Lord Advocate from 1789 to 1801. He sat as Member of Parliament for was M.P. for Edinbu ...
, 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 Ho ...
, later author of the
Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...
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 College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine. It was esta ...
. Redevelopment of the square began in the late 19th century when numbers 4 to 7 were redeveloped as
George Watson's Ladies College George Watson's College is a co-educational independent day school in Scotland, situated on Colinton Road, in the Merchiston area of Edinburgh. It was first established as a hospital school in 1741, became a day school in 1871, and was merge ...
. 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 The McEwan Hall ( gd, Talla MhicEòghainn) is the graduation hall of the University of Edinburgh, in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It was presented to the university in 1897 by William McEwan, brewer and politician, at a cost of £115,00 ...
, 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 Margaret Winifred Rushforth (née Bartholomew; 21 August 1885 – 29 August 1983) was a Scottish medical practitioner and Christian missionary in India who, influenced by Hugh Crichton-Miller and his friend, Carl Jung, became the founder of a fa ...
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 (1813–1882) 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 a noted a ...
(at number 3) *
Allan Maconochie, Lord Meadowbank The Hon Allan Maconochie, Lord Meadowbank FRSE FSA (Scot) (1748–1816) was a Scottish advocate, academic jurist, judge and agriculturalist. Life The only son of Alexander Maconochie of Meadowbank, Kirknewton, Midlothian, by his wife Isabella, ...
(5) *
Henry Dundas Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville, Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, PC, Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, FRSE (28 April 1742 – 28 May 1811), styled as Lord Melville from 1802, was the trusted lieutenant of British Pri ...
Lord Melville and
Elizabeth Rannie Elizabeth Rannie, also known as Elizabeth Rennie, (1750–1847) was a British noblewoman who was married to Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville, and was mother to Robert Dundas, 2nd Viscount Melville. Early life Elizabeth was born in Calcutta aro ...
(5) * Richard Huie (8) *
John Campbell, Lord Stonefield The Hon John Campbell, Lord Stonefield FRSE (c. 1720–1801) was an 18th-century Scottish lawyer who rose to be a Senator of the College of Justice. Life He was born around 1720 the son of Mrs Jane Ogilvie or Ogilvy (née Frend, Freend or ...
(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 Paul was born in Edinburgh, the second son of the Rev J ...
(13) *
Waller Hugh Paton Waller Hugh Paton RSA RSW (27 July 1828 – 8 March 1895) was a Scottish landscape artist in the second half of the 19th century. Early life Paton was born in Wooer's Alley, Dunfermline, the son of Joseph Neil Paton (1797-1874), a damask de ...
(14) *
John Struthers (anatomist) Sir John Struthers MD FRCSE FRSE ( – ) was the first Regius Professor of Anatomy at the University of Aberdeen. He was a dynamic teacher and administrator, transforming the status of the institutions in which he worked. He was equally passio ...
(15) *Rev
William King Tweedie William King Tweedie (1803–1863) was an historian, biographer and a minister of the Free Church of Scotland Tolbooth Church, Edinburgh. Life He was born in Ayr on 8 May 1803, the eldest son of John Tweedie and Janet King. His parents moved ...
(15) plus a short time at (50) *Very Rev
Patrick Clason Patrick Clason (13 October 1789 – 30 July 1867) was a Scottish minister who served as Moderator of the General Assembly to the Free Church of Scotland in 1848/49. Life He was born on 13 October 1789 in the manse at Dalziel near the Rive ...
(22) *
Simon Somerville Laurie Simon Somerville Laurie FRSE LLD (13 November 1829 – 2 March 1909) was a Scottish educator. He became Bell Professor of Education at Edinburgh University in 1876. He campaigned energetically and successfully for better teacher training in Sc ...
(22) *
Jane Welsh Carlyle Jane Baillie Carlyle ( Welsh; 14 July 1801 – 21 April 1866) was a Scottish writer and the wife of Thomas Carlyle. She did not publish any work in her lifetime, but she was widely seen as an extraordinary letter writer. Virginia Woolf ca ...
(23) *
Sir 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 Ho ...
(23) *
Sir Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels '' Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy' ...
(25) *
Sir Adam Ferguson Sir Adam Ferguson (1770–1854) was deputy keeper of the regalia in Scotland. Life Ferguson was born on 21 December 1770, the first son of Professor Adam Ferguson. Ferguson is recorded attending the Royal High School, Edinburgh in 1777. At both ...
(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 Sir Joseph Noel Paton (13 December 1821 – 26 December 1901) was a Scottish artist, illustrator and sculptor. He was also a poet and had an interest in, and knowledge of, Scottish folklore and Celtic legends. Early life He was born in Woo ...
(33) * Charles Lawson (nurseryman) (35) *
Dawson Turner (radiologist) Dawson Fyers Duckworth Turner, FRSE, FRCPE (1857–1928) was a British pioneer of radiology and patron of the arts, who died of radiation related cancer. Early life He was born in Liverpool in 1857 the son of Rev Dawson Turner and attended Sh ...
(37) * Dr Andrew Fyfe (38) * William Archer Porter Tait (38) *
Percy Portsmouth Percival ("Percy") Herbert Portsmouth RSA FRSBS (1874–1953) was a 20th-century British sculptor. His most notable public work is Elgin War Memorial, and the similar War Memorial in Thurso. Life He was born in Reading, England, in 1874, the ...
(39) *
Alexander Adam Alexander Adam (24 June 174118 December 1809) was a Scottish teacher and writer on Roman antiquities. Life Alexander Adam was born near Forres, in Moray, the son of a farmer. From his earliest years he showed uncommon diligence and persevera ...
(39) * Very Rev John Inglis (43) * Hugh Cameron RSA RSW (45) *
Edmund Taylor Whittaker Sir Edmund Taylor Whittaker (24 October 1873 – 24 March 1956) was a British mathematician, physicist, and historian of science. Whittaker was a leading mathematical scholar of the early 20th-century who contributed widely to applied mathema ...
(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 ...
(49) *
Gerard Baldwin Brown Gerard Baldwin Brown, FBA (31 October 1849 – 12 July 1932) was a British art historian. Life Brown was born in London, the son of church minister James Baldwin Brown and his wife, Elizabeth, a sister of the sculptor Henry Leifchild. He attend ...
(50) *
Robert Dundas of Arniston Robert Dundas of Arniston (6 June 1758 – 17 June 1819) was a Scottish judge. Dundas served as Solicitor General for Scotland between 1784 and 1789 and as Lord Advocate from 1789 to 1801. He sat as Member of Parliament for was M.P. for Edinbu ...
(57) * Charles Maclaren (58) *
Thomas M'Crie the Younger Thomas M'Crie (earlier spellings include McCree and Maccrie) (7 November 1797–9 May 1875) was a Presbyterian minister and church historian. He was a Scottish Secession minister who joined the Free Church of Scotland and served as the M ...
(58) earlier at (45) 33 George Square was used as the base for HM Geological Survey of Scotland with notable employees including
John Horne John Horne PRSE FRS FRSE FEGS LLD (1 January 1848 – 30 May 1928) was a Scottish geologist. He served as President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh from 1915 to 1919. Life Horne was born on 1 January 1848, in Campsie, Stirlingshire, the ...
. Other residents (whose exact addresses are unclear) include Henry Erskine,
Robert McQueen, Lord Braxfield Robert McQueen, Lord Braxfield (4 May 1722 – 30 May 1799) was a Scottish advocate and judge. Life McQueen was born at Braxfield House near Lanark on 4 May 1722, son of John McQueen. He studied law at Edinburgh University and was admitted to ...
(north side), William Craig, Lord Craig (west side),
John Campbell, Lord Stonefield The Hon John Campbell, Lord Stonefield FRSE (c. 1720–1801) was an 18th-century Scottish lawyer who rose to be a Senator of the College of Justice. Life He was born around 1720 the son of Mrs Jane Ogilvie or Ogilvy (née Frend, Freend or ...
(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 Sir Basil Urwin Spence, (13 August 1907 – 19 November 1976) was a Scottish architect, most notably associated with Coventry Cathedral in England and the Beehive in New Zealand, but also responsible for numerous other buildings in the Moderni ...
and
Robert Matthew Sir Robert Hogg Matthew, OBE FRIBA FRSE (12 December 1906 – 2 June 1975) was a Scottish architect and a leading proponent of modernism. Early life & studies Robert Matthew was the son of John Fraser Matthew (1875–1955) (also an archite ...
were closely involved in the plans. Opposition to demolition of the Georgian Square was led by the Cockburn Association, and the Georgian Group of Edinburgh, which was established by
Colin McWilliam Colin McWilliam (1928–1989) was a British architecture academic and author. Career Born in London, he graduated from the University of Cambridge and became Director of the Scottish National Buildings Record, then the Assistant Secretary of ...
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 ( la, Ordo Praedicatorum) abbreviated OP, also known as the Dominicans, is a Catholic mendicant order of Pontifical Right for men founded in Toulouse, France, by the Spanish priest, saint and mystic Dominic of Cal ...
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 Minimalism (art), minimalist constructions th ...
Gordon Aikman Lecture Theatre, the university's main library, and the Appleton Tower and
40 George Square 40 George Square is a 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 spaces, o ...
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 Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe, or Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest arts and media festival, which in 2019 spanned 25 days and featured more than 59,600 performances of 3,841 dif ...
. Many of the university buildings, notably Gordon Aikman Lecture Theatre and the lecture halls in 40 George Square are converted for use as venues by operator
Assembly Assembly may refer to: Organisations and meetings * Deliberative assembly, a gathering of members who use parliamentary procedure for making decisions * General assembly, an official meeting of the members of an organization or of their representa ...
. The gardens are filled with bars 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. The most prominent landmark on the square is the category A list ...
is being renovated, the
Underbelly Underbelly is the side of something that is not normally seen. Figuratively, it means a vulnerable or weak part, similar to the term Achilles' heel, or alternatively, a hidden, illicit side of society. This term could refer to: Business * ...
purple cow venue.


References


Bibliography

* * * *


External links

* {{Edinburgh Festival Fringe Squares in Edinburgh Georgian architecture in Scotland University of Edinburgh 1766 establishments in Scotland Edinburgh Festival Fringe