Old College

Old college is part of the University of Edinburgh so I tend to come here often due to lectured and administrative stuff. However, this I place I think is one of Edinburgh iconic buildings and a «must see» by visitors. The square has various decorations during the time of year or the festivities. For example during Christmas they had A huge Christmas tree while on Chinese New Years they had replicas of statues of the terracotta soldiers.
If anything, this is a great spot to take that selfie or pic to capture the beauty of the buildings that can be found in Edinburgh. It’s also free entrance so why not take advantage of the beautiful backdrop?! What’s also nice is after taking 5 – 10 min to come here (not much to see really), you can head to the national museum.
If you’re a student at the University of Edinburgh this place is where you can find big lecture halls and the important registrar office.

Knowledge renaissance…
The dome for city reference…
A Uni crown jewel.

Old College is one of the University of Edinburgh’s most recognisable colleges. I’m not a Law student so I can’t comment on the actual department, but I can say a few things about the building, an impressive landmark that can easily be seen by visitors as its right in the middle of town, not far from the Royal Mile.
Located just up from South Bridge, Old College houses the University of Edinburgh School of Law, and the Talbot Rice Gallery (look out for a separate review for this). Originally it was called the «New College», but it got on a bit so was renamed. Actually New College now refers to the Divinity department on the Mound. The building designed by the famous architect Robert Adam. Apparently the recognisable dome that sits atop the building was actually added a hundred years after the building began construction in the late 1700s.
A great display of 18^th century architecture and perfectly free to gaze upon!

Some years ago, when I was considering becoming a student at the University of Edinburgh, I remember being dazzled in the prospectus by glossy photographs of magnificent quadrangles, ancient libraries, and walkways adjoined by rows of impressive granite columns. «It really is the Athens of the north,» I thought, and promptly completed my application.
Little did I know that I would spend most of my university career on the 12^th floor of a concrete tower block on the corner of George Square, holed up in the 1960s architectural travesty that is the main library, or frantically typing essays in an underground computer lab commonly known as ‘the bunker.‘
However, those enticing images in the university brochure were not complete fabrication — such elegant structures do exist in the university’s extensive property holdings, and Old College is one of the most impressive. Dating from the 18^th century, it is built on a grander scale than its spin-​off, New College, with a conspicuous dome, arched facades and balustrades built around a wide open courtyard, all very imposing in Edinburgh’s trademark grey stone.
Today, only a privileged few law students actually get to come and have classes here. But I often make excuses to walk through Old College, just to briefly admire the sweeping scale of the place and delude myself that being a student at Edinburgh really does involve inhabiting such majestic environs on a daily basis.