The Royal Observatory

The Royal Observatory story began when the first chair of Astronomy within the University was established in 1786. Astronomy in Edinburgh flourished at the Playfair Observatory on Calton hill. The next 50 year saw major research advances leading to the futuristic vision of mountain top observing.

However with changing political times by 1888 the fortunes of the Royal Observatory were at a very low ebb. A Royal commission recommended that the Edinburgh observatory should cease to be a national Scottish Institution. This fate was averted by the generosity of the Earl of Crawford by a gift to the nation of the contents of his magnificent library and splendidly equipped observatory in Aberdeenshire.

The government of the day agreed to build and maintain a new observatory on the Blackford hill site. This new observatory designed and equipped under the supervision of the new Astronomer Royal for Scotland Ralph Copeland. The site included the new residence for the Astronomer Royal. Materials buildings and embellishments were all carefully selected to provide an altogether superb public monument as well as a state of the art research centre.