Laying of the foundation stone of Old College

Engraving by the Scottish painter David Allan showing the Ceremony of the laying of the foundations of the “New College” of Edinburgh, which is now known as Old College.

On the 16th of November 1789, the foundation stone of Old College was laid by the Grand Master Mason of Scotland, in the presence of a crowd of 30,000. The original architect was Robert Adam, followed by William Henry Playfair in 1817 after Adam died in 1792 and the Napoleonic Wars halted the construction work. The building was only completed in 1831.

University of Edinburgh, Rare Books Collections: Coll-1167/B/23/2b