Introduction
Below you will find additional information to help you get the most out of the PPLS Self-Guided Tour. A huge thank you to all the PPLS staff who have contributed ideas and resources.
Calton Hill
Hume walk, named after philosopher David Hume, offers some of the city’s most spectacular views and contains a number of Edinburgh’s most famous landmarks. Visit the Nelson Monument, built to resemble a telescope; the National Monument, started but never completed because money for the project ran out; and the Dugald Stewart Monument, one of Edinburgh’s most recognisable sights.
Don’t forget to take in the panoramic view - look out for Arthur’s Seat, the Forth Bridge and the Scottish Parliament!
National Museum of Scotland
The National Museum of Scotland holds thousands of fascinating objects and is always worth visiting. We asked Dr Pete Lamont, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, for one of his favourite pieces and he chose David Brewster’s Lenticular stereoscope.
Brewster was an inventor, pioneer of perception and former Principal of the University of Edinburgh. His Lenticular stereoscope became the first portable 3D-viewing device. Find out more about Brewster and his impact on the evolution of photography:
Princes Street Gardens
In Princes Street Gardens you will find a statue of Bum the dog. Bum was a stray who became a local legend and unofficial mascot of San Diego in the late 19th century.
In 1977, San Diego was twinned with Edinburgh and both cities, home to famous dogs, swapped statues of their beloved canines in a sign of friendship.
Watch this lecture from San Diego’s Gaslamp Museum to learn more about Bum:
Royal Mile
The legacy of David Hume, University of Edinburgh alum and one of the Scottish Enlightenment’s most famous philosophers, has like many of his contemporaries, recently been under review.
In 2020, and in response to the University’s Black Lives Matter movement, the University renamed David Hume Tower, as a result of the philosopher’s comments on race.
Debate is a central facet of university life and in response to the university’s actions PPLS philosophers were invited to contribute to a blog to share their individual thoughts.
Robert Burns Statue
Robert Burns is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best known poet to have written in the Scots language. His famous works include “Tam o' Shanter’, “Auld Lang Syne”, which is often sung on New Year’s Eve and "Scots Wha Hae", which was regarded for a long time as an unofficial national anthem of Scotland.
Surgeons’ Hall
Surgeons’ Hall is one of Edinburgh’s most fascinating museums, featuring exhibits from the Royal College of Surgeons’ 500-year-old history. The Wohl Pathology Museum is a great place to visit if you are interested in the study of the brain.
Dugald Stewart Building (DSB)
Dugald Stewart studied at the University of Edinburgh and was Chair of Moral Philosophy here from 1785. He taught political economy and a “common sense” philosophy in opposition to the scepticism of David Hume.
You can see a bust of Dugald Stewart in the reception area of the Dugald Stewart Building.
7 George Square
On permanent display in 7 George Square is the painting, 'May the Revolution Succeed’ by fourth-year Psychology student, Shwe Yin Aye, which was longlisted for the Scottish Portrait Awards 2021.
Shwe, who is self-taught, painted the portrait during her exams. The self-portrait was painted after Myanmar’s February 1, 2021, coup d'état, which led millions of people, of various ethnicities in rural villages and in larger towns and cities, to take to the streets to protest the military junta.
Bayes Centre
In the foyer of the Bayes Centre, open to the public, is a Valkyrie robot, one of the most advanced humanoid robots in the world. It is the only Valkyrie outside of the USA and researchers at the Edinburgh Centre for Robotics are developing the artificial intelligence it needs to operate autonomously in cluttered environments.
Old College
Old College is one of the University’s most famous buildings but did you know:
- In the 16th century, the site was known as the Kirk O’Fields and became notorious as the scene of the dramatic murder of Lord Darnley, the second husband of Mary Queen of Scots.
- This is where Thomas Brown gave his lectures on 'the emotions', which established 'emotions' as the way of understanding how we feel.
- Dugald Stewart was born here in 1753.
- During a major re-landscaping in 2010, archaeologists found the remains of the old library complete with scientific equipment, including fragments of thermometers, test tubes, storage jars and chemicals.
25 Chambers Street + Anatomical Museum
Now discredited, phrenology is the detailed study of the shape and size of the cranium as a supposed indication of character and mental abilities.
The University's Anatomical Museum holds one of the largest and most historically significant collections relating to phrenology in the world. Explore the Museum’s Mind Shift exhibition of life and death masks, models, artworks and human remains, which spotlights contemporary historical, scientific and artistic research into this colonial collection.
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Photo credits:
- Surgeons’ Hall: Photo by Rconnor1 on Wikimedia
- National Museum of Scotland: Photo by Sgerbic on Wikimedia
- Royal Mile: Photo by K. Mitch Hodge on Unsplash
- Princes Street Gardens: Photo by Stuart Hay on Unsplash
- 25 Chambers Street Medallion head of George Combe: photo by Stephencdickinson on Wikimedia
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