Observatory House Edinburgh, Historic Calton Hill building photos, History, Athens of the North
City Observatory Calton Hill Building
post updated 20 February 2025
Historic Hill – Scottish Enlightenment Buildings, Edinburgh, Scotland
Observatory House
Date built: 1776
Architect: James Craig
Buildings + Monuments.
photo © Adrian Welch
City Observatory Calton Hill Buildings + Monuments
The City Observatory now houses the older Observatory House.
photos © Adrian Welch
Location: just east of the city centre, atop one of the capital’s volcanic outcrops
Calton Hill photograph © Adrian Welchh
Old Observatory
Date built: 1818
Architect: William Henry Playfair
Category A listed – Home of Astronomical Society
Calton Hill Architecture
The City Observatory on Calton Hill
photo : Jonathon Fowler
City Observatory Building, Calton Hill
Edinburgh World Heritage awards a grant of over £300,000 to Collective towards the restoration of the City Observatory complex – the ensemble of astronomical buildings by William Henry Playfair on Calton Hill.
The area to the north west:
Located on the south side of Calton Hill:
Edinburgh Properties
Significant Edinburgh Property – Selection:
Scottish Poetry Library, 5 Crichton’s Cl, Canongate, EH8 8DT
Scottish Poetry Library
This institution specialises in contemporary Scottish writing in English, Scots and Scottish Gaelic. The library, which is free to join for UK residents, celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2024.
Jenners Department Store, Princes Street – north side
Jenners Edinburgh
St James Quarter’s W Edinburgh
W Edinburgh Hotel at St James Quarter
Glasshouses at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh:
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh Glasshouses Restoration
Edinburgh’s historic closes:
photo © Tom Duffin
Edinburgh World Heritage Twelve Closes Project
Rosslyn Chapel – a world-famous structure, south of the cty’s by-pass and green belt, made famous by the Da Vinci Code book and film:
photo © Neil Hanna
Rosslyn Chapel
Comments / photos for the Observatory House Architecture – Buildings + Monuments pages welcome