Observatory House, Calton Hill Architecture

Observatory House, Historic Calton Hill Building Photos, History, Athens of the North

City Observatory Calton Hill Building

post updated 23 May 2022

Historic Hill – Scottish Enlightenment Buildings, Edinburgh, Scotland

Observatory House
Date built: 1776
Architect: James Craig

Buildings + Monuments:
City Observatory Calton Hill City Observatory Calton Hill City Observatory Calton Hill City Observatory Calton Hill
photo © Adrian Welch

City Observatory Calton Hill Buildings + Monuments

The City Observatory now houses the older Observatory House.

Location: just east of the city centre, atop one of the capital’s volcanic outcrops

Calton Hill
Calton Hill photograph © Adrian Welchh

Old Observatory
Date built: 1818
Architect: William Henry Playfair
Category A listed – Home of Astronomical Society

Calton Hill Architecture

Calton Hill

Scottish Parliament Building

The City Observatory on Calton Hill
City Observatory Building, 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:

Edinburgh New Town

Located on the south side of Calton Hill:

Burns Monument

Edinburgh Properties

Significant Edinburgh Property – Selection:

St James Quarter’s W Edinburgh
W Edinburgh St James Quarter Hotel
W Edinburgh Hotel at St James Quarter

Glasshouses at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh Glasshouses Restoration

Edinburgh’s historic closes
Pirries Close Edinburgh Old Town
photo © Tom Duffin
Edinburgh World Heritage Twelve Closes Project

Rosslyn Chapel
Rosslyn Chapel collection Scotland
photo © Neil Hanna
Rosslyn Chapel

Comments / photos for the Observatory House Architecture – Buildings + Monuments pages welcome