Edinburgh World Heritage

Edinburgh World Heritage Protecting, preserving and promoting the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Edinburgh has been the Scottish capital since the 15th century. It has two distinct areas: the Old Town, dominated by a medieval fortress; and the neoclassical New Town, whose development from the 18th century onwards had a far-reaching influence on European urban planning. The harmonious juxtaposition of these two contrasting historic areas, each with many important buildings, is what gives the city its unique character.

JUNE EVENT:Greyfriars Kirkyard: New Perspectives on George Heriot and John Bayne's tombsThursday 25 June 18:00 to 20:00A...
10/06/2026

JUNE EVENT:
Greyfriars Kirkyard: New Perspectives on George Heriot and John Bayne's tombs

Thursday 25 June 18:00 to 20:00

Augustine (United) Church, George IV Bridge

Mark Hatton and Chris Cooper will present new perspectives on two tombs within Greyfriars Kirkyard.

Mark will be focusing on the Heriot mural monument and exploring the architecture, symbolism and potential significance of that structure. Placing it into the context of the development of both Greyfriars Kirkyard and the style of memorials erected in burial grounds around Scotland, and asking ‘Did the George Heriot Memorial set the precedence for a new style of Scottish Funereal Art?’

John Bayne’s burial enclosure is well known for being an imposing walled and decorated edifice on the back wall of the kirkyard. Chris’s research focuses on John Bayne’s life in Edinburgh, his family, connections and how it came about for this impressive structure to represent him after his death.

Book now: https://edinburghworldheritage4.beaconforms.com/form/533cc5d9

EWH Trustee Hazel Johnson speaks to new cultural Cabinet Secretary at today's Scotland's Historic Environment Forum - SH...
10/06/2026

EWH Trustee Hazel Johnson speaks to new cultural Cabinet Secretary at today's Scotland's Historic Environment Forum - SHEF 2026 Conference in Glasgow.

Last week, Yann and Gary from our Climate Emergency team travelled to Linköping, Sweden, to join partners from the Futur...
02/06/2026

Last week, Yann and Gary from our Climate Emergency team travelled to Linköping, Sweden, to join partners from the FuturHist project for our sixth project meeting.

During the visit, they shared updates on the progress of our work on the Scotland Demo Cases, explored new opportunities, and helped shape the next phases of the project, including preparations for the upcoming Summer Academy in Kraków this September.

Beyond the formal sessions, the trip offered a valuable chance to deepen relationships across the partnership, exchange ideas, and strengthen collaboration. The meetings were hosted in one of our project’s demo cases, the Diocese Office in Linköping, providing a practical and inspiring context for our discussions.

We’re excited to build on this momentum as we work towards future-proofing Europe's historic buildings for the clean energy transition.

Institute for Renewable Energy – Eurac Research Uppsala University
Universität Innsbruck
ERIK Arkitekter
Sendzimir Foundation,
Agencia de Vivienda y Rehabilitación de Andalucía - Junta de Andalucía (AVRA)
Zarząd Budynków Komunalnych w Krakowie
White Arkitekter
Cracow University of Technology
Aalborg University
International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS))
natürlich bauen
Calchèra San Giorgio
Holzmanufaktur
Edinburgh World Heritage
University of Strathclyde
INTBAU
Svenska kyrkan

Congratulations to the Friends of Greyfriars Kirkyard for today's wonderful stone repair.They are delighted to report th...
28/05/2026

Congratulations to the Friends of Greyfriars Kirkyard for today's wonderful stone repair.

They are delighted to report that the memorial for Walter Scott (Father of Sir Walter Scott) and several members of the same family has been restored and remounted in the Kirkyard today.

They embarked on this project as the stone had fallen over and become illegible, so very few people realised that the Scott family burial plot was here. Walter Scott was an Elder at Greyfriars Kirk and the whole family (including Sir Walter Scott) were members of the congregation here for many years. They didn’t have a gravestone until this one was erected many years after their passing. Now it stands again. Many thanks to Robertson’s Memorials for fixing the stone, to Edinburgh Bereavement Services for mounting the stone, to The Edinburgh Walter Scott Club for supporting the project and to our Members of the Friends of Greyfriars for raising the funds to pay for the work.

Sir Walter Scott Jr., the author, described Greyfriars Kirkyard as 'the Westminster Abbey of Scotland'.

A reminder of this wonderful online conference on Sunday. Do sign up by clicking through the post below.
20/05/2026

A reminder of this wonderful online conference on Sunday. Do sign up by clicking through the post below.

Legacies in Stone: Online Conference Celebrating Graveyard Friends Sunday 24 May 12.30 - 3.30 pmJoin us for a FREE half-...
08/05/2026

Legacies in Stone: Online Conference Celebrating Graveyard Friends
Sunday 24 May 12.30 - 3.30 pm

Join us for a FREE half-day online conference as we celebrate the incredible work of Scotland’s graveyard volunteers. Talks will be delivered via Zoom.

Book your place: legacies-in-stone-graveyard-conference.eventbrite.com

Step "behind the scenes" of caring for historic graveyards with stories, insights, and practical lessons from Graveyard Friends across Scotland. Whether you are a dedicated volunteer or a local history enthusiast, these short talks offer something for everyone.

Event Highlights:
• Digital Innovation: Using App technology to create tours to boost visitor engagement.
• The Pop-Culture Debate: Is a popular culture link a blessing or a curse for attracting visitors to historic graveyards?
• Securing Futures: How community ownership can secure funerary and church heritage.
• Stone Work: Gravestone repair successes, the "root causes" of common problems, and the conservation of a formerly ownerless historic mausoleum.
• Folklore: Using local legends to investigate graveyards and build community attachment.

Hear from: The Friends of Dunblane Cathedral; the Friends of Greyfriars Kirkyard; the Friends of Kilbride; Kilmaronock Old Kirk Trust; Kirkmichael Trust; North East Scotland Preservation Trust & the Friends of Elyza Fraser Mausoleum; Stonehouse Heritage and Temple Old Kirk

This event is brought to you by
The Legacies in Stone: Connecting Communities with Historic Graveyards project. Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players. Supported by funding from Historic Environment Scotland.

Webinar: ‘Introduction to Tenement Maintenance’, presented by Under One Roof with Edinburgh World Heritage and Mill Arch...
05/05/2026

Webinar: ‘Introduction to Tenement Maintenance’, presented by Under One Roof with Edinburgh World Heritage and Mill Architects

Do you own a tenement property in Edinburgh?

Do you want to find out about managing repairs and maintaining your building?

Join our free lunchtime webinar on Tuesday 2nd June!

Together with conservation experts at Mill Architects and Edinburgh World Heritage, we will explore the importance of maintaining tenement buildings and the unique repair issues historic tenements can face, and we will share our knowledge of how to work with neighbours to organise and pay for repairs in the shared, or ‘common,’ areas of your building.

Edinburgh World Heritage will also explain how they can support tenement property owners during the repairs process with funding guidance and opportunities.

Our speakers will be:
• Mike Heffron is the Chief Executive of Under One Roof, Scotland’s sole charity dedicated to providing support and information to tenement owners and housing professionals on tenement maintenance, management and retrofit.
• Jo Parry-Geddes is a RIAS Advanced Conservation Accredited Architect with 25 years’ practical experience and Director of Mill Architects since 2023. She is a long-time advocate of proactive building repair and advisor in conservation repairs in Edinburgh.
• Silke Schneider and Nina Abbott-Barish are the Conservation Funding Programme team at Edinburgh World Heritage. Silke heads the programme with 20 years’ practical experience as an architect helping to conserve historic buildings in Edinburgh and Scotland.

The webinar will be followed by a Q&A session.

Join us on Tuesday 2nd June from 12-1pm.

Click here to register via Microsoft Teams.

Continuing to celebrate World Heritage Day, we are delighted to highlight a project that will revitalise the Old Royal H...
21/04/2026

Continuing to celebrate World Heritage Day, we are delighted to highlight a project that will revitalise the Old Royal High School on Regent Road.

The Royal High School Preservation Trust is working to conserve Thomas Hamilton’s architectural masterpiece and create a new cultural legacy for Edinburgh and for Scotland by reviving the building as a National Centre for Music. The Trust was established in 2015 with a stated ambition to conserve and protect the Thomas Hamilton building on Calton Hill, and to find an economically sustainable and culturally suitable use for the whole site.

Photo credits: Mike Wilkinson
Video credits: David Calder

EXTRA TICKETS ADDED! Due to popular demand, you can now book indoor-only tickets to watch our livestreams and illustrate...
27/03/2026

EXTRA TICKETS ADDED!
Due to popular demand, you can now book indoor-only tickets to watch our livestreams and illustrated talks in the Augustine United Church.
Use the link below to book the Augustine United Church option:
https://JohnBayneGreyfriars.eventbrite.com
We look forward to seeing everyone this Saturday and to solving a centuries-old mystery on World Heritage Day!
Don’t forget you can also watch online at home: Catch 10-minute livestreams at 11am and 11.30am via https://www.facebook.com/edinburghworldheritage
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Did John Bayne take a secret to his grave?

Join us on Saturday, 18 April, as we aim to lift the lid on a secret centuries in the making: does a broken gravestone in John Bayne’s mausoleum hide a forgotten burial vault?

This event is not your average graveyard visit. By repairing a simple flat grave slab, we aim to unlock the mystery of this unique tomb in Scotland’s most famous kirkyard.

HOW TO JOIN:
• In person: In Greyfriars Kirkyard, followed by expert talks at Augustine United Church. Book via Eventbrite: https://JohnBayneGreyfriars.eventbrite.com
• Online: Catch 10-minute live streams at 11.00am and 11.30am via https://www.facebook.com/edinburghworldheritage

This event is brought to you by Edinburgh World Heritage, the Friends of Greyfriars Kirkyard, and the City of Edinburgh Council as part of the Legacies in Stone project. Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players.

Did you know the Cowgate was once nicknamed “Little Ireland”? The Cowgate was the route through which cattle passed on ...
17/03/2026

Did you know the Cowgate was once nicknamed “Little Ireland”?

The Cowgate was the route through which cattle passed on their way to be sold at the Grassmarket. In 1498 the street was described in Latin as ‘Via Vaccarum’, a reminder that ‘gate’ derives from the Scots word gait, meaning way. The city gates were described as ports.

Despite an early period of affluence, by the mid-18th century the Cowgate had become slums, and by the 19th century it was home to much of the city's Irish community, and earning its nickname "Little Ireland". In 1865 Alexander Smith wrote that ‘many an Edinburgh man has never set his foot in the street: the condition of the inhabitants is as little known… as are the habits of moles, earth worms and the mining population’. These de-humanising attitudes towards a largely immigrant community masked high levels of poverty, disease, and child mortality, as well as very poor working conditions.

In recent years, since the fire of 2002, the Cowgate has become a youthful and lively part of the city, beloved of fringe festival goers and (younger) residents.

Photo: Archibald Burns, Cardinal Beaton's House, the Cowgate, Edinburgh. 1868. Credit line: Gift of Mrs. Riddell in memory of Peter Fletcher Riddell 1985. https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/38247

Address

5 Bakehouse Close, 146 Canongate
Edinburgh
EH88DD

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

0131 220 7720

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