This recommended read takes you on a tour of some of the key dates in Heriot-Watt University’s history.
You may recognize some of the names below as many of the buildings on the Edinburgh campus are named after key people associated with our history.
Key Dates
| 1821 | Edinburgh School of Arts, the world’s first mechanics’ institute, founded by Leonard Horner and Robert Bryson in Niddry Street.
Their names can still be found on buildings at the Edinburgh campus: 16th October First lecture in chemistry given at St Cecilia’s concert hall in the Old Town. |
| 1836 | First working class representative joined the Board of Governors |
| 1837 | Move to Adam Square |
| 1851 | Watt Subscription Fund donates funding to School as Edinburgh’s monument to James Watt |
| 1852 | School becomes Watt Institution and School of Arts |
| 1854 | Watt Club alumni association founded:
Peter Slater’s Watt statue unveiled. Staff and students celebrate at the Guildford Arms. |
| 1869 | Women students admitted – thanks to campaign by Mary Burton |
| 1872 | Foundation stone laid for Chambers Street Building |
| 1874 | Mary Burton is the first woman to join board of Governors |
| 1885 | Merger with George Heriot endowment to create Heriot-Watt College, with 2,000 students, 15% of whom were women. |
| 1887 | First Professors appointed in Chemistry, Physics and Mechanics and Engineering |
| 1902 | The College becomes a Central Institution, teaching to degree standard |
| 1928 | Heriot-Watt College becomes independent from George Heriot Trust. Students’ Representative Council established. James Cameron Smail became Principal. |
| 1966 | Heriot-Watt gains University status by Royal Charter. The College Principal, Hugh Nisbet, became the university’s first Vice-Chancellor. |
| 1969 | Riccarton estate gifted to the University by Midlothian Council |
| 1971 | Research Park opened: first university research park in Europe |
| 1973 | First phase of development at Riccarton |
| 1989 | Orkney Campus opens in Stromness |
| 1992 | Relocation to Edinburgh campus at Riccarton complete |
| 1998 | Merger with Scottish College of Textiles to create Scottish Borders Campus |
| 2005 | Dubai Campus opens |
| 2014 | Malaysia Campus opens |
| 2016 | University celebrates 50th anniversary of Royal Charter |
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