Dalhousie Land

In the late 1950s the increase in student numbers meant that there was a requirement for more teaching accommodation at Holyrood, resulting in another new development, named Dalhousie Land.

History

Draft plans were drawn up by the architects Gordon & Dey. These provided for a large lecture theatre, Art rooms and a swimming pool. The SED agreed to these plans in October 1960 and to the total tender price of £118,955. Numbers 2 to 5 St John Street provided the site for this development.

This new building was opened on 2 May 1963 by the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the Very Reverend Dr Neville Davidson, and was named Dalhousie Land.

Moray House Library at Dalhousie Land

For many years Moray House had sought approval for a new library at Holyrood. Its periodicals, learning resources and books occupied a scatter of rooms over three floors in Paterson's Land.

Following the Follett Committee Report (1994) an estate grant was obtained from the funding council (SHEFC) that enabled the relocation of all our library facilities to Dalhousie Land to be planned.

The architects for this project were the Dodd Jamieson Partnership (Lewis & Hickey DJP). The plans involved the retention of the original concrete container of the swimming pool. This was redesigned to house the periodicals collection. The ground floor (at level of the original swimming pool edge) was designed as the main stock area and Service Desk. A mezzanine area was inserted on the south side and housed the Children's Book collection. The large 250 seat DHL Lecture Theatre was initially retained. The top floor was opened out to house library and computer work stations.

This new Library was opened in August 1996.

Following the merger with the University in August 1998 there was a further adaptation undertaken in 1999/2000. This involved extending the basement area and flooring over of the lecture theatre, enabling the Cramond Library stock to be transferred to Holyrood in June 2001. The new floor 3 created additional work spaces and the deployment of 25 Apple computers.

This modern Moray House Library is now one of the principal site libraries of the University.

Material compiled and edited in 2002 by Hugh Perfect (Dupute Head of Moray House School of Education /Honorary Archivist of Moray House Archive)