Alumni Services

Roads fit for a king

The streets of the King’s Buildings campus have been given names honouring pioneering scientists with links to the University.

Swann Building

Twelve scientists, including inventor of the vacuum flask Sir James Dewar and creator of Scotland’s iconic lighthouses Robert Stevenson, have had roads named in their honour.

Women on the map

Charlotte Auerbach, who helped advance the understanding of genetics, is among those celebrated. Auerbach studied at Edinburgh in the 1930s and had lifelong links with the University, latterly as a professor.

Marion Ross, a pioneer in X-rays and superconductivity, is also honoured. One of the first women to join the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Ross studied at Edinburgh in the 1920s and spent her academic career at the University.

 

KB roads

Memorable locations

Giving names to King’s Buildings roads - they previously had none - is intended to make it easier for new students and staff to familiarise themselves with the area where they will work or study.

The new names have been approved by the relevant University authorities, and the City of Edinburgh Council, and will now go onto the streets gazetteer for Scotland, meaning they will feed info GPS systems.

King's Buildings roads

Alumni suggestions

We also asked for your suggestions as to who had been missed from the current selection using our Facebook and Twitter accounts. Some outstanding names emerged, including:

  • James Young Simpson - a Scottish obstetrician who discovered the anaesthetic properties of chloroform.
  • Igor Tamm – a Soviet physicist who received the 1958 Nobel Prize in Physics.
  • Charles Darwin - the English naturalist and geologist who is best known for his contributions to evolutionary theory.

Any more?

Is there anyone who you would like to see recognised should Kings Buildings expand? What eminent scientists or engineer should be commemorated?

Email your suggestions to us and we will put together a proposal that we will send to our Estates and Buildings office.

Alumni Engagement

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