Chambers Street

A wide street of public buildings running between South Bridge and George IV Bridge in central Edinburgh. It consists of a series of Neo-Classical buildings, mostly constructed in the latter part of the 19th C; notably the Royal Museum (1861), the Sheriff Courts and Crown Office complex (1994), which were in part previously the headquarters of Heriot-Watt University (1872), and various Edinburgh University buildings, the Architecture Department (Minto House; 1878) and Adam House (1953). The exceptions include the Old College of Edinburgh University, begun in 1789 and the Museum of Scotland, the controversial modern extension to the Royal Museum, completed in 1999.

Chambers Street was created under the City Improvement Act of 1867 and was built over three 18th Century squares; namely Adam Square, Argyle Square and Brown Square, and the original North College Street. It was named after Lord Provost William Chambers, the main proponent of the Act, and his statue stands in the centre of the street.

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