400 years old

Riddle’s Court at the top of the Royal Mile was built in 1590 as a ‘great lodging’ and has hosted many eminent people with James VI enjoying a magnificent royal banquet in 1598. Many influential people have lived there including the famous philosopher David Hume who told a friend that he was now head of a household with two inferior members – a maid and a cat.

There are three spectacular ceilings. The oldest which is painted wood beams dates from the 1590s. The plaster ceiling above was considered to be the height of fashion in the early 17th century and is one of the few examples remaining. Probably the most spectacular one is the painted ceiling commissioned by Patrick Geddes in 1895 with pictures depicting the history of the house with many references to life and nature in general but none of my photos did it justice.
It continues now as the Patrick Geddes Centre for Learning and Conservation as a token to Geddes who was influential in setting it up as a university summer school in 1887 and then as part of the university residences.