Summerhall

Top choice in Edinburgh


Formerly Edinburgh University's veterinary school, the Summerhall complex is a major cultural centre and entertainment venue, with old halls and lecture theatres (including an original anatomy lecture theatre) now serving as venues for drama, dance, cinema and comedy performances. It's also one of the main venues for Edinburgh Festival events.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Edinburgh attractions

1. Summerhall

The Summerhall cultural centre houses several permanent art displays, and stages changing exhibitions of contemporary art.

2. The Meadows

0.36 MILES

This mile-long stretch of lush grass criss-crossed with tree-lined walks was once a shallow lake known as the Borough Loch. Drained in the 1740s and…

3. Surgeons' Hall Museums

0.48 MILES

Housed in a grand Ionic temple designed by William Playfair in 1832, these three fascinating museums were originally established as teaching collections…

4. Talbot Rice Gallery

0.54 MILES

This small art gallery has three exhibition spaces: the neoclassical Georgian Gallery, designed by William Playfair, houses a permanent collection of…

5. Holyrood Park

0.55 MILES

In Holyrood Park Edinburgh is blessed with a little bit of wilderness in the heart of the city. The former hunting ground of Scottish monarchs, the park…

6. Old College

0.55 MILES

Edinburgh University’s Old College is a neoclassical masterpiece designed by Robert Adam in 1789; today it is home to the university’s law faculty. At the…

7. National Museum of Scotland

0.57 MILES

Elegant Chambers St is dominated by the long facade of the National Museum of Scotland. Its extensive collections are spread between two buildings: one…

8. Greyfriars Bobby Statue

0.58 MILES

Probably the most popular photo opportunity in Edinburgh, the life-size statue of Greyfriars Bobby, a Skye terrier who captured the hearts of the British…