Lauriston Castle Lectures

Join us in the beautiful surroundings of Lauriston Castle for our 2024 lecture programme.

Side profile black and white photo of Sophia Jex-Blake

Hidden in Plain Sight

Tuesday 11 June 2024, 10:30am

Lauriston Castle Lectures

It is often said that Edinburgh has more statues of animals than it does of women, but did you know that there are many memorials to inspiring women... Sold Out More info
A black and white still of a group of men looking down the hatch on a boat - from the film version of Whisky Galore

Whisky Galore

Wednesday 26 June 2024, 10:30am

Lauriston Castle Lectures

Our annual partnership lecture with Scran. Using archive records we’ll explore the story of a close-knit community and discover the events which... Book now More info
Image of men around a dissection table and another entering with a body in a sack; a body is on the table, a woman lies unconscious on the floor. A skeleton in the doorway wields a sharp implement and the men look up at it in horror

Bringing up the Bodies: Body snatching, Murder and Anatomy in Nineteenth Century Edinburgh

Tuesday 2 July 2024, 10:30am

Lauriston Castle Lectures

At the beginning of the nineteenth century Edinburgh’s Medical School was one of the most prestigious in Europe. Students flocked to study there, and... Sold Out More info
Scott Liddell head and shoulders photograph superimposed on a background image

A History of Edinburgh Photography

Saturday 17 August 2024, 10:30am

Lauriston Castle Lectures

From the very first image in 1839, through the iconic work of Thomas Begbie and Hill and Adamson to being one of of the most Instagrammed cities on... Book now More info
A black and white sketch of Professor John Hope and Adam Smith standing side on in a garden with trees to the left

John Kay: Recording the Golden Age in Edinburgh

Tuesday 20 August 2024, 10:30am

Lauriston Castle Lectures

John Kay (1742 – 1826) was a self-taught artist and engraver who had come to Edinburgh in 1762 as a young man to work as a barber and hairdresser... Fully Booked More info
A painting of the city guard in their red uniforms, with a drum, standing in formation in the street

Town Rats or Good Toun’s Company: The Edinburgh City Guard

Thursday 29 August 2024, 10:30am

Lauriston Castle Lectures

Edinburgh was one of the first towns in Europe to set up a civic city police force. The origins of the City Guard are lost in the 17th century civil... Book now More info
The Usher Hall

The History of the Usher Hall

Saturday 31 August 2024, 10:30am

Lauriston Castle Lectures

10.30am - 12pm The Usher Hall is Scotland's five-star concert hall, set in the heart of Edinburgh. People have been attending concerts, gigs and... Book now More info
A graphic of stylised flying books

Agatha Christie in the 1920s

Saturday 14 September 2024, 10:30am

Lauriston Castle Lectures

Remembered today as the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie has famously only been outsold by the Bible and Shakespeare. In this lecture we look back at... Book now More info
Curator Vicky Garrington stands beside a display of women's wartime dresses

Circular fashion: What the past can teach us about saving our clothes and the planet

Tuesday 8 October 2024, 10:30am

Lauriston Castle Lectures

In this beautifully illustrated talk, social history curator Vicky Garrington uses the dress and textiles collection of Museums & Galleries... Book now More info
A seated head and shoulders portrait of John Napier

Focus on John Napier: One of the Many Notable figures Associated with Lauriston Castle’s Past

Thursday 17 October 2024, 10:30am

Lauriston Castle Lectures

The intriguing story of John Napier (1550-1617), who designed the horoscope stone you can now see on the south west corner of Lauriston Castle. He... Book now More info
Gordon Roberts sitting in the back garden of his childhood home with his baby sister Frances wrapped in a shawl on his lap

Growing up in Corstorphine in the 1950s

Tuesday 22 October 2024, 10:30am

Lauriston Castle Lectures

This lecture will take the form of a personal reminiscence of growing up as a child in the 1950s and early 1960s in the suburb of Edinburgh. These... Book now More info
A horse bus with three horses full of passengers outside the Oak Inn, Corstorphine, c1890

Corstorphine: Transport Through the Ages

Tuesday 29 October 2024, 10:30am

Lauriston Castle Lectures

Take a walk with us through the years, exploring transport in Corstorphine, a local area of Edinburgh rich in heritage. Ian Anderson has been a... Book now More info
A Land Army parade in 1943. The street is lined with spectators on both sides.

Remembering the Vital Role of Women in World War 2

Tuesday 12 November 2024, 10:30am

Lauriston Castle Lectures

Our annual keynote lecture to mark Armistice Day. During WW2 women were conscripted into the armed forces for the first time whilst others took on a... Book now More info
A white two-storey house with bay windows, a curved path leading downhill, and surrounded by trees mostly in leaf

Robert Louis Stevenson's Road to the Pentlands

Wednesday 13 November 2024, 10:30am

Lauriston Castle Lectures

Happy birthday to Robert Louis Stevenson and happy RLS Day. Swanston is one of the most enduringly beautiful areas of Edinburgh, set in the Pentland... Book now More info
A German war memorial, with the opening lines of Silent Light, and two footballs on wreaths underneath

Christmas during the two World Wars

Thursday 12 December 2024, 10:30am

Lauriston Castle Lectures

10.30am - 12pm Christmas is a time for families, for being together, eating lots and giving presents. But what happens when the world is at war? In... Book now More info