Royal Observatory, August 1854

Robert Matheson, architect at Her Majesty’s Office of Works, proposed this design of a parapet and enlarged dome for the Royal Observatory, Calton Hill, Edinburgh, in 1854. The Observatory was the main centre for astronomers in the city until 1894 when, due to increasing levels of pollution in the city centre, it was moved to Blackford Hill for a clearer view of the night sky. Today, visitors can climb Calton Hill to see the building, alongside the Nelson Monument and National Monument, for a view across Edinburgh. It is now home to the art gallery Collective.

Credit: Crown copyright, NRS, RHP6515/2 (Link to the Online Catalogue entry)