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Edinburgh Napier University

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woman planning her meals for blog post Healthy Eating at Uni: A Student’s Guide to Feeling Great!

Healthy Eating at Uni: A Student’s Guide to Feeling Great!

01/03/2025 / / 0 Comments

Healthy Eating at Uni: A Student’s Guide to Feeling Great!

University life is all about independence, late nights, and, let’s be honest, some questionable eating habits. But before you reach for that fourth pot noodle this week, let’s talk about how you can eat well without breaking the bank (or spending hours in the kitchen!).

1. Plan Ahead – Your Wallet Will Thank You!

It’s easy to grab whatever’s closest when you’re starving, but a little planning goes a long way. Before you do your food shop, make a simple meal plan for the week. This helps you avoid impulse buys and ensures you’ve got nutritious meals lined up.

2. Budget-Friendly and Nutritious Staples

Stock up on healthy, affordable essentials like:

  • Oats – Perfect for breakfast and super cheap.
  • Rice and pasta – Easy to cook and versatile.
  • Beans and lentils – Packed with protein and fibre.
  • Frozen fruit and veg – Just as nutritious as fresh and lasts longer.

3. Cook in Batches

Save time and effort by batch-cooking meals. Meal planning is a great way to take the stress out of what to eat. Fill up some tuppawear (or leftover takeaway tubs) with healthy meals and snacks, and leave it in the fridge to grab when you’re hungry. Make a big pot of chilli, curry, or pasta sauce and portion it out for the week. Not only will future-you be grateful, but it also stops you from grabbing unhealthy takeaway when you’re too tired to cook.

4. Healthy Swaps That Don’t Feel Like Sacrifices

Small changes can make a big difference. Try swapping:

  • White bread for wholemeal.
  • Sugary cereals for porridge with fruit.
  • Fizzy drinks for water or squash.
  • Crisps for nuts or popcorn.

5. Don’t Skip Meals

With lectures, assignments, and socialising, it’s easy to forget to eat properly. Skipping meals leads to energy crashes and bad food choices later. Start your day with a filling breakfast and keep healthy snacks (like bananas or yoghurt) on hand.

6. Stay Hydrated

Caffeine might fuel your study sessions, but don’t forget water! Aim for at least 6-8 glasses a day to stay focused and energised. Smoothies are another great drink and an easy way to pack yourself full of healthy fruit whilst hydrating.

7. Enjoy Treats in Moderation

Being healthy doesn’t mean cutting out all the fun stuff. Love chocolate? Enjoy it! Just aim for balance – maybe swap out some late-night pizza for a homemade wrap now and then. Try some dark chocolate or dried fruit when you’re craving sweets.

8. Get Inspired by Health Influencers

Need some motivation? Follow fun and relatable health influencers who share easy recipes and tips for students:

  • @thefoodmedic (Instagram & TikTok) – A doctor sharing nutritious and practical meals.
  • @moribyan(Instagram & YouTube) – Yummy treats
  • @violet.cooks (Instagram & TikTok) – quick and easy lunch ideas

Final Thoughts

Eating well at uni doesn’t have to be boring or expensive. With a little planning and a few smart swaps, you’ll feel more energised, focused, and ready to take on your studies. Now, go forth and fuel your brain the right way!

By Juliet Kinsey

Want to improve yourself more? Read our post on How to achieve your New Year’s Resolution

Read more related articles from our blog, such as our post on meditation, or check out our Wellness Collection guides and online relaxation space.

writing

National Essay Day: Essay Writing Guide and Advice

28/02/2025 / / 0 Comments

National Essay Day: Essay Writing Guide and Advice

That time of the semester is creeping up once again. For many individuals within our student community, deadlines are looming. A flurry of assignments and exams will be upcoming. It will usually be the case for many of them that you will be asked to write an essay. Whether it is a small or big piece of written work, it can feel very overwhelming to even know where to start. So, we can imagine that a day like National Essay Day, which takes place on the 28th of February, is a day which you do not particularly feel like celebrating. Especially if you have written, been writing have been set to write a lot of them. Not to worry though!  If you are a student at Edinburgh Napier University, we have a wide variety of resources and services which are there to support you with upcoming assignments and exams as well as essay research, writing and structuring.

But first, a bit of history…

National Essay Day is promoted as an annual awareness campaign by One Freelance LTD. And celebrated on the birth date of Michel de Montaigne who authored the first ever written texts that were declared as ‘essays.’ Having been an influential philosopher during the French Renaissance, Montaigne managed to turn essays into a mainstream literature genre and way of communicating one’s own thoughts on a specific subject matter.

National Essay Day ultimately promotes the significance of timely writing assistance. As well as the challenges and complexities students can face when writing an academic paper or extended answer to a specific issue or topic of debate. As Napier’s library services, we pride ourselves in supporting our students with reaching their academic potential and goals. So would like to take the opportunity to promote the help and support we can offer regarding essay writing, essay research and essay structuring skills.

Essay Research

One of the first things that you may wonder when commencing your essay research is where to start looking. The good (and sometimes bad) news is there is not one single correct answer to this question. For most subject areas an essay, question could be covering. There are often many databases and webpages where one could find the relevant information and references they are seeking. While this usually gives you a wide variety of options to consult, you may become extremely overwhelmed with the number of search results. It can be a timely process skimming through article after article or book after book trying to find the best resources with the most relevant and up-to-date information.

This is where our subject librarians usually come in. They can offer subject-based guidance and advice, support with your research, and have put together some very detailed subject guides which can be found in our LibGuide. These guides can assist you with conducting effective literature searches and also include links to useful databases and online resources. They can help you to find the most current and relevant books, journal articles and other materials for your essay research. Our subject librarians offer one-to-one research support where they can provide further support with finding the resources you need. As well as online and in-person training sessions which you can find in our Library Calendar.

 

Essay Structuring and Writing…

 

The standard paradigm for an essay that students and researchers tend to use consists of the following:

  1. The Title and Question.
  2. An Introduction.
  3. Main Body of Paragraphs.
  4. Conclusion
  5. Reference List.

 

All in this order. The introduction is often a concise summary of the topic or issue you are addressing, an analysis of the essay question at hand and the questions and debates surrounding the question which you will be addressing. The main body of the essay will often consist of the key points of your argument. Then the evidence to back it up, the strengths and weaknesses of the evidence at hand alongside counterevidence and arguments challenging it, then an overall summary of whether the key points addressed reflect a strong (or weak) answer or argument in relation to the essay question at hand. There will also likely be some relevant references thrown into each main body paragraph as well.

 

Then there’s writing the essay, which is often the most daunting part. It can sometimes make the task at hand seem less overwhelming if you start writing some of it in plenty of time before the deadline. And break it down into small, manageable steps – for example, if you set yourself the objective of starting the introduction one morning and aiming to finish it by the end of the day. While this may not always be a guarantee, it can help to get the cogs turning. And you might find yourself writing more than you intended to in the first place. Maybe an extra paragraph or two should you really get into the swing of it. Sometimes, however, we do get completely stumped – which is where our academic skills team can be of great assistance. If you feel that you would benefit from a one-to-one drop-in session or appointment with one of our academic skills advisors, you can find more information on our My Napier webpage, or email academicskills@napier.ac.uk. Recorded tutorials are also available on Panopto which include workshops on how to write your introduction, main body paragraphs and conclusion as well as paraphrasing and grammar tips.

 

Recommendations…

 

All our campus libraries have an extensive range of resources, particularly within our Research Collection. This can help you to enhance your essay writing, structuring and research skills. It is definitely worth checking out, along with a couple of recommendations from us below.

 

‘Planning your Essay,’ Godwin, Janet, 2009, Planning your essay – Edinburgh Napier University. Available at Sighthill Campus Library.

 

‘Essay Writing: A Student’s Guide,’ Sheilds, MunLing, 2010, Essay writing : a student’s guide – Edinburgh Napier University. Available at Merchiston Campus Library and online.

 

Read more about guides

By Rachel Downie

World book day

Celebrating the Anniversary of Decimalisation

15/02/2025 / / 0 Comments

Celebrating the Anniversary of Decimalisation

As a student it’s important to manage your money and make sure that your fees and bills are paid promptly, whilst also leaving yourself enough to buy food and, of course, do some socialising. You may rarely carry cash as card payments dominate for most purchases, but some people and businesses still prefer to use cash. In the UK at the beginning of the 1970’s using cash was the norm, but changes were about to be made to the existing currency. 15th February is the anniversary of the date the UK changed its currency, sterling, from the old pounds, shillings and pence to decimal currency (units related by powers of 10). Before this, the currency used was not as straightforward and consisted of a baffling array of coins. Using the decimal system made calculations much easier as you will see…

Background

Pre-decimalisation coinage was introduced by King Henry II of England and was based on the troy system of weighing precious metals. A penny was one pennyweight of silver. A pound sterling weighed 240 pennyweights or a pound of sterling silver. Pounds were divided into twenty shillings, shillings into twelve pennies, pennies into two halfpennies and four farthings.

All these amounts of money had corresponding coins and to make matters more complicated there were even more – 2 sixpences made a shilling, 5 shillings made a crown and there were half crowns, florins and groats. By 1971 many of these coins had been phased out.

Attempts to change

Proposals to decimalise sterling were first made in Parliament in 1824 and there were many more attempts to legislate for conversion throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. The successful transition to decimal currency in South Africa led the UK government to set up the Committee of the Inquiry on Decimal Currency, known as the Halsbury Committee. In 1963 the Halsbury Committee published its findings. Lord Halsbury concluded that due to the pound’s importance as a global reserve currency it should remain the main unit of currency. A series of new decimal coins would be created, and all existing coins would either be replaced or phased out.

Change happens

It was in 1966 that decimalisation was finally debated and then legislated on in May 1969 with the approval of the Decimal Currency Act. On 15th February 1971 the switch over took place. February had been chosen because it was assessed to be the quietest time of the year for banks, shops and transport organisations. Banks were closed for 4 days before the changeover.

Public reaction to the prospect of a new currency was mixed. Many thought they would find it confusing. Others thought that shopkeepers would use the introduction as a way to put prices up. Shops often displayed prices in both currencies. Currency converters were available for the public, but most people didn’t have any difficulties. For a short time, the old and new currencies operated in unison – people could pay in pounds, shillings and pence and receive new decimal money as change. It was originally planned that old money would be phased out of circulation over a period of eighteen months, but as it turned out, the old penny, halfpenny and threepenny coins were officially taken out of circulation as early as August 1971.

Today

Although we still have decimal currency, card payments make up the majority of transactions, but some people still prefer to use cash. They feel it makes budgeting easier as they only spend the cash they have taken out from a bank or ATM. Whichever method of payment you prefer you will no doubt agree that the decimal currency is much easier to calculate.

You can use Library Search find books and articles on finance, banking and student finance.

In My Napier webpages there are articles providing information, guidance and support to a wide range of finance-specific information.

If you would like free advice on help with financial issues you can contact Citizens Advice who may be able to assist. Remember to take along any documents relevant to your query.

Read more on the library blog. Check out our article on: The Dewey Decimal Classification System

By Vivienne Hamilton

Image for post check-our-a-z-databases-list-unlock-specialised-resources

Check our A-Z databases list – unlock specialised resources

27/01/2025 / / 0 Comments

Check our A-Z databases list – unlock specialised resources

To prepare for your classes and assessments, having access to specialised resources is crucial. One of the best ways to find these resources is by exploring the library’s A-Z databases list. Here’s why this tool is invaluable and how it can benefit your studies.

 

Why check the A-Z databases list?

The A-Z databases list is a comprehensive directory of databases the library subscribes to, organised alphabetically. These databases cover a wide range of subjects and provide access to specialised academic resources, including journal articles, reports, and more. Accessing databases such as CINAHL, ACM or Lexis+ through our A-Z databases page, you will gain seamless access to these valuable tools.

 

Benefits of using databases:

  1. Access resources relevant to your research. The A-Z databases list includes databases that focus on specific disciplines, such as computing, nursing, business, and more. This means you can find high-quality, peer-reviewed resources that are directly relevant to your field of study.
  2. Enhance research quality. By using specialised databases, you can access a wealth of information that may not be available through general search engines. This can significantly enhance the quality and reliability of your research.
  3. Save time. Instead of sifting through countless irrelevant results, the A-Z databases list allows you to go straight to the sources that matter. This targeted approach saves you time and makes your research process more efficient.

 

How to use the A-Z databases list

You can access the A-Z databases list through the LibrarySearch. You will find the Databases tab at the top of the page. Browse the list alphabetically or use subject filters to find databases relevant to your research. Each database has a description and basic information about the resource which will help you choose the right ones for your needs.

By regularly using the A-Z databases list for your studies, you can unlock a world of specialised resources that will elevate your academic work.

By Patrycja Respondek

Read more about LibrarySearch on the blog with our article  Introduction to librarysearch

 

Clear your browser cache & cookies – a simple step for seamless access

Clear your browser cache & cookies – a simple step for seamless access

24/01/2025 / / 0 Comments

Clear your browser cache & cookies – a simple step for seamless access

Clear your browser cache & cookies can be a simple step for seamless access. E-resources that are just one click away probably make up the majority of reading and reference lists. We all love seamless access to articles and ebooks: you find it in the Library Search and read it a second later. However, many students overlook a simple yet crucial step that can ensure you won’t stumble upon an “access denied” error when browsing online library resources: clearing the browser cache and cookies. Here’s what cache and cookies are and why you should remember to clear them.

Cache & cookies – what are they?

Your browser cache is a collection of temporary files that your web browser automatically saves as you visit websites. These files include images, sounds, code, and more, which help websites load faster on following visits. Cookies, on the other hand, are small pieces of data stored by websites to remember your preferences and login information.

Why clearing cache & cookies can help

Over time, the cache can accumulate outdated or corrupted files, leading to conflicts and bugs that interfere with website functionality. For instance, if a website has been updated but your browser is still using old cached files, you might encounter problems even after the website itself has been fixed. Clearing your cache forces your browser to download the latest versions of these files, often resolving problems with accessing online resources.

Similarly, cookies can store outdated login credentials, causing authentication errors when trying to access eresources through institutional logins. By clearing cookies, you remove these old credentials, allowing for a fresh login session.

The main takeaway is that when you next can’t access an article or an ebook you found in our Library Search, clear your browser cache and cookies for all times and then try again! Chances are that will solve the problem. If not, don’t hesitate to report an issue by clicking on the wrench icon next to the item in the Library Search.

How to clear your cache

Clearing your cache is an easy process that varies slightly depending on the browser you use. Generally, you can find this option in your browser’s settings under privacy or history. Make it a habit to clear your cache regularly, especially before starting a new research project or when you notice performance issues.

By taking this simple step, you can ensure you get seamless access to online journals and ebooks our library offers.

Instructions for clearing the cache can be found within the relevant browser’s help pages – see links below:

  • Google Chrome – instructions for clearing cache can be found on the Google web pages.
  • Microsoft Edge – instructions for clearing cache can be found on the Microsoft web pages.
  • Mozilla Firefox – instructions for clearing cache can be found on the Mozilla web pages.
  • Apple Safari on a Mac – instructions for clearing cache can be found on the Apple web pages.
  • Apple Safari on an iPhone or iPad – instructions for clearing cache can be found on the Apple web pages.

By Patrycja Respondek

Read more about our E-Resources on the blog with our article  Eresources and Accessibility

 

Use Library Search – your map to academic success

Use Library Search – your map to academic success

22/01/2025 / / 0 Comments

Use Library Search – your map to academic success

Navigating the vast array of resources available in an academic library can be daunting. Fortunately, the library catalogue is here to help. Think of our Library Search as your map to discovering a wealth of academic materials that will show you the quickest and most direct route to exactly what you need for your next assignment.

Why use the Library Search?

The Library Search is a central catalogue that lists all the books, and e-resources, including online journals, multimedia, and everything else available in the library across all three campuses. It allows you to search for specific titles, authors, and keywords, providing a quick and easy way to locate the materials you need. Most importantly, if you are searching for online resources, such as journal articles or ebooks, using the Library Search will give you seamless access to full text, usually with just one click.

Benefits of using Library Search

  1. Efficient resource discovery: The library catalogue saves you time by helping you quickly find the resources you need. Instead of wandering through shelves or browsing aimlessly online, you can use the catalogue to pinpoint exactly where to find the relevant materials.
  2. Access to a wide range of resources: The catalogue includes not only physical books and journals but also ebooks, online journals, digital archives, and multimedia resources. So much variety, all available in one place.
  3. Stay organised: Using the catalogue helps you keep track of the resources you’ve found and plan your research more effectively. You can save searches, create lists, and export citations, all to make your research process more organised and manageable.

Make the most of the Library Search

  • Remember to sign in: This will ensure that you get instant access to library e-resources.
  • Enter keywords related to your topic, a title, or an author’s name: And remember to use Advanced Search; it is a great way to get more relevant results, so give it a go!
  • Use filters on the right-hand side to narrow down the results: This way, you can find resources from specific time periods, select a type of material, subject, and much more. This will give you a list of the most relevant resources in seconds.

If you have any questions or come across any issues, don’t hesitate to ask us for assistance. You can also find more information on MyNapier Library pages.

By mastering the use of the Library Search, you can navigate your academic journey with confidence and efficiency. Stay tuned for more tips on making the most of your library’s e-resources!

By Patrycja Respondek

Read more about LibrarySearch on the blog with our article  Introduction to librarysearch

 

World book day

Welcome to Edinburgh Napier Libraries

20/01/2025 / / 0 Comments

Welcome to Edinburgh Napier Libraries

It’s good to see our campuses busy again! A warm welcome to all new and returning students. Here’s a comprehensive guide to our library services to help you get started.

Library resources: books, databases, and more

First of all, save a link to the LibrarySearch to your favourites, as it will come in handy during your academic journey. It is our catalogue that includes both online and physical resources such as journals, ebooks and databases. You can borrow books on a 7-day loan that renews automatically for up to four months unless requested by another user. You can borrow up to 30 physical items. If you need something we don’t have, our inter-library loan service is here to help with that. It allows you to borrow books and access articles from other libraries, ensuring you have all the resources you need for your studies.

Finding information: reading lists, subject guides, and librarians

Each of your courses will have a reading list, that you can access through the LibrarySearch. Make sure to log in at the top right corner as a university member. We also offer subject and research guides created by subject librarians to help you with finding information and resources. These guides are available online and cover a wide range of topics relevant to your studies, you can find them in LibGuides. For more personalised help, you can contact your subject librarian or arrange a one-on-one appointment. Details about your subject librarian are available on the library webpages.

Libraries: physical and online spaces

Our libraries offer various study spaces, including silent areas for focused work, and group work zones for collaborative projects. We have study rooms equipped with PCs and Macs, as well as printers and scanners for your convenience. Each library also has a relaxation space with games, colouring sheets, and comfy sofas, providing a perfect spot to unwind. Make sure to have a look at our wellbeing collection. It is a selection of books and resources that is designed to support your mental health and wellbeing. If you can’t make it to campus, most resources are available online, ensuring you have access to the library’s offerings from anywhere.

Useful information

For more details, visit our library webpages or contact us in person at the help desks, via email at library@napier.ac.uk, or by phone at 0131 455 3500. Don’t hesitate to reach out—we’re here to help. Our staff is always ready to assist you with any questions or concerns you may have. Best of luck this trimester!

You can also find additional library information in previous blog posts. These articles provide insights into various library services, updates, and tips to make the most out of your library experience.

By Patrycja Respondek

 

 

Postgraduate study

Upcoming Postgraduate events and advice

17/01/2025 / / 0 Comments

Upcoming Postgraduate events and advice

After hibernating over winter, we’re happy to return to campus and get ready for the upcoming trimester. A lot of our work right now is concerned with helping our returning students (and ourselves) get readjusted to life at Napier,. So we thought we’d do our bit to help welcome the new cohort of postgraduate students who will be starting with us this trimester. In this blog, we’re going to point you to some places where you can get academic advice as a postgraduate. As well as inform you about our upcoming postgraduate information event. Whether you’re just joining us as a postgraduate student, or a returning postgraduate looking to get back into the rhythms of university, there’ll be something here that you’ll find will come in handy during your studies.

Advice

Firstly, as always, the academic skills team is the first place you should turn to for support in your studies. They’re here to provide you with practical advice about managing your studies. A postgraduate course comes with heavy work.  The academic skills team will be there to advise you on how to create a schedule to keep on top of your studies. They can give you help in structuring your assignments, which is especially helpful if it’s been some time since your undergraduate studies. You can speak to the academic skills advisors by booking a one-on-one appointment or attending one of the drop-in sessions on campus. More information can be found on their web pages.

The academic skills team also provide short, pre-recorded videos on Panopto to provide useful academic tips in easy-to-digest chunks. You can find all the information related to the academic skills team on MyNapier. Also on MyNapier, any of our research students will be able to find a helpful page. This has frequently asked questions about research degrees. It covers questions related to the marking of your research thesis, or explaining the structure of the supervisory team.

Events

The other big thing to look forward to if you’re a postgraduate student is our upcoming postgraduate information event. This will be held at Johnnie Walker Princes Street on the 26th of February. This event will be a nice, informal way for you to meet and mingle with other students. Being able to get to know the other people on your course or chat with academics to get an idea of what you can expect from Napier. You can register for the event on the page linked above.

With the information on MyNapier, along with the postgraduate information event, you’ll have all you need to get comfortable in your studies at Napier or to readjust to studying after your time off in winter.

 

By Matthew Ferrie

Read our previous blog post on how the library can help postgraduate  studies. 

Library services

Edinburgh Napier International College and Library Services

08/01/2025 / / 0 Comments

Edinburgh Napier International College and Library Services

January is storming ahead. And soon University life will come back in swing. We want to welcome everyone and before classes start, we thought it would be useful to provide some library essentials.

Library Essential

Each campus has a library and the library reflects the schools based at that campus. This is especially true for what books are available at each library. For example, business books will be at Craiglockhart while computing, engineering and built environments are at Merchiston.

Library tours are available for each library. You can email library@napier.ac.uk to arrange.

Merchiston Library is perhaps more central and will be open 24/7 as a study space from the end of the month.

Finding information: reading lists, subject guides and subject librarians

Each course has a reading list. You will find these items through LibrarySearch. Please log in at the top right corner.  We also have subject guides and research guides that have been created by your subject librarian. These guides are designed to help you find information and develop research skills.

Each subject area has a subject librarian. You can contact your subject librarian for more information or arrange a 1: 1 appointment for extra guidance. Your subject librarian can help with finding resources and information about your course. And help build library skills. You can find your subject librarian on our web pages.

For students studying business, Keith Walker is your subject librarian, while for students studying computing, engineering and built environment, your subject librarian is Joyce Templeton.

Library Services: Books, Databases and more

We have an extensive catalogue, and it is all available through library search. Here you will have access to all our online resources and be able to locate where our physical resources are. You will also find access to journals and databases. You can borrow up to 30 physical items. Books are 7-day loans but they renew automatically up to 4 months unless requested.  If you are looking for something we don’t have, we have an inter-library loan service where you can request books from other libraries.

Libraries Services: Physical and Online

At the library, you will find plenty of study spaces: we have silent areas and areas for talking if you have group work. There are study rooms, PCs and Macs, with printers and scanners. Each library has a relaxation space with games, colouring sheets and comfy sofas to relax. We have a well-being collection that focuses on shelf help. If you can’t make it to campus, most of these resources are now available online.

 

Have a look at previous articles on study skills to help start University.

 

Merchiston Tower

Merchiston Tower

04/01/2025 / / 0 Comments

Merchiston Tower

In the centre of Merchiston Tower, you will find Merchiston Tower.

Bang in the middle.

Have you ever wondered what’s inside? What’s its history? Wanted to peek inside?

Let us take you on a brief digital walk through the Tower in the blog post. But before we go any further, we would like to add that you can tour the Tower in person and see its 500 years of history in person for free. Email us at heritage@napier.ac.uk or library@napier.ac.uk. Please bear in mind that we need at least 24 hours’ notice. Group tours are available, but no more than 15 people can attend.

 

History of Merchiston Tower

Merchiston Tower has stood firm for over 500 years. Built in the middle of the 1400s, either by Andrew Napier or his son Sir Alexander Napier, both served as Provost of Edinburgh, and both moved in royal circles.

John Napier (Alexander’s grandson) was born in the Tower in 1550. Specifically, the University is named after John Napier. His inventions and contributions to Mathematics are longstanding, with his most known invention being logarithms. There is a lot of “myth, mystery, and intrigue” (John Napier napier.ac.uk) about the man, and you can read about him in a previous blog post on Edinburgh Napier University’s webpages.

The Tower remained in the Napier family until the beginning od the 1800s. It was then owned by the Merchiston Castle School, followed by Edinburgh Council. For a while, it was also a storage space for fire hoses during the Second World War. By the 1950s, the Tower was set for demolition. It was in ruined. However, in 1958, a new technical college was coming to Edinburgh. A college that needed a campus. Napier College was formed around the Tower, saving from it demolition and beginning a work of restoration. These restorations would uncover ceilings and stairwells that had been hidden for a century.

The hallway ceiling of the Tower now proudly displays the University’s crest and showcases the Tower’s timeline, a nod to the Napier family, Merchiston Castle School, and Edinburgh Council.

Napier Crest

Inside the Tower

Can’t wait to have look. Let’s go on a digital walkthrough. And while, we have lovely pictures, nothing compares in person.

The original great hall stands to the left as you enter. In this hall, you will find a stunning, decorative ceiling that was commemorated during the reign of Charles II, the decorations showcasing the Napier family’s loyalty to the crown. The massive fireplace is thought to be original to the Tower. The north and south windows are original, while, the east window dates from the 17th century. During the restoration in the 1950s, a staircase in the thick walls was found.

The once hidden staircase leads to the Boardroom that now stretches across the third and fourth floors. The fourth floor would  have been a loft area, home to servants but it has now been opened up to make the room fell bigger, and to properly showcase.

The magnificent Prestongrange Ceiling, it dates from 1581. A rare example of a Scottish Renaissance painted ceiling, it was from Prestongrange House to Merchiston Tower in 1964 for preservation purposes. The ceiling is filled with art, featuring many motifs from folk plays. Truly Unique!

 

 

 

Prestongrange ceiling

 

Merchiston Tower and John Napier

In 1550, John Napier was born in the tower house. Over 400 years later, the Tower was saved from demolition and restoration work began for a new college to be named after John Napier. Now, it stands proud in the middle of our biggest campus, home to two of our schools; School of Arts and Creative Industries and School of Computing, Engineering & Built Environment.

 

Doors Open Day

On the 28th of September, we opened up the Tower to the public to celebrate Doors Open Day. Our second year running, we were delighted to welcome over 180 visitors.

 

 

If you are interested in visiting Merchiston Tower in person, please get in touch by emailing heritage@napier.ac.uk or library@napier.ac.uk. Tours are free but are dependent on staff and room availability so will require booking in advance.

Please note that – due to the steep and uneven medieval staircases – the Tower is unfortunately not wheelchair accessible.

For more information about the University’s Heritage Collections, have a look at our website.

Read more about the Heritage Collections

 

References

 

Merchiston Tower Edinburgh

The Napier Estate Past and Present

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