On a very, very cold winter's evening, 120 students, staff and friends took the Auld Reekie Creepy Chemistry Tour around old Edinburgh. 5th December 2013 In a special one off tercentenary historical tour, our guides regaled us with tales about the history of Edinburgh during the last 300 years and how events in the city - both famous and infamous - contributed to the world of science. We heard about the witchcraft trials which took place around the time the first Chair of Chemistry was created; were shocked to hear how doctors teaching in the early 19th century in our very own Edinburgh Medical School, relied increasingly on body-snatchers such as Burke and Hare for a steady supply of anatomical subjects; and visited the sites of earlier Chemistry laboratories across town. As we travelled through the centuries, we were fortunate enough to meet up with former student, Arthur Conon Doyle; his Chemistry Professor: Alexander Crum Brown; and School favourite: Joseph Black. Whilst Conon Doyle seemed preoccupied by the stresses of being a working student, both Crum Brown and Black were keen to know if the groups knew about, more importantly appreciated, their scientific legacy! Afterwards we thawed out and warmed up in Teviot Row House with mulled wine and mince pies! This article was published on 2023-11-21
