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An Apollonaut travel guide
The zoo behind the story.
A lawyer’s society, a hillside designed for animals and a conservation charity offer several ways into the story of Edinburgh Zoo.
On this page
A society for the city
The Edinburgh lawyer Thomas Gillespie founded the society in 1909. Edinburgh Zoo opened to the public on 22 July 1913 and the society was incorporated by Royal Charter later that year.
After a visit by King George VI, it was granted the prefix ‘Royal’ in 1948, becoming the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.
A hillside zoo
The zoo covers 82 acres on the south-facing slopes of Corstorphine Hill. Patrick Geddes and his son-in-law Frank Mears were largely responsible for its design, with architectural work by Sir Robert Lorimer.
The slopes still shape a visit today, from the penguin pool to the enclosures higher up the hill.
A conservation charity
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland is a charity. It acquired the Highland Wildlife Park at Kincraig in 1986, and it has set itself pledges for 2030 to help reverse the decline of at least 50 species.
This history belongs to the zoo and the people who shaped it. The History page offers a longer introduction, and the timeline gives a short route through selected milestones.
Read at the source
Sources & further reading
Links lead to the original publishers.
