About us

The Edinburgh Lectures were launched in 1992 as part of a programme of events celebrating the UK’s Presidency of the European Union which culminated in the European Summit held in Edinburgh in December that year.

Each year the lectures addressed a range of major public issues in a national and international context. Over 200 high-calibre speakers from home and abroad, including Stephen Hawking, HRH The Princess Royal, Mikail Gorbachev, Jackie Stewart and John Simpson, have provided insightful and stimulating contributions

The Edinburgh Lectures were led by the City of Edinburgh Council and presented in partnership with The University of Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh Napier University, The Open University in Scotland, National Museums of Scotland, Creative Scotland,  The Royal Society of Edinburgh and Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh.  In 2014 the Edinburgh Lectures Partnership was disbanded following agreement from the Partners who agreed that it had run its course.

However, the City of Edinburgh Council will continue to put forward an annual lecture, inviting a high profile speaker to address topics relevant to the City, and we would hope that you will be interested in supporting this new initiative.