What is St Andrew's House in Edinburgh?

St Andrew's House is an art deco government building located on the southern flank of Calton Hill in central Edinburgh, serving as the headquarters of the Scottish Government. Completed in 1939, it was initially the largest metal-framed building in Europe and united multiple Scottish government departments under one roof. The structure was built on the site of the former Calton Jail, leaving behind historical remnants such as the surviving Governor's House and the graves of executed murderers beneath its car park.

What we know

• St Andrew's House serves as the headquarters of the Scottish Government and houses offices for the First Minister, Deputy First Minister, and Permanent Secretary. [1, 2]
• When completed in 1939, it was the largest metal-framed building in Europe and brought government departments serving Scotland into a single space in Edinburgh for the first time. [2]
• The building was constructed on the site of the old Calton Jail, which was demolished in 1937. [2, 5]
• The graves of ten murderers remain buried beneath the car park of St Andrew's House. [2]

Where to go next

• a case in pointWhat remains of the old Calton Jail?
• whenWhere did Scottish government departments operate before 1939?
• how it workedWhat is the architectural style of St Andrew's House?
• the bigger pictureHow does St Andrew's House fit into Edinburgh's public administration buildings?
• whereWhat other landmarks are located on Calton Hill?
• an unexpected connectionWhat connects the headquarters of the Scottish Government to executed criminals?The car park of St Andrew's House holds the buried graves of ten murderers who were imprisoned when the site operated as Calton Jail.

Sources

• [1]St Andrew's House (Wikidata Q7592399) · CC0 1.0
• [2]St Andrew's House · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]St Andrew Square, Edinburgh · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]St Andrew (disambiguation) · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Governor's House, Edinburgh · CC BY-SA 4.0