Edinburgh Architectural Association (EAA)

The Edinburgh Architectural Association is a charitable organisation and has been in existence since 1858. It is now the oldest Association of the profession in the UK except for the RIBA and the London Architectural Association. It was founded by a group of young architectural students and pupils of men in practice who had a bent for Art.

The Association grew from the Architectural Institute of Scotland which was founded in 1850. The Institute's membership embraced architects in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee and Aberdeen - noblemen, landed proprietors, clergymen and lawyers. Its printed transactions cover the years 1850 to 1860.

As pupils were ineligible to join the Architectural Institute, they decided to form a society of their own. The first official meeting of the Edinburgh Architectural Association was held in Darlings Hotel and G S Aitken was appointed President.

By 1873 The Architectural Institute of Scotland was thought to be superfluous: its functions were closed, and its assets and drawings transferred to the Edinburgh Architectural Association for safekeeping.

Since then the membership has grown to 1,150 with the Chapter area comprising the City of Edinburgh, the Counties of West Lothian, Mid Lothian, East Lothian, Berwick, Roxburgh, Selkirk, Peebles, Clackmannan and Fife (that part south and west of a line drawn on West Wemyss to Auchmore Bridge on the border of Kinross-shire).