Foresterhill Campus

Foresterhill Campus

The history of Medicine at Aberdeen is a long and distinguished one and is almost as long as the history of the University itself. The University was founded by Bishop William Elphinstone in 1495.

It is the third oldest University in Scotland and the fifth oldest in the UK. The earliest English-speaking Chair in Medicine was endowed by King James IV in 1497, when the post of Mediciner (equivalent to a modern professorship) was established.

Medical teaching was not continuous after this, but the Mediciner's post was held by some noted physicians and the teaching of medicine was strongly revived in the nineteenth century when Aberdeen's Medical School became one of the most professional in Britain.

By the early 20th century, the accommodation provided at Marischal College proved inadequate for the increasing student numbers. The Foresterhill site was purchased for the development of a unified hospital and teaching campus and students moved up to this site in 1938.

The Foresterhill site of over 125 acres now houses one of Europe's largest clinical complexes, including Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and the Children's and Maternity Hospitals. Further major teaching hospitals, including Royal Cornhill and Woodend Hospitals are close by.

Working closely alongside our NHS Grampian colleagues, the Foresterhill site is the University's second major teaching and research campus and is the location of the Medical School, the Medical Library and the Institute of Medical Sciences.