Lauriston is a central area on the edge of Edinburgh's Old Town. It is between Edinburgh Castle in the North and the large green expanse of The Meadows. It borders or overlaps Tollcross, Lothian Road, and the Grassmarket and has a large student population.
Lauriston is also home to the Edinburgh College of Art in its campus based on Lauriston Place, and the former headquarters of the Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service including the Museum of Fire.
Lauriston was the site of the original Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, which moved in 1879 in search of fresher air at the edge of the city. The Infirmary incorporated the existing George Watson's Hospital into the new David Bryce-designed complex.
The Infirmary operated as a voluntary hospital and teaching hospital for the University of Edinburgh Medical School until 2003, after which it underwent a £750 million mixed-use development known as the Quartermile.
The University of Edinburgh is investing £120 million to convert the remaining main Infirmary buildings to house the Edinburgh Futures Institute, an interdisciplinary academic hub and future home in August 2024 of the Edinburgh International Book Festival.
George Heriot's School, a private primary and secondary school, in Lauriston Place opposite the Old Royal Infirmary.