Edinburgh Zoo

Functions at the Zoo

The Mansion House at Edinburgh Zoo is a truly unique venue, offering charm, elegance, impeccable service and access to over 1,000 wonderful animals!  We are open 365 days of the year.

The House, dating back more than two hundred years, stands at the heart of the park, which extends over 80 acres of beautiful hillside parkland, facing south with stunning views across to the Pentland hills.  It’s a really special venue in which to hold your event, whether it’s a wedding, conference, business meeting or a celebratory meal. 

Location

Edinburgh Zoo and the Mansion House are easily accessible from all major roads and public transport into Edinburgh. We are just 10 minutes from the centre of Edinburgh and only a 20-minute journey from Edinburgh airport on a direct bus route.

Rooms in the Mansion House

The House offers a range of unique rooms, each with very different decor and character. The imposing architecture of the Mansion House, formerly known as Corstorphine Hill House, bears witness to a long and complex history, which is reflected in the names of the principal rooms:

• Keith Room – named after the original family, this is a small, circular lounge, in the oldest part of the House, decorated in shades of pale lemons and creams
• Gillespie Room – the main dining room, named after the founder of the RZSS and the Zoo’s first director, Thomas Gillespie - a magnificent oak-panelled room, with views south across the park.
  Taste of Scotland menu at the Gillespie Restaurant
• Geddes Room – the back dining room, named after the Zoo’s original landscape designer, Patrick Geddes
• Salvesen Room – a smart conference room, on the upper floor, named after the first president of the RZSS, Lord Salvesen, decorated in shades of yellow, cream and blue
• Macmillan Room – also upstairs, this stunning coffee lounge is named after the family who extended the House, adding the east wing during the mid-late Victorian era - decorated with elaborate plasterwork, and paintwork in shades of Wedgwood blues and greys

History of the Mansion House

Situated in a leafy hollow, bounded to the north by wooded hills and only two miles from the centre of Edinburgh, the Burgh of Corstorphine was a favourite retreat for wealthy Edinburgh businessmen from the sixteenth century onwards.  In 1768, David Johnston, a successful brewer, bought a large acreage of land on the south side of Corstorphine Hill, and in 1791 sold it to William Keith, an accountant from one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in the west of Edinburgh. In 1793, Keith started to build a large family house, known as Corstorphine Hill House, and it is this that forms the core of the Mansion House today. Successive generations adapted and added to the original turreted building, but the result is a harmonious blend of architectural styles.

The House changed hands twice more before it came into the possession of John Macmillan, of Melrose Tea, at around the turn of the 20 ^th century. His initials (JM), and those of his bride (JFL), can be seen engraved on the stained glass windows on the landing of the main stairway; the window is believed to have been his wedding gift to her.

 In 1912, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland purchased the house and grounds for £17,000, with help from the Edinburgh City Council. Given its long history, it’s perhaps not surprising that the House even boasts its own ghost; there have been numerous sightings of a grey lady in the upper floors of the older part of the House, but sadly nothing is known of her name or circumstances.

Edinburgh Zoo is owned by The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, registered charity number SC 004064
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom, EH12 6TS, t: 0131 334 9171, f: 0131 314 0384 info@rzss.org.uk