The University of Edinburgh’s visual identity is built around a heraldic roundel featuring the university’s coat of arms, surrounded by the institution’s name in circular text. The logo is available in several official versions, including white, black and CMYK formats, and the university provides detailed guidance on minimum size, clear space and background usage to ensure consistent reproduction across print and digital applications [1].
Design and History
The University of Edinburgh’s heraldic arms were formally granted in 1789, when a certificate awarding the arms was issued by the Court of the Lord Lyon, Scotland’s heraldic authority. The original certificate is held in the university’s Heritage Collections [2].
The arms display a saltire (St Andrew’s Cross) with a thistle above and a castle below, surrounding an open book at the centre [3]. The saltire and thistle are symbols of Scotland, the castle is drawn from the arms of the city of Edinburgh, and the open book is a common symbol of learning used by universities [4].
The university’s corporate logo is built around this coat of arms, set within a circular roundel with the university name in text around the circumference. Official brand guidance refers to the “roundel type” when specifying legibility and clear-space rules, and identifies the roundel as a graphical device that may be used separately only when the full logo is correctly presented elsewhere [5].
The university maintains multiple logo formats for different contexts. For digital use, a stacked logo is recommended as the preferred format on websites and digital services, while a horizontal version is also available. A centred logo format exists but is not recommended as the primary option for digital applications [6].
Meaning and Symbolism
The elements of the University of Edinburgh’s coat of arms carry documented heraldic meaning. The saltire and thistle represent Scotland, the castle derives from the arms of the city of Edinburgh, and the open book symbolises learning, a device commonly used by universities [4]. The official blazon describes the arms as argent, on a saltire azure between a thistle proper in chief and a castle on a rock sable in base, a book expanded or [7].
Typography and Design
The university’s official brand colours are defined as “University red” (HEX D50032) and “University blue” (HEX 041E42), with the full set of eleven primary colours derived from the official corporate colour palettes [8]. The colour values have been approved for use in the university brand and tested for accessibility and contrast [9].
The university’s brand guidelines are managed by the Communications and Marketing department, which provides practical advice on correctly applying the brand across internal and external collateral. Access to the full brand toolkit is restricted to university staff and approved external suppliers or partners [10].
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