A history of
argument
Edinburgh has been a city of argument and enlightenment for centuries. The Edinburgh University Debates Union has carried that tradition since 1890. One of the oldest and most successful debating unions in the world, and the second-oldest society at the University.
Our story
From our home at Teviot Row House - the world's oldest purpose-built student union building - generations of students have learned to reason in public, to listen as well as speak, and to make a case that moves a room.
That legacy runs through Scottish public life and beyond: the alumni of EUDU have gone on to the bar, to parliament, to the press and to the stage. The craft they learned here is the same one we teach on a Tuesday night today.
As Teviot reopens, we are proud to re-establish it as our home. To celebrate our long legacy we are drawing on the University archives to reconnect a proud history with a new generation of debaters, redebating historic motions and reconnecting with alumni.
Debating at Edinburgh for 136 years
At the University of Edinburgh
The world's oldest purpose-built union
Finals across Britain and Europe
The union today
The room the union has argued in since Teviot became its home, and the craft still taught there on a Tuesday night.
Our fixtures
| Tradition | When | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| The Edinburgh Cup | 24-25 October | Our flagship open intervarsity, at Old College. Hundreds of debaters converge on Edinburgh to open the national season. |
| Public debates in the chamber | 30 Sep · 14 Oct · 4 Nov | Public debates in the Debating Hall at Teviot, on the questions that divide us, open to students and the public alike. |
| Edinburgh Juniors & Schools | November & March | The largest schools debating programme in Scotland: Edinburgh Juniors on 13 November, and Edinburgh Schools for older secondary school students in March. |
| The socials | All year | The freshers' debate, the Christmas dinner, the ceilidh, the infamous roasts - a society as known for its friendships as its silverware. |
Come and find your voice
Whether you want to win tournaments or simply speak with confidence, there is a place for you in the union.