The university gateway where Patrick Hamilton was burned in 1528, marked only by two initials in the cobbles.
People and clans in this story
People: Patrick Hamilton
The story underfoot
Patrick Hamilton, a 24-year-old churchman and university member, was burned for heresy outside St Salvator's on 29 February 1528 after bringing Lutheran ideas back from continental Europe.
His execution here is documented. The often-repeated six-hour duration comes from partisan Reformation-era accounts and is better treated as accepted rather than beyond dispute. The student belief that stepping on the initials causes exam failure is modern folklore, not Hamilton's dying curse.
What to look for while you're here
- The PH initials in the cobbles outside the gateway.
- The 15th-century chapel tower above the street.
- The quadrangle through the arch, when university access permits.
Before you go
- The initials are visible from the public street. Chapel and quadrangle access can vary around university use.