Plaque for Sophia Jex-Blake

St Giles’ Cathedral, High St, EH1 1RE

Sophia Jex-Blake (1840-1912) became Scotland’s first female doctor when she established a private practice in Edinburgh in September 1878 at 73 Grove Street. In 1885, she opened the Edinburgh Hospital and Dispensary for Women and Children, just a few doors down from her private practice. It was a so-called cottage hospital, a small hospital (6 beds) intended to cater for the immediate needs of the local poor population without requiring them to travel long distances.

Find out more

• Your Dictionary – Sophia Jex-Blake Biography
• BBC – Sophia Jex-Blake: The battle to be Scotland’s first female doctor
• Historic Environment Scotland – Jex-Blake and the Edinburgh Seven