As more than 2,500 students make their way to the Usher Hall in Edinburgh to attend graduation ceremonies, one of Edinburgh’s oldest pubs has rebranded in honour of the university’s class of 2023.
Until Friday 7, Shakespeare’s will be known as The Napier Graduate. The pub has been decked out in red and white Napier livery, changing everything from the outdoor signs to the beermats in tribute of the university’s biggest graduation celebration to date.
Six ceremonies are spread over three days, honouring the graduates of all five of the university’s schools.
Among those graduating are Eilidh Skye Denny, an aspiring lawyer who was the first in her family to attend university. Hailing from Greenock, she has completed an LLB Law degree at the business school at the age of just 22 and hopes to inspire other youngsters from less advantaged backgrounds.
“Coming from a socially deprived area, as well as one of the poorest areas in Scotland, has been hard, but I have been able to challenge this and prove the statistics wrong, which has been rewarding,” she stated.
“My aim is to be able to inspire others who come from a similar area or background, to show that anything is possible when you put your mind to it and put the work in.”
This is not the first time Edinburgh Napier University has pulled out all the stops to celebrate its graduates. In 2021, it held a city takeover, which saw the name of graduates displayed across 18 billboards, 100 bus stops, a tram and a taxi.
Andrea Nolan, principal and vice chancellor at Edinburgh Napier University, said: “Graduations in the Usher Hall are the highlight of the year for me and Shakespeare’s has been synonymous with celebrations after our ceremonies for as long as I can remember.
“To support recognition of the achievements of our class of ’23, we are dedicating a special place for them to celebrate with family and friends.”
Izzy Polson, general manager of Shakespeare’s, said: “We love welcoming the new graduates to the pub each year, it’s always such a fun and celebratory time, so we were delighted to be rebranded as The Napier Graduate to make this year even more special.
“As one of Edinburgh’s oldest pubs, Shakespeare’s was built at the same time as many of the theatres of the area, so you never know, I could be serving the next Shakespeare.”
Don't miss the latest headlines with our twice-daily newsletter - sign up here for free.
