Queen Margaret awarded uni status

Queen Margaret has become Edinburgh's fourth university

Queen Margaret University College, which originally taught young women domestic science, has been granted full university status.

The institution has awarded degrees - including those in nursing, drama and social sciences - for almost a decade.

However, its small size prevented the college, which is building a new modern campus on Edinburgh's outskirts, from taking on the university title.

The award was made after student numbers reached the 4,000 mark.

The university, which is the fourth in Edinburgh, was first founded as the Edinburgh School of Cookery in the 19th Century and has undergone a transformation in recent decades.

It is hoped that its new status will help it to attract funds, students and staff.