ADD AN EVENT LISTING

Canongate Kirk

Canongate Kirk is the parish church of Canongate in Edinburgh’s Old Town and a congregation of the Church of Scotland.

Canongate Kirk

About Canongate Kirk

153 Canongate, Edinburgh Old Town EH8 8BN
01315563515
Canongate Kirk Website
Follow CanongateKirk on Twitter
Facebook information can be found here

The parish includes the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Scottish Parliament, and Edinburgh Castle.

The church was founded in 1688 and completed in 1691. The master mason in charge was James Smith. A plaque on the front of the church bears witness to it having been built through a large bequest from a local merchant.
“In 1688 King James VII ordained that the Mortification of Thos. Moodie, granted in 1649 to build a Church, should be applied to the erection of this structure”

Previously the residents of the Canongate had used the Abbey Church adjacent to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, but King James VII ordered the construction of the new Kirk of the Canongate, allowing the Abbey Church to be converted into a Chapel for the Order of the Thistle. (The current Thistle Chapel is attached to St Giles’ Cathedral ).

Architecturally, the Kirk has a Dutch-style end gable and a curious, small doric-columned portico over the entrance. Although outwardly rectangular, the Kirk’s interior has a cruciform layout (highly unusual for a post-Reformation, pre-Victorian Church of Scotland building). The Kirk’s interior was extensively remodelled in 1882, with the inclusion of a pipe organ and a central pulpit. These unsympathetic alterations were removed in the early 1950s, along with the galleries. The resulting reordering considerably increased the levels of light; the original dignified simplicity of the Kirk was able to be appreciated once more. The Kirk was further restored in 1991 by the Stewart Todd partnership, followed by the installation of a new Danish-built Frobenius pipe organ in 1998, in memory of the late Very Rev Dr Ronald Selby Wright. This was the 1000th organ to be built by the Frobenius company.

Following the Disruption of 1843, a Holyrood Free Church congregation was formed. A church was built in front of the Palace of Holyroodhouse, but the building was closed in 1915 (when that congregation united with Abbeyhill United Free Church, becoming Holyrood Abbey Church, located in London Road.) The former Holyrood Free Church building was reopened as The Queen’s Gallery in 2003, to house exhibitions from the Royal Collection.

The Canongate kirkyard is the resting place of several Edinburgh notables including the economist Adam Smith, the philosopher and Smith’s biographer Dugald Stewart, Agnes Maclehose (the “Clarinda” of Robert Burns), David Rizzio, the murdered private secretary of Mary, Queen of Scots, and the poet Robert Fergusson, whose statue in bronze by David Annand stands outside the kirk gate. Bishop James Ramsay is also buried here.

Upcoming Events at Canongate Kirk

More History and Culture in Edinburgh

Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh

9 Queen Street, Edinburgh New Town EH2 1JQ

The RCPE is an independent standard-setting body and professional membership organisation. Our aim is to improve and maintain the quality of patient care.

READ MORE

Surgeons Hall Museums

Surgeons Hall Museums Nicolson Street, Edinburgh South EH8 9DW

Surgeons' Hall Museums is home to one of the largest and most historic collections of surgical pathology in the World, open to the public since 1832.

READ MORE

Princes Street Gardens

Princes Street Gardens Princes Street, Edinburgh New Town EH2 2HG

Princes Street Gardens lies at centre of Edinburgh's World Heritage Site, within New Town and Old Town Outstanding Conservation Areas.

READ MORE

Panmure House

4 Lochend Close, Edinburgh Old Town EH8 8BL

Panmure House is a 17th-century townhouse located in Edinburgh's Canongate. It is the only surviving residence of renowned Scottish philosopher Adam Smith, who lived there between 1778 and 1790.

READ MORE

Newhailes House and Gardens

Newhailes House and Gardens Newhailes Road , Musselburgh EH21 6RY

Discover 300 years of Scottish history through the magnificent and carefully conserved neo-Palladian villa that is Newhailes House and Gardens!

READ MORE

Patrick Geddes Centre at Riddles Court

Riddle's Court 322 Lawnmarket, Edinburgh Old Town EH1 2PG

Inspired by Geddes' educational philosophy, the Patrick Geddes Centre fosters learning for all through 'Hand, Heart and Head', learning by 'doing'.

READ MORE

The Palace of Holyroodhouse

The Palace of Holyroodhouse Canongate, Edinburgh East EH8 8DX

The Palace of Holyroodhouse, commonly referred to as Holyrood Palace, is the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland.

READ MORE

Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle Castlehill, Edinburgh Old Town EH1 2NG

Edinburgh Castle dominates Scotland's capital city from its great rock. Its story has helped shape the nation's story.

READ MORE

The Edinburgh Dungeon

31 Market Street, Edinburgh Old Town EH1 1DF

The Edinburgh Dungeon is the ultimate underground journey through Edinburgh's darkest history as you see, hear and errr smell Edinburgh’s murky past!

READ MORE

Traquair House

Traquair House , Innerleithen EH44 6PW

Traquair is a unique piece of living history welcoming visitors from all over the world. Enjoy the house, extensive grounds, maze, craft workshops, Garden Cafe and the famous Brewery!

READ MORE

Greyfriars Kirk

1 Greyfriars, Edinburgh Old Town EH1 2QQ

Welcome to Greyfriars Kirk, a worshipping congregation of the Church of Scotland in the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town where a church has stood since 1620.

READ MORE

The Cadies & Witchery Tours

84 West Bow, Edinburgh Old Town EH1 2HH

The award-winning Cadies & Witchery Tours invite you to join our fearless phantoms for a suspenseful and mirth-filled tour of Edinburgh's Old Town. Step...

READ MORE
All History and Culture listings in Edinburgh

Sponsored Links

Sponsored Links

Popular Events

Cinderella
Stage Door Entertainment, in partnership with Portobello Town Hall, is proud to bring the enchanting fairytale to life, promising to captivate audiences of all ages.
Christmas at the Botanics
Explore the sights and sounds of Christmas in this magical after dark experience when it returns to the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh!
The Pantomime Adventures of Peter Pan
Join Peter Pan as he sets sail on a brand-new adventure for Christmas 2023 at the Festival Theatre, with pantomime favourites Allan Stewart, Grant Stott and Jordan Young!
Daily Tours at St Giles’ Cathedral
Join a volunteer guide for a 45 min to 1 hour glimpse into the history, heraldry and life of our historic Cathedral and Thistle Chapel!
Castle Of Light
Prepare to see the jewel in Edinburgh's skyline sparkle and glisten in brilliant colour this festive season as Castle of Light is back for its fourth year!

Popular Venues

Edinburgh Playhouse Festival Theatre Edinburgh Kings Theatre Edinburgh National Museum of Scotland O2 Academy Edinburgh Traverse Theatre Usher Hall