St Giles Cathedral

A prominent feature of the Edinburgh skyline, St Giles Cathedral or High Kirk of Edinburgh decorates the midpoint of the Royal Mile with its rounded hollow-crown tower.

Related Topics:
Edinburgh - Royal Mile

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The cathedral has been at Edinburgh's religious focal point for at least 900 years. Today it is often regarded as the mother church of Presbyterianism; since the Church of Scotland became Presbyterian in the 17th century, St Giles is no longer a cathedral in the technical sense, although the name survives colloquially along the "High Kirk" label which it uses more formally. It is the Church of Scotland parish church for part of Edinburgh's Old Town. Four services are held every Sunday, as well as daily services and special services for state and civic occasions. The current minister (since 1973) of St Giles' is the Very Reverend Dr Gilleasbuig I. Macmillan.

Related Topics:
Presbyterianism - Church of Scotland - 17th century - Cathedral - Parish church

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As the name implies, it is dedicated to Saint Giles, who was the patron saint of cripples and lepers and a very popular saint in the Middle Ages. The oldest parts of the building are four massive central pillars, dating from 1120. Over the years many chapels have been added and by the middle of the sixteenth century (before the Reformation) there were about fifty altars in the church.

Related Topics:
Saint Giles - Middle Ages - Reformation

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The Thistle Chapel (1911, by Robert Lorimer) is the chapel of The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, Scotland's foremost Order of Chivalry. It is a small, but exquisite, chapel with carved and painted fittings of extraordinary detail. The Order, which was founded by James VII in 1687, consists of the monarch and 16 knights. The knights are the personal appointment of the crown, and are normally Scots who have made a significant contribution to national or international affairs. Knights have included Sir Alec Douglas-Home, Lord Mackay of Clashfern and the Duke of Buccleuch.

Related Topics:
Robert Lorimer - The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle - James VII - Sir Alec Douglas-Home - Lord Mackay of Clashfern - Duke of Buccleuch

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In 1637 King Charles I attempted to impose Anglican services on the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. On Sunday July 23, when Dean John Hanna began to read from the new Book of Prayer, Jenny Geddes, a market-woman or street-seller, threw her folding stool at his head starting riots. This led to the National Covenant and hence the Bishops' Wars; the first part of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, which included the English Civil War.

Related Topics:
1637 - Charles I - Anglican - Jenny Geddes - National Covenant - Bishops' Wars - Wars of the Three Kingdoms - English Civil War

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Its many monuments and memorials, as well as its sheer size and location, has made it a very popular tourist attraction, drawing special notice during the annual Edinburgh Festival, which centres on the Royal Mile.

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