St. Giles

St Giles' Cathedral - this Kirk is on the Royal Mile and there has been a church on this site since the 9th Century.

There is record of a parish church in Edinburgh by the year 854, served by a vicar from a monastic house, probably in England. It is possible that the first church, a modest affair, was in use for several centuries before it was formally dedicated by the bishop of St Andrews on 6 October 1243.

According to legend, Giles was accidentally wounded by a huntsman in pursuit of a hind and, after his death in the early 8th century, there were dedicated to him hospitals and safe houses for cripples, beggars and lepers were established throughout England and Scotland within easy reach of the impoverished and the infirm. St Giles is usually depicted protecting a hind from an arrow, which had pierced his own body, a fine relief of which rests in the tympanum over the west (main) doors of the Cathedral.




Properly known as the High Kirk of Edinburgh (Kirk meaning church), it has a 15th Century tower (1495), the top of which looks like the crown of Scotland. The beautiful stained glass is from the 1800 and 1900's & parts of the ribbed ceiling are from the 1400's. The oldest parts of the cathedral - the four massive central pillars supporting the tower, date from 1120.
This was the church where John Knox preached in support of the Reformation.

By 1800, St Giles' was in a poor state of repair. In 1829, architect William Burn supervised a restoration of the building which demolished some chapels and encased much of the exterior in a skin of smooth ashlar.

During the years 1872-83, William Chambers, publisher and Lord Provost of Edinburgh, planned and financed a further major restoration. The building was cleaned and old galleries and partition walls were removed, creating a single interior space. New stained glass was put into the windows.

It is best known for the Thistle Chapel, which was built in the early 1900's in the Victorian Gothic style. The Knights of the Thistle are Scotland's order of chivalry and they had no chapel of their own since 1688.
The Earl of Leven and Melville left funds for the chapel to be built, and only Scottish craftsmen and materials were used. Notice the elaborate carved wood canopies with the helms and crests of each of the knights rising above.




No two knight's stalls are alike - each one is unique.The chapel also has as a stone ribbed vaulted ceiling and a carved royal pew for the reigning monarch. Look for the angel playing bagpipes! (I didn't get a clear shot of her, unfortunately).

Edit: I forgot to mention that there was an amazingly helpful church lady who walked around the Thistle Chapel with us and told us all sorts of information and tidbits. She probably could've entertained us for hours with new information, but we didn't stay that long. She was very sweet, though.



A new restoration programme began in 1977. In addition to essential repairs to roof, stone and glass, the interior has been lightened, the focus of worship moved from the east end to a new sanctuary in the middle of the church ("the crossing") and a magnificent new organ installed. Space has been converted from old cellars and crypts for meeting and eating. Much remains to be done.



While you had a purchase a permit to take photos (only a couple of quid), it was well worth it because of the lovely stained glass and the great opportunities for photos. One of the best cathedrals I've had the chance to photograph inside.