Historical information

St Giles, also known as the High Kirk of Edinburgh is the principal place of worship for the Church of Scotland. It is very interesting for the mason's marks found on its many stone columns inside the church, and for its connections to the graveyard outside. According to wikipedia, "There is record evidence of a church here, very likely on the present site, in the year 854. In 1120 King Alexander I, rebuilt the church in the Norman style. Of this building characteristic features survived until 1798. During the fourteenth century, Edinburgh was captured and plundered by the English under Edward II. and Edward III., and twice St Giles was laid waste. After restoration, the church was more thoroughly ruined at the Burnt Candlemas in 1387, when Richard II. sacked the city. The western part of the fabric was soon in use again ; but the restoration of the choir and transepts, which were much enlarged, lasted on into the sixteenth century. In 1467 the city endowed St Giles as a collegiate church. It now became usual to speak of the nave, where the stonework was ancient, as the Old Kirk, while the eastern part of the building was called the New Kirk. When the movement for reform drew large crowds to St Giles, separate services began to be regularly held in the Old and New Kirks. Soon this was not enough, and the great church was partitioned off into smaller sections. In 1571 St Giles was seized by Kirkcaldie of Grange, and held by him as a stronghold for Queen Mary. This resulted in serious damage to the structure.

Physical description

Colour photograph of St Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh, Scotland