Canongate Kirk
Address: 153 Canongate, Edinburgh, EH8 8BN
The Kirk of the Canongate dates from 1691. It’s the parish church of Edinburgh Castle, the Palace of Holyroodhouse and the Scottish Parliament. The kirk has a Dutch-style end gable and a small doric-columned portico over the entrance and the unusual post-reformation interior is in the shape of a roman cross. It has been renovated several times. Most recently in 1991, when it was converted into a modern, light and airy space. A new Frobenius pipe organ was installed in 1998. This was the 1000th organ built by the Frobenius company.
The churchyard is the burial place of many notable locals, including David Rizzio, the murdered private secretary of Mary, Queen of Scots. Guests can visit the kirk between May and September each year and can access information in several languages.
5 things to do at Canongate Kirk
- Visit the kirk between May and September, when volunteers are on hand to chat with you about the church and its history.
- See the famous Frobenius pipe organ.
- Walk through the kirkyard and look at the elaborate and interesting monuments, memorials and gravestones.
- Look out for the small bronze plaque on the east wall of the church, above a flat tombstone, marking the reputed burial place of David Riccio (1533–1566), secretary to Mary, Queen of Scots, who was murdered in the Queen’s chamber at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
- Attend a service, event or concert at the kirk.
