St Cuthbert’s Parish Church
Address: 5 Lothian Road, Edinburgh, EH1 2EP
St Cuthbert’s is a historic church on the corner of Lothian Road and Princes Street, in Edinburgh city centre. Founded in the 7th century, the church has been destroyed and rebuilt over the centuries. The current building dates from 1894, featuring Baroque and Renaissance style architecture, although the steeple is over a hundred years older. It sits within a large churchyard, which contains hundreds of monuments and memorials.
The church lies at the west end of Princes Street Gardens, beneath the imposing Edinburgh Castle. It is open to visitors usually from April to September each year. Points of interest include the ornate stained glass windows, one of which was designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany (of Tiffany & Co), and a ring of 10 bells in the tower. The oldest bell still in use was cast in 1683, while an even older cracked bell from 1664 is displayed in the church. This is also famously where author Agatha Christie married her second husband in 1930.
5 things to do at St Cuthbert’s
- Walk around the building and take in the fascinating architecture.
- Explore inside the church, open to visitors from April to September each year.
- Visit the small shop in the Lammermuir Hall.
- Take a walk in the large churchyard and see the many memorials, gravestones and tombs.
- Attend a service.
