Church and cathedral tours in Edinburgh

Pay a visit to some of Edinburgh’s places of worship that have played significant roles in both its religious and cultural history.

Greyfriars Kirk

Greyfriars Kirk, founded in 1620, witnessed pivotal moments such as the signing of the National Covenant in 1638 and served as barracks during Cromwell’s invasion of Scotland. Equally important, its graveyard holds notable tombs, which can be explored on their private bespoke tours, which are personalised to the interests of the group.

They also offer weekly tours which are a short, information packed tour partnered with Invisible Cities and take place weekly on Wednesday afternoons at 12pm and 1pm, depending on availability and last about half an hour.

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St Giles’ Cathedral

Dating back to the 12th century, the magnificent St Giles’ Cathedral boasts captivating architecture and artifacts and has been a working church for over 900 years. St Gile’s has seen the seeds of civil war sown and been John Knox’s parish church during the Reformation.

They offer daily free guided walking tours at 10:30am or 2:30pm that include highlights such as the famous Thistle Chapel, home of Scotland’s great order of chivalry, the building’s early foundations to John Knox’s Reformation and many more.

Or choose a 25-minute audio tour that leads you through the building’s secrets and stories, allowing you to stop and start at your own pace.

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Rosslyn Chapel

Rosslyn Chapel, founded in 1446 by Sir William St Clair, invites visitors to explore it’s beauty and mysterious symbolism of ornate stonework and it’s role in the Da Vinci Code. Just seven miles from the city centre, you can purchase a ticket for one of their 90-minute timeslots including: a free map to find the main carvings, an information talk, and plenty free time to visit their visitor centre, buy a souvenir, have a drink or snack in their coffee shop, and take some images.

There are also activities for kids such as costumes to try on in the visitor centre, a children’s guide, as well as games and fun souvenirs in their shop.

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The Mansfield Traquair Centre

The Mansfield Traquair Centre is a former Catholic Apostolic Church, designed by Sir Robert Rowand Anderson and completed in 1885. The outstanding feature is a scheme of mural decorations painted in the 1898s by Phoebe Anna Traquair. She was heavily involved in the Arts and Crafts movement in Scotland and became internationally renowned as an illustrator, painter and embroiderer.

Private tours and talks can be arranged with advanced notice or alternatively you can visit on their regular open days where you are offered a free guided tour or an option to explore at your own leisure.

Walking Trail

The Diocese of Edinburgh, Scottish Episcopal Church, on behalf of the City Centre Churches have an Edinburgh City Centre Historic Churches Walking Trail to help you explore some of the most historic and beautiful churches in the city.

The trail features ten of the city’s architectural jewels and spiritual havens, which leads from the Royal Mile to the New Town and the West End. It takes in all three city cathedrals, including: St Giles’ Cathedral on the Royal Mile, where Queen Elizabeth II laid at rest; St Mary’s Catholic Cathedral on York Place, visited by Pope John Paul II in 1982; and St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral near Haymarket, the city’s highest building.

Smaller churches highlighted include: Canongate Kirk, the parish church to the royal Palace of Holyrood House; St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church, which is modelled on Trafalgar Square’s St Martin-in-the-Fields; and Old St Paul’s, which hosts Alison Watt’s iconic painting Still.

The trail is an inter-church – or ecumenical – venture involving the Church of Scotland, the Diocese of Edinburgh in the Scottish Episcopal Church, and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh. It was designed by Anne Martin, a congregant from the Episcopal Diocese.

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