Pride of place in Edinburgh’s Royal Mile goes to St Giles Cathedral, situated near Edinburgh Castle, its famous crown steeple dominating the ‘Old Town’ skyline. For over 900 years St Giles Cathedral, the Great High Kirk of Edinburgh has watched over the city in silent witness as the history of Scotland unfolded on its doorstep.
It is inextricably linked with John Knox, a towering figure in Scottish history and widely regarded as the father of the Scottish Reformation. This firebrand preacher became minister of St Giles (1559-1572) and spent much of his tenure delivering sermons denouncing Mary Queen of Scots with unrelenting hostility.
The Reformation also brought physical change to the building. With the new order, there was a determination to sweep away all the signs of the old ways. The large number of altars, which had been built, were ripped out, gold, silver and other valuables were catalogued and removed. It must have seemed an austere and desolate place with all its finery gone.
By the beginning of the 19h century the fabric of the cathedral had deteriorated badly, St Giles was in a poor state of repair and in 1829 the government made a grant to the city authorities of £12,600 for the restoration of the building.
The architect appointed was a now notorious Mr Burn. What followed said one former minister was, “Deplorable and can scarcely be conceived by those who have not themselves seen what was done. The three inner chapels on the south of the nave with the re-vestry, south porch and part of the Holy Blood Aisle were cut off… All the niches outside the building with the rich canopies were swept away. The picturesque roof “theikit with stane” disappeared.” It was wanton and needless destruction.
Former Lord Provost of Edinburgh, (1865-69) William Chambers said, “So much for Mr Burn’s improvements on St Giles… fortunately the spire escaped his attentions.”
It was that same Lord Provost that came to the rescue. It was his civic pride that persuaded him to try and undo the dreadful work of Mr Burn. Together with an excellent architect and backed by overwhelming public support for the ambitious project, Chambers by then an old man and in declining health was determined to see the High Church fully restored.
By 23 May 1883, the restoration was complete and a public service was held. Over 3000 people filled the building. However, it was too late for William Chambers he had died three days earlier.
Today a visit to the cathedral will give you the opportunity to quietly absorb the incredible atmosphere of the building and remember the people who created the history.
A statue of John Knox guards the entrance, sternly watching as the many visitors who throng to this ancient place stop to stare up at the vaulted roof and magnificent stain glass windows or visit the exquisite Thistle Chapel the spiritual home of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle and wonder at its exquisite wood carvings.
A look in the quiet darkened corners will remind visitors of the role of our armed forces in more recent wars. Tattered colors starkly remind us of the horrors of: Ypres, Malta, Sicily and other far off places. In the south aisle there is a tribute to one of Scotland’s best loved literary figures, a relief sculpture of Robert Louis Stevenson cast in bronze by American Augustus St Gaudens
The strains of Bach or Handel can frequently be heard, played from the magnificent Rieger organ during lunch-time and evening recitals and the Cathedral is often host to visiting choirs, musicians and travelers from around the world..
