Canongate Kirk

With its sober appearance, Canongate Kirk is a perfect example of a Presbyterian church, thanks to its simplicity and austerity. And if you want to imagine yourself rubbing shoulders with the royal family, it has important connections to them.

Presbyterian by design

You will recognise Canongate Kirk by its striking façade, topped by an attractive curved gable in the Dutch style, with a simple porch supported by Doric columns.

If you’ve already seen St Giles’, you’ll notice that Canongate is much simpler and more austere. This is because it was built after the Scottish Reformation, which brought a much simpler, humbler form of worship. Inside, the church is full of light, and the decoration is very sober, with only the essential items for worship.

Look closely and you’ll see that it is built on a Latin cross plan, something very unusual in Church of Scotland buildings after the Reformation of 1560.

Practical information

Opening hours

Summer

Usually weekdays 11am–4pm, Saturday mornings and Sundays after the service.

Rest of the year

Usually open at weekends when volunteers are available. If the doors are open, just come in!

Everyone is welcome at the Sunday morning service throughout the year.

Entry

Free. Donations welcome.

Canongate Kirkyard

Next to the church is Canongate Kirkyard, opened in the same year as the church and used for burials until the 20th century. Today it is one of Edinburgh’s historic graveyards, where you can stroll at any time and admire its old gravestones.

Unlike Greyfriars Kirkyard, which is more associated with dark legends, Harry Potter and ghost stories, Canongate Kirkyard has a calmer atmosphere, closely linked to Scotland’s intellectual and literary history. Look out for the grave of the poet Robert Fergusson, whose headstone was paid for by Robert Burns.

Walking through the kirkyard reveals a less obvious side of the Royal Mile. Just a few steps from the shops, tour groups and pubs, you’ll find a quiet place where some of the country’s most important figures are buried.

As always in places like this, please visit respectfully. It is still a graveyard, not just a tourist attraction.

The grave of Adam Smith

One of the most important graves in Canongate Kirkyard belongs to Adam Smith, the Scottish philosopher and economist, author of The Wealth of Nations, widely considered the father of modern economics and one of the key figures of the Scottish Enlightenment.

Smith spent his last years at Panmure House, very close to Canongate Kirk, and was buried here in 1790. His grave is one of the most interesting stops for anyone wanting to understand Edinburgh’s intellectual importance in the 18th century.

The Scottish Enlightenment made the city one of the great centres of European thought, and Adam Smith was one of its leading names, so his grave connects perfectly with the story of Edinburgh’s cultural transformation.

Canongate Kirk and the community

Canongate Kirk does extensive charitable and social work, and organises activities for its congregation almost every week, such as meals, talks or film screenings, both in the church and in nearby parish buildings.

The royal parish church

Canongate Kirk was inaugurated in 1688 as the parish church of the nearby Palace of Holyroodhouse, replacing Holyrood Abbey, next to the palace, which is now in ruins.

It is still the palace’s parish church today, and it is used by the royal family when they are in residence. With a bit of luck you might even see a royal ceremony: the most famous in recent years was the wedding of Zara Phillips, Queen Elizabeth II’s granddaughter, in 2011.

Curiously, Canongate is also the parish church of Edinburgh Castle, even though the castle is not in the Canongate parish, thanks to its old link with Holyrood Palace. Its minister still leads occasional services in St Margaret’s Chapel.

Don’t hesitate to pop in. The volunteers are extremely friendly and welcoming, and will be happy to tell you everything you want to know about the church.