Greyfriars Kirk, Edinburgh
Dedicated in 1620, Greyfriars Kirk was the first "reformed" church in Edinburgh and became the center of a good bit of Scottish history.
History
Greyfriars was built amid a cemetery that Mary Queen of Scots proposed in 1562 because there was no more burial space at St. Giles Cathedral on the Royal Mile. The church opened in 1620 and was named for the Franciscan friary that stood nearby.
In 1638 the National Covenant, a document of great importance in the history of Scotland, was presented and signed in front of the pulpit. By the middle of the 17th century, Greyfriars had become a barracks for Cromwell's forces, and in 1679, some 1200 Covenanters were imprisoned in Greyfriars Kirkyard pending trial. In the 18th century, the original tower exploded when gunpowder stored there caught fire.
In the 19th century a minister of Greyfriars led a movement to reform worship, introducing the first post-Reformation stained glass windows and one of the first organs in a Presbyterian Church in Scotland.
 Greyfriars Bobby. |
What to See
The kirkyard has a bit of the Flodden Wall and is full of 17th-century monuments. But the most celebrated grave in the churchyard contains a 19th-century policeman named John Gray whose faithful Skye terrier, Bobby, reputedly stood watch at his master's last resting place for years.
The tenacious terrier is believed to lie about 50 yards from his master's grave and his statue is at the top of Candlemaker Row, just outside the Greyfriars Bobby pub, named in his honor.
Map
Location map and satellite view of Greyfriars Kirk. Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. You can explore all of Edinburgh from space on our Edinburgh Satellite Map.
| Address: | Greyfriars Place, Old Town, Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Phone: | 0131/226-5429 |
| Bus: | 2, 41, or 42 |
| Hours: | Apr-Oct Mon-Fri 10:30am-4:30pm, Sat 10:30am-2:30pm; Oct-Mar Thurs 1:30-3:30pm |
| Cost: | Free |
Sources
- Greyfriars Presbyterian Church (official site) - includes a 360° view of the interior
- Frommer's Edinburgh and Glasgow, 1st ed.
