St Cuthbert's Church, Edinburgh
| The Parish Church of St Cuthbert, Edinburgh | |
|---|---|
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| Denomination | Church of Scotland |
| Website | www |
| History | |
| Dedication | Cuthbert |
| Dedicated | 11 July 1894 |
| Administration | |
| Presbytery | Presbytery of Edinburgh |
| Clergy | |
| Minister(s) | The Revd John Cowie Interim Moderator The Revd Charles Robertson Minister |
| Laity | |
| Organist(s) | Mr Graham Maclagan Director of Music |
The Parish Church of St Cuthbert is a parish church of the Church of Scotland now within the Presbytery of Edinburgh. The church building is situated east of Lothian Road in central Edinburgh at the western foot of the Castle Rock, at the west end of Princes Street, but set well below street level, unlike its more modern counterpart, St John's, which screens the church in views from the north. The church is surrounded by its churchyard, which adds a valued green space in the city centre, linking visually to Princes Street Gardens on its east side.
A chapel dedicated to St Cuthbert is first mentioned in the 8th century. It is believed a church has definitely stood on the same site as currently used since 850 AD, making it Edinburgh's oldest building in terms of foundation. A mediaeval St. Cuthbert's church is mentioned in 1127 (possibly rededicated by St. Margaret). Early maps showing the church usually refer to it simply as West Church.
The parish boundaries of the church were somewhat eccentric, encompassing outlying villages such as and Canongate (originally a separate burgh distinct from Edinburgh) but oddly also taking in Edinburgh Castle (resulting in many soldier burials over the centuries). After the Scottish Reformation the long nave, with a staged tower in its south flank, became the 'Little Kirk', and the choir was submerged in a mass of additions of which one – the Nisbet of Dean vault of 1692 – survives on the north side.
In 1754 a Chapel of Ease was proposed for the South side of the parish, and approved by the Kirk Session. This chapel was opened in 1756 and accommodated 1200 people, having cost £640 and 10 shillings to construct. It was later renamed Buccleuch Parish Church and is sited at 33 Chapel Street, not far from the Old College of the University of Edinburgh. The building was remodelled and extended in 1866. The church closed in 1969, and having been used by the University of Edinburgh for storage for 40 years it was sold to the Greek Orthodox Church and is due to reopen in 2015.
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