Church of Scotland

Liberton Kirk
Photo: Lisa Ferguson

Kirk unveils plans for covid memorial

St Giles Cathedral is expected to introduce a £6 charge for tourists, but Edinburgh residents could be allowed free entry.

Visitors to St Giles Cathedral facing charge

The Rt Reverend Sally Foster-Fulton has been elected the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland

New Moderator is right about today's challenges and how to meet them

Cramond Kirk is set to merge with the Old Kirk Muirhouse. The Cramond building will be kept and the Old Kirk reviewed before the end of 2025. Picture: Google.

First merger in Kirk shake-up set to go ahead

New Moderator the Rt Rev Sally Foster-Fulton said she had gone "a bit rogue" in choosing a green jacket for her formal outfit. Picture: Andrew O'Brien.

Hefty challenges face Kirk, says new Moderator as Assembly opens

St Giles Cathedral plays a key national role, such as being the place where the Queen's body lay at rest before being taken south for the funeral. Picture: John Devlin.

Concerns over plans for entry charge at St Giles

The new law will pave the way for migrants arriving by small boats to be detained, deported and denied any return to the UK.

Government's plans to stop migrant crossings condemned by Church of Scotland

At the Disruption in 1843, the minister of St Mary's Church in Bellevue Crescent and a large group in the congregation broke away to form St Mary's Free Church. They met first in a building in Barony Street and in 1862 moved to a new building at the corner of Albany Street and Broughton Street. It cost £13,000, had a 180ft tower and was the pride of the Free Church - the Prince Consort was brought to see it during a visit to Edinburgh before it opened. On reunion with the Church of Scotland in 1929, the church was renmed Barony. And in 1933 it united with the congregation of nearby St James Place Church, becoming known as Barony & St James Place.
But the fabric of the building began to deteriorate and part of the tower had to be demolished. The church united with another congregation in 1956 to form Hillside Church In Greenside Place. The Barony building was sold to a theatrical costumier, and was demolished in 1983, to be replaced by offices.

Scaffolding on Barony & St James church at the junction of Albany Street and Broughton Street in Edinburgh, January 1983. It was being demolished.

8 churches which were once local landmarks but have now been lost

Three into one: St Ninian's, Corstorphine (left), St Anne's, Corstorphine (top) and St Andrew's, Clermiston (bottom) are due to merge to form one new congregation. But the presbytery's proposal is all three buildings should remain open. Pictures: Google.

Battle to save church buildings from closure

Jane Haining trained in Edinburgh and a dedication service was held at St Stephen's Church in the New Town before she left for Budapest.

Missionary who died in Holocaust to be honoured in Capital

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby (second from right), Pope Francis (second from left) and Church of Scotland's Iain Greenshields (third from right) address the media while aboard a plane returning from their visit to Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan (Picture: Tiziana Fabi/pool/AFP via Getty Images)

Church peace effort gives hope to war-torn South Sudan – Angus Robertson

St Davids Broomhouse is set to close it building under plans for a parish grouping with four other churches. Picture: Ian Georgeson.

A list of all Capital church buildings earmarked for closure

Many people are having to ration their use of energy to heat their homes (Picture: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Angus Robertson: If you're struggling, there are many places to keep warm

Very Rev Dr John Chalmers with his son, JJ Chalmers.

JJ Chalmers' father recalls the moment he heard his son had been in bomb blast

The Rt Rev Dr Iain Greenshields, Moderator of the Church of Scotland's General Assembly. Picture: Andrew O'Brien.

Queen 'on good form' last weekend

Mayfield Salisbury Parish Church got one of the highest scores. Image: Google Streetview

Church buildings scored to help decide future
Every Church of Scotland building in Edinburgh has been given a score to help decide which ones should close in a massive shake-up of churches and ministers.

The Rev Moira McDonald is minister at Corstorphine Old Parish Church

Edinburgh minister appointed as chaplain to Queen

Reverend Ken MacKenzie, minister at Crathie Kirk, says the Queen never misses a church sale

Kirk minister reveals the Queen's love of church sales

Mike Ashley is opening a branch of Flannels in the former BhS store on Princes Street

Mike Ashley's new Princes Street store - your views online

Professor Jason Leitch addresses the General Assembly

Leitch tells Kirk: Covid hasn't gone away

This year's General Assembly is a hybrid gathering with 400 commissioners in the hall and another 200 taking part online. Picture: Andrew O'Brien.

Kirk's General Assembly votes to approve same-sex marriage services

This year's General Assembly is a hybrid gathering with 400 commissioners in the hall and another 200 taking part online. Picture: Andrew O'Brien.

Kirk invests £25m to grow new and existing congregations

Moderator Rev Iain Greenshields is installed in a ceremony at the beginning of The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland by his predecessor Jim Wallace, Baron Wallace of Tankerness.

Queen’s letter to Church of Scotland Assembly applauds supportfor refugees

Majority of Church of Scotland presbyteries are in favour of allowing ministers to marry same-sex couples if they wish

Majority of Church of Scotland presbyteries are in favour of same-sex marriage

Rev Eric Foggitt: Minister suspended over comments made to NHS colleagues.
Pic: Church of Scotland

Kirk minister made 'weird' and 'inappropriate' comments to NHS colleagues

Some of the new Penicuik Trinity Community Church congregation, pictured at St Mungo's in Penicuik.

Trinity of Penicuik churches come together to form union

Patrol woman Mollie Harris helps children cross the road at Oxgangs in February 1962.

20 pictures from the 1950s and 1960s of Edinburgh’s Oxgangs suburb
Just 70 years ago the area was mainly farmland, but a series of building projects in the 1950s and 1960s led to it being transformed into a new Edinburgh community.

Father Vasyl Kren, of the Ukrainian Catholic Church Our Lady of Pochayiv in Edinburgh who has said that the western world must provide "rapid reaction not just bank interventions" against Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. (Photo credit: Father Vasyl Kren/PA Wire)

Ukrainian priest in Edinburgh begs West to do more than put sanctions on banks

A new group has been established to promote the "living legacy" of a Scottish matron Jane Haining who gave her life to protect Jewish school girls during the Holocaust (Photo: Church of Scotland).

New project to remember Scot matron who died in Auschwitz

Rev Dr Urzula Glienecke is new associate chaplain at Edinburgh University.

Chaplain was teenage rebel behind Iron Curtain

Colinton Parish Church. Picture: Lesley Martin

Kirk's 27 proposed new congregations across Capital

Lynzi Leroy, founder of the Scottish Design Exchange

Scottish Design Exchange moves into historic Edinburgh address

Lord Wallace at the helm of the All Aboard

Kirk Moderator takes helm on canal

Lord Wallace, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

Lord Wallace to embark on Edinburgh visit

The happy couple on board the canal boat in Edinburgh.

Couple become first to use new canal boat for their wedding celebration

The former church hall on West Street, Penicuik.

Plans to turn former Penicuik church manse into a family home

L-R is: Iain Innes (Managing Director at Dandara East Scotland), Mary Millan (local resident), Provost Peter Smaill, Tibor Csaba Szendrei (Consul of the Republic of Hungary) and Rev Graham Duffin (Loanhead Parish Church). Photograph: Mike Wilkinson…27/5/21

Loanhead street named after Scottish wartime heroine

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge departing after the the closing ceremony of the Church of Scotland's General Assembly Picture: Andrew O'Brien

William praises 'ethic of neighbourliness'

The Heart and Soul event in Princes Street Gardens in 2018 Picture: Andrew O'Brien

Kirk scraps event in Princes Street Gardens

Rev Rosemary Frew delivers the report of the Faith Nurture Forum Picture: Andrew O'Brien

Kirk 'will not survive' without cutting ministers

The Assembly is taking place mainly online with only a few present in the hall Picture: Andrew O'Brien

Kirk's latest move on same-sex marriages

The General Assembly is taking place largely online with very few people in the hall Picture: Andrew O'Brien

Kirk 'very different' in future, Assembly told

St Andrews and St Georges West Church on George Street has only recently reopened after lockdown Pic: Ian Georgeson,

Church plea for later start to Sunday parking charges

Rev John Gow used to work at the Evening News

Ex-News ad man is Kirk's newest minister

Rufai Adesola outside his church King of Glory in Craigentinny Road picture: Lisa Ferguson

Edinburgh pastor fears for church's future after mast rent is cut by 96 per cent

Canon Tom White has launched a judicial review into the government's decision to close places of worship.

Faith leaders head for court over government decision to close churches

Fraser Edwards and his wife Fiona

Kirk minister plans to hold sessions in a forest

Faith leaders say people need to keep themselves and other safe by getting the jag

Faith leaders urge people to get vaccinated

Like father, like son: Rev Matthew Ritchie

Son follows his ex-Edinburgh minister dad into the Kirk pulpit

Minister for the Cabinet Office, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Michael Gove, arrives at Downing Street on September 8, 2020 in London, England.

Gove is dead wrong about a Scotch egg being a 'sustantial meal' – Susan Morrison

Fadwa Affara said she is 'honoured' to be unanimously selected for 2020 Princess Srinagarindra Award

Edinburgh nurse receives international award for service to healthcare

Lauren Sinclair, from Falkirk, created the Facebook page and with the help of friend, Terri Niven.

Over 80,000 people support Christmas bell ringing event

The Church of Scotland head offices at 121 George Street are known to many members as simply 'one-two-one' (Picture: Greg Macvean)

Kirk's presence in Edinburgh may see significant change – Angus Robertson

The Right Reverend Dr Martin Fair, Moderator of the General Assembly, overseeing proceedings during the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland at The Mound in Edinburgh.

Church of Scotland approves growth plan after fears of £20m loss

Penicuik couple Alan and Nancy Cowan were married on September 26, 1970 at Church of Scotland, Bogwood Road, Mayfield.

Golden years for Penicuik couple