Founded in 1124 by King David I, St Giles, the High Kirk of Edinburgh has been a working church for 900 years - though the seat of Bishops for only two short periods in the 17th century- at the heart of Edinburgh's and Scotland's life. After his assassination in 1560 the Regent Moray, a leading opponent of Mary Queen of Scots, was buried here and St Giles' first Protestant minister John Knox, who had earlier conducted his marriage, preached at his funeral.

At the Reformation with the emphasis being on preaching and being heard, the Cathedral was divided into four congregations, with partitions that provided also for secular purposes, including a prison. There were major restorations in the 1830s by William Burn and later by William Hay. In the twentieth century successive ministers Harry Whitley and Gilleasbuig Macmillan sought to reform the unified space thus recreated. From the 1980s the communion table has been under the central crossing, and the seats in the chancel now face west rather than east as they had done before. Improvements in the 1980s to worshippers' comfort included a glass screen and underfloor heating.   In the 20th/21st centuries the Honours of Scotland have been displayed be at successive  sovereigns' coronation tours.     Statues commemorate John Knox and Jenny Geddes - though there is no evidence that the latter ever existed to throw her legendary stool to start of the riot of 1637 that would lead to civil war.  Also thus remembered  are martyrs of those Covenanting times the Marquesses of Montrose and of Argyll. 

 

The Order of the Thistle was formed in 1687 but lacked its  own Chapel until money was left by the Earl of Leven and Melville and the location suggested at the kirk's south-east corner. Architect was Sir Robert Lorimer, and completion was in 1911.   Stalls are provided for the 16 knights - currently 3 of them female, the first Lady of the Thistle was for the future Queen Mother in 1937 - and for the Sovereign to preside over their gathering, and also Extra (usually Royal) Knights/Ladies. Banners are hung outside so as not to obscure the lighting.

 

The first organ since the Reformation was installed in 1878, gradually expanded and replaced in 1940. The present one funded by the Salveson family was built by the Austrian firm of Reiger and installed in 1992, incorporating some pipes from its predecessor and encased in Austrian oak in a design by Douglas Laird. There are fifty-seven speaking stops, three keyboards and a chromatic peal of Whitechapel handbells.