Greyfriars Kirk

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Greyfriars Kirk, today Greyfriars Tolbooth & Highland Kirk, is a parish kirk (church) of the Church of Scotland in central Edinburgh, Scotland. Its name reflects a pre-Reformation association with the Franciscan order (the Grey Friars).

Greyfriars Tolbooth & Highland Kirk

It is one of the oldest surviving buildings built outside the Old Town of Edinburgh, having been begun in 1602 and completed c. 1620. It sits to the south of the Grassmarket, adjoining George Heriot's School (founded in 1628).

The graveyard surrounding the church, Greyfriars Kirkyard, is in the hands of a separate trust. Numerous well known people are buried in this graveyard including Lord Monboddo and his daughter Eliza. For many, the graveyard is associated with Greyfriars Bobby, the loyal dog who guarded his master's grave.

Greyfriars Kirk has an important place in the history of the Scottish Covenanters. In 1638 the National Covenant was presented and signed in front of the pulpit. In 1679, some 1200 Covenanters were imprisoned in the Kirkyard pending trial.

The kirkyard is reputedly haunted by the restless spirit of the infamous "Bloody" George Mackenzie, which is said to cause bruising and minor cuts and grazes on those who come into contact with it.

In the mid 19th century, the Rev Robert Lee, then minister of Old Greyfriars led a movement to reform worship, introducing the first post-Reformation stained glass windows in a Presbyterian church in Scotland, and also one of the first organs. He received considerable criticism at the time, but most of his proposals were subsequently widely accepted in the Church of Scotland.

For many years, Greyfriars Kirk was divided into two places of worship — Old Greyfriars and New Greyfriars. These two congregations united in 1929 and the historic church building was subsequently extensively restored. The interior dividing wall between the two former separate sanctuaries was removed as part of these renovations, completed in 1938.

Given the depopulation of Edinburgh's Old Town in the early part of the 20th century, many neighbouring church buildings were closed and their congregations united with Greyfriars, including the New North Church and Lady Yester's Church. In 1979 the congregation united with the former Highland Tolbooth St John's Church (this building on the Royal Mile is now used as "The Hub", the headquarters of the Edinburgh International Festival society). The post-1979 united congregation continues to use Greyfriars Kirk, with Sunday services in English at 11am and in Scottish Gaelic at 12.30pm. (This is the only Church of Scotland congregation in the east of Scotland with regular services in Gaelic). The current minister (since 2003) is the Reverend Dr Richard Frazer.

Greyfriars Tolbooth & Highland Kirk is part of a Local Ecumenical Partnership (LEP) with St Columba's-by-the-Castle (Scottish Episcopal Church) and Augustine United Church (United Reformed Church).

Four ministers and one elder of Greyfriars Kirk have been Moderators of the General Assembly: