The Kirking of the Parliament is a multi-faith service held to coincide with the opening of the Scottish Parliament. To date, it has been held on four occasions, in 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2011.[1]
All four instances of the Kirking have been led by the Very Reverend Gilleasbuig Macmillan, Minister of St. Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh. The services have typically consisted of readings from Scripture, The Quran, and Jewish prayers,[2] and are concluded by an act of commendation. In a change from 2003, the sermon previously given by the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, was dropped from the programme.[3]
The service is attended by the leaders of all the main parties[4] and previous Kirkings have been graced by the presence of the HRH The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay, musicians from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and National Youth Orchestra of Scotland, and lobbyists.