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building which repays a little quiet study; it when the queen unveiled the Royal Coat of
is a marvelous place for sitting and medi‐ Arms to the congregation's delight.
tating. Its peace, harmony and unity are The legend of King David I and the
promoted by its architecture, with wonder‐ white stag is depicted throughout the
fully balancing circles and semi-circles, church exterior and interior via items in‐
arches and pillars. The clear windows let us cluding stag antlers, with a cross in the
see out and the world see in, so that there middle, atop the church; a stag's head and
is no obstruction between the church and antlers, presented to the church by King
the community outside—the one flows into George VI; artwork; and on the Communion
the other. So people coming in and quietly table's embroidered frontal panel which
sitting down find a peace stealing over was designed and presented by members
them which is remarkably refreshing and of the congregation.
recreating. . .I think the first and most obvi‐ On the day that I visited, there were a
ous thing people notice are the Colours few other tourists gazing around the
which hang above the nave, standing out church, quietly chatting, sitting on the
from the pillars and adding a splash of pews, or taking photos of the prominent
color to the ceiling. . . .” Standards of the Royal British Legion Scot‐
Throughout the decades the church has land. The magnificent Frobenius pipe organ
been renovated several times and the inte‐ was installed in 1998, and the church serves
rior was extensively remodeled in 1882— as a concert venue.
then changes were made after World War Several prominent artists, writers,
II, with a dramatic transformation to white clergy, philosophers, scholars, philan‐
walls and light blue pews. Queen Elizabeth thropists, and physicians are buried in the
II visited the church on June 25, 1952, on Canongate Kirkyard. They include the
her first visit to Edinburgh as a reigning economist Adam Smith, author of “The
sovereign, the first reigning monarch to Wealth of Nations”; John Ballantyne of the
enter the present building. Since then the famed publishing firm John Ballantyne &
royal family has worshipped here. In 1991 Sons (and a friend of Sir Walter Scott)—
the church had more renovations done, and poet Robert Fergusson, whose statue
72 WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE WINTER 2025
