Cathedral · Scotland · Restored

St Giles' Cathedral

St Giles' Cathedral, often called the High Kirk of Edinburgh, is a large medieval parish church on the Royal Mile that developed from the 12th century and was largely built between the 14th and early 16th centuries. It has served civic, religious and national functions in Scotland and retains a cruciform Gothic plan with a prominent crown steeple at the crossing.

Recreate Cathedral to Explore →

Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

First raised

1400

Its prime

1513

Today

Restored

As it stood in 1513

The shape it held in its prime.

A broad cruciform Gothic church of pale grey sandstone with a central crown steeple rising above a square crossing; long pitched lead roofs cover nave, transepts and choir, broken by rows of tall pointed windows with stone tracery, buttressed side-aisles and pinnacled corner turrets. The west front faces a paved square and the church sits tight among closely packed Old Town buildings along the High Street, its stone facades weathered to a muted grey-green patina.

Step inside

7 places to explore in 1513.

The record describes 7 distinct spots at St Giles' Cathedral — including 3 interiors: nave looking east toward the choir, under the crossing beneath the crown steeple, preston aisle at the south side of the choir. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and walk through every one — more scenes means more photos, more angles and more of the immersive experience.

West front from Parliament SquareApproach along the High Street and Kirk Style laneNave looking east toward the choirUnder the crossing beneath the crown steeplePreston Aisle at the south side of the choirSequence of south-side chapels viewed from the streetFormer kirkyard to the south

Create History