From Greyfriars Kirkyard we made our way back to St. Giles Cathedral which would be the end of our tour. By this time the cathedral was full of fellow tourists from around the world.

St Giles’ Cathedral, founded in 1124 by King David I, has been a working church for almost 900 years. A backdrop to Scotland’s turbulent religious history, it has seen the seeds of civil war sown and been John Knox’s parish church during the Reformation. It is still an important centre for civic services such as the Kirking of the Parliament and services for Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle.

More history of St. Giles can be found here.

On 23 July, 1637 Dean Hannay rose to read the new liturgy in the High Church of Edinburgh, St. Giles. The liturgy had nineteen chapters within its forty-three pages “detailing how the church should be governed, from the King gaining his position from God, down to the renaming of ministers, kirk sessions, and presbyteries with terms taken from the Episcopal Church.” As the pastor began intoning from the prayer book, Jenny Geddes, allegedly a local street vendor, stood up and yelled, “Wha dur say mass in my lug!” (How dare you say the Mass in my ear) and flung her three-legged stool at the minister. Pandemonium broke out as others followed suit and the prelatical entourage fled the scene out a back door. The town guard had to rescue the bishop from the rioters. Similar scenes were enacted in other Scottish towns where the liturgy was read.

This plaque made me chuckle. James Hannay D.D. the Dean of this Cathedral, 1634-1639, He was the first and the last who read the service book in this church. This memorial is erected in happier times by his descendants.

“Constant oral tradition affirms that near this spot a brave Scotch woman Janet Geddes on the 23 July 1637 struck the first blow in the great struggle for freedom of conscience which after a conflict of half a century ended in the establishment of civil and religious liberty.”

The famous Scottish Reformer, John Knox was born near Edinburgh in 1505. Knox’s writings and his determination to fight for Scotland to be Protestant saw the Scottish nation and its identity changed forever…

John Knox saw how important it was for the church to do what the Bible said, and not just what they thought was right. He wasn’t afraid to stand up to anyone, even kings and queens, for what he knew was right. His preaching was used by God to transform the whole of Scotland.

Archibald Campbell, Marquis of Argyll ~ Beheaded near this cathedral- A-D-1661

Leader in council and in field for the Reformed Religion

‘I had the honour to set the crown on the King’s head, and now he hastens me to a better Crown than his own.’

I found some of his history at Christian Heritage Edinburgh site.

With all the niceties settled at the coronation, it was time for King Charles II to reveal his true nature. One of the few nobles to oppose the king’s decree and stand faithfully for the Covenants was Archibald Campbell, the first Marquis of Argyll. He travelled from Scotland to London to congratulate Charles II, arriving there on 8 July 1660. He never got to see the king however, for he was straightaway arrested and thrown into the Tower of London on a charge of treason and false accusation that he was one of Cromwell’s conspirators behind the execution of Charles I. After languishing there for five months, he was sent to Edinburgh castle and was sentenced to death. The marquis was beheaded at the Mercat cross next to St Giles on 27 May 1661, being the first of many of the Covenanters who followed him as martyrs.

Before he was executed, he is cited as saying, ‘I had the honour to set the crown on the King’s head, and now he hastens me to a better Crown than his own.’ Back in 1651 he had crowned Charles II as King of Scotland at Scone after this prince had lied to God and man, swearing under oath that he would support and defend the Presbyterian Church and the Covenants. The marquis is also said to have stooped and kissed the guillotine called the Maiden, and quipped, ‘That is the sweetest maiden I have ever kissed!’ He welcomed the thought of leaving this corrupt world and joining his Saviour in heaven.

Our son Josh left this review of our tour.

“Jimmy was an incredible wealth of knowledge!!! This walking tour in Edinburgh and the history and stories he told, tied our whole 12 day Scotland trip together! We visited different cities, castles, monuments, grave sites and memorials all over the country and this was the absolute capstone experience of our trip! My faith was deepened hearing stories of these martyrs and how they died trusting and following their Saviour~!”