Date: Thursday 21 February 2013
Starting out from the warmth of
the National Museum in Chambers Street 56 Strollers set
out on a 'Saints and Sinners' tour led by Karen and Helen, our Blue Badge
guides. Starting off at Greyfriars Kirk, down George
IV Bridge, round Victoria Street, on to the High Street,
down past St Giles and the Tron Kirk, and for the hardier people 'Old' St Pauls
and the Trinity Apse down Carrubbers Close. Who knew there could be so many
churches in such a short space from Greyfriars to the High Street.
In Greyfriars, as well as the
tale of Bobby, the Covenanters, we learnt about Walter Geikie and the First
Deaf Church, where JK Rowling got inspiration for John Riddle, heard about
'Bluidy Mckenzie' and his ghost, William McGonnagle’s last poem and discovered
why an American flag flies in Greyfriars Kirk. We also discovered that Karen’s
sister is coming over to perform a concert in Greyfriars Kirk in June along
with about 180 other singers.
We then made our way down George IV Bridge with the Augustine United
Church on one side and
the Martyrs Free Church, now Frankensteins, on the other. At the Library it was
time to peer over the bridge into the Grassmarket at the Magdalene Chapel now
part of Edinburgh
University.
Moving into Victoria Street there was St John’s Established Church, Kushtis as was, the Primitive Methodist Church
(Ebenezer Chapel) and the Quaker Meeting
house set up by Major Thomas Weir, 'Angelic Thomas', who lived and held Sunday
services at the top of West Bow.
Moving round from that draughty
street to the top of the Lawnmarket where we heard about the St John’s Highland
Tolbooth Church (The Hub), St Columba’s Free Kirk (formally Free St Johns),
Church of Scotland Assembly Hall which was originally meant to be in the Hub
and St Columba’s by the Castle (Episcopal). It was time to go down to Tweeddale Court,
just off the High Street behind Gladstone
Land, and hear about the
Free Church College as well as the manufacture of Sedan chairs.
Moving to St Giles, with smaller
groups as some had decided that the call of a plate of warm soup out-weighed
'food' for the brain, we learnt about the Tollbooth and Luckenbooths which used
to be adjacent to St Giles. This made the High Street very narrow at this
point. We discovered about the 1824 fire and the rebuilding of Parliament
Square and about James Braidwood, whose statue is at the east end of St Giles,
who founded the Edinburgh Fire Brigade in 1824 and then the London Fire Brigade
in 1833..
Helen’s group then made their way
down to 'Old' St Paul’s, is there a 'young' St Pauls?, and discovered how the Mitre Bar got its name
(from Bishop Spottiswoode's hat). Finishing up at Carrubers Close to view
Trinity Apse which used to be of a church which stood on the site of Waverley
Station. It was taken down, the stones numbered and stored on Calton Hill to be
rebuilt. Not a very good plan as most of
the stones went 'missing' and only enough was left to rebuild the Apse, which
is now the 'brass rubbing' centre. Time for cakes or hot soup in Carrubers Christian
Centre.
Karens group meanwhile had
stopped at the Tron and decided to go for Lunch. No staying power!
Hopefully next time we'll try and
pick a warmer day. Our Thanks to Karen and Helen for leading us and to Drew for
his organisation.
