St Mary's Metropolitan Cathedral
Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh
Home of the National Shrine of St Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland, the Cathedral provides a welcoming sanctuary and fully accessible space in the heart of the busy East End.
The church opened in 1888. By that stage it had cost £3500, and with funds used up, no tower or spire were ever built.
The contemporary sketch below shows the finished building. At the rear of the church, corner stones can be seen jutting out like broken teeth, still waiting for the building to be finished to its full length!
One of St James’ most energetic Rectors, Revd Charles Jenkins (Rector from 1892-1917), established a mission congregation in a rented hall at Canonmills in 1895. In 1909 this new congregation built their own church, St Philip’s, at the corner of Logie Green Road and Broughton Road, and thus Jenkins presided over the joint charge, ‘St Philip’s and St James’. St Philip’s church, and the hall beneath, are now rented on a long leases to other groups. St James’ contains a number of artistic gems, not least the murals in the chancel painted by William Hole RSA and stained glass by James Ballantine and Son.
We are a Christian congregation, part of the Scottish Episcopal Church (Diocese of Edinburgh), and the worldwide Anglican Communion.