Duddingston Kirk

Duddingston Kirk stands beside Holyrood Park on the eastern edge of Edinburgh. Built around 1124 by the Norman knight Dodin on land given by King David I, it began as a simple church with chancel, nave and square tower. The south door still shows fine Scoto-Norman carving in a round-headed arch. In 1631 the Prestonfield Aisle was added, providing a gallery, ground floor space and burial vaults. Walter Scott became an elder here in 1806, and the kirk has hosted Fringe events. The interior was refurbished in 1968 when the pipe organ was removed. Two stained-glass windows recall notable figures: one by Douglas Strachan honours Joan Carfrae, wife of Allan Pinkerton, while another near the pulpit commemorates Stevenson Macadam. Ministers have included the painter John Thomson from 1805 to 1840 and James Macfarlane who served from 1841. The kirkyard holds memorials to figures such as Mackintosh MacKay, Moderator of the Free Church in 1849, and Thomas Meik the engineer. Benjamin Duff Dunbar and David Thomas Ker Drummond are also buried there. The tower base is said to contain James Browne’s coffin, and John Thomson of Duddingston lies within the churchyard.