St Michael’s Kirk, Inveresk

St Michael’s Kirk stands at the top of a hill in the old village of Inveresk, East Lothian. It is a Church of Scotland building, Category A listed, and known locally as ‘the Visible Kirk’ for its commanding position. The churchyard stretches westwards for nearly 300 m, divided into walled sections that mark successive enlargements. The oldest part dates from the 18th century, with later extensions from the late Victorian, Edwardian and modern periods. Inside, the 1805 church was reordered in 1895 to take the Lewis pipe organ donated by the Kirkwood family. A notable 1923 window by Douglas Strachan shows God in Creation, Providence and Redemption. The site has held at least three churches. The first, a wooden building said to be prompted by the nun Modwenna, stood beside a Roman fort. The second, a medieval stone church, was used by Oliver Cromwell and Bonnie Prince Charlie during their campaigns. James Wishart preached there with John Knox as part of an armed guard. By the late 18th century the old church was too small and decayed, so a new building was commissioned. The present church was designed by Robert Nisbet with a steeple by William Sibbald. In 2002 further alterations were carried out to meet changing needs. Visitors enter through the graveyard where many notable Scots are buried. Among them are the Milne admirals, the Hope baronets, the Wedderburn baronets and the artist Edwin Alexander. A white-painted iron coffin on a cannon marks the grave of Major William Norman Ramsay, a Waterloo veteran. A monument recalls seven Fisherrow fishermen lost in the Eyemouth Disaster of 1881. Curious cubic gravestones mark the Cochran admirals, while a sarcophagus holds the Elphinstone lords. The church itself contains fine stained glass and an 1895 organ, set within a simple Georgian interior.