Saltoun Parish Church

Saltoun Parish Church stands in the centre of East Saltoun, a village in East Lothian. It belongs to the Church of Scotland and serves the combined parish of Yester, Bolton and Saltoun. The first church on this spot was built in 1244 by the Bishop of St Andrews and dedicated to Saint Michael. In 1633 control of the church passed to the Bishop of Edinburgh during a brief period of Episcopacy in Scotland. The local landowner Andrew Fletcher, Lord Innerpeffer, took charge of the church in 1643. The present building dates from 1805 and probably owes its design to the architect Robert Burn. It is shaped like a cross, with the vestry and steeple in the eastern arm. Below the church lies the burial vault of the Fletcher family of Saltoun Hall. Inside this vault is buried Andrew Fletcher, the politician and writer who died in 1716. In 1929 the parishes of Bolton and Saltoun were united, and in 1970 the parish was linked with Humbie and Yester. Visitors find a simple but dignified church in the heart of the village. The cruciform plan gives the interior a clear, symmetrical shape. Outside, the steeple rises above the rooftops of East Saltoun. The burial vault beneath the church adds a quiet historical presence. The surrounding village offers a peaceful setting for a visit.