Our second last stop on our day out in Edinburgh was the Parish Church of St Cuthbert, the site on which my great great great grandparents were married – see more below. We hadn’t actually planned to visit it, it just happened to be on our way from the Vennel Steps to Dean Village. Coincidence or what?
The current day church building was constructed in 1892-94, however the church itself dates back to c670 AD, and is believed to be the oldest Christian site in Edinburgh. It is situated just down from Edinburgh Castle, so has been destroyed and rebuilt several times over the years due to various conflicts.
The church is surrounded by a large kirkyard with graves dating back to its beginnings in the 7th century.
As we climbed the old stone staircase up to bustling Princes Street, I realised what a timeless oasis the church and kirkyard were right in the middle of this ancient city, tucked away behind centuries old gardens and huge old deciduous trees.
Family history connection
James Bruce (born in Denny in 1774) and Agnes Falconer (from Midlothian) married at St Cuthbert’s Church in Edinburgh on 22 April 1796. They had four children – the eldest of whom was Archibald Bruce. Archibald’s son Alexander was my great great grandfather, and the first Bruce in our family to live in Australia.
Although the church building here now is not the one my ancestors were married in, it was surreal to walk around the grounds knowing that they had been here too on such a significant day in their lives.
View Parish Church of St Cuthbert’s, Edinburgh on Google maps