Greyfriars Kirk
This church was built in 1620 on the grounds of an abandoned Franciscan Friary, but seriously damaged by later calamities or Acts of God so the present structure is mostly Victorian. It remains active, as other Presbyterian churches have closed and their congregations moved here. The main visitor interest is the ancient graveyard: notable denizens include the architects William and John Adam, the notorious hell-rake Colonel Charteris, Captain Porteous lynched after he fired on rioters, William McGonagall the worst poet in Scotland, and Greyfriars Bobby plus his owner. The mortsafe kept coffins locked until burial, else the body-snatchers would make off with them.
- Wheelchair accessible
- Address
- Greyfriars Place EH1 2QQ
- Getting there
- Entrance by Greyfriars Bobby
- Hours
- Mon-Sat 11AM-4PM, Sun 11:30AM-2PM
- Price
- Free
- Phone
- +44 131 225 1900
Listing from Wikivoyage: Edinburgh/Old Town, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Location and details from OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Updated 27 Sept 2026. Something wrong? Tell us.