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The Great Britain Guide

Historic churches · Central Scotland

St Margaret's

In or near Edinburgh.

Norman & medievalFree admission4.7 · 159 Google reviews

St Margaret's — chapel in Edinburgh Castle, Scotland.

St Margaret's, historic churches in Central Scotland

Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
30 min–1 h
Nearest railway station
Edinburgh Waverley · 0.7 km
  • Free entry
  • Family-friendly

Getting there & planning your visit

To visit St Margaret's, the nearest railway station is Edinburgh Waverley, which is 0.7 km away. Entry is free.

Directions on Google Maps →

About

St Margaret's is a historic church in the United Kingdom. Records date its origin to 1101. Built in the Romanesque architecture style. Heritage designation: category A listed building. Affiliated with Church of Scotland. Named after Saint Margaret of Scotland. Part of Presbytery of Edinburgh. Wikidata describes it as: "chapel in Edinburgh Castle, Scotland". Coordinates: 55.9487°, -3.2001°.

Photo gallery

See it from the streetimagery from 2024

Imagery © Mapillary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0

Heritage listing

St Margaret's Chapel, in Edinburgh Castle, is the oldest surviving building in Edinburgh, Scotland. An example of Romanesque architecture, it is a category A listed building. It was constructed in the 12th century, but fell into disuse after the Reformation. In the 19th century the chapel was restored and today is cared for by the St Margaret's Chapel Guild.

From Historic Environment Scotland under OGL v3.

Official information

Mons Meg is a historic six-tonne siege gun that was gifted to King James II in 1457. It has a rich history of military use and was eventually retired around 1550, making a notable return to Edinburgh Castle in 1829.

From the Wikipedia article

St Margaret's Chapel, in Edinburgh Castle, is the oldest surviving building in Edinburgh, Scotland. An example of Romanesque architecture, it is a category A listed building. It was constructed in the 12th century, but fell into disuse after the Reformation. In the 19th century the chapel was restored and today is cared for by the St Margaret's Chapel Guild.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

History

Saint Margaret of Scotland () was an English princess of the House of Wessex, the sister of Edgar Ætheling. Margaret and her family fled to Scotland following the Norman conquest of England of 1066. Around 1070 Margaret married Malcolm III of Scotland. She was a pious woman, and among many charitable works she established a ferry across the Firth of Forth for pilgrims travelling to Dunfermline Abbey. According to the Life of Saint Margaret, attributed to Turgot of Durham, she died at Edinburgh Castle in 1093, just days after receiving the news of her husband's death in battle. In 1250 she was canonised by Pope Innocent IV.

Architecture

The small irregular stone building has some similarity to earlier Scottish and Irish Celtic chapels. The rectangular structure with an internal width of 3 metres (10 ft) has an entrance door at one side near the back of the nave which is 4.87 m (16 ft) long, then a typically Romanesque round chancel arch 1.52 m (5 feet) wide with chevron mouldings decorating the arch above columns on each side leads into an apsed sanctuary 3 m long, with the apse having a radius of 1.52 m. The north wall has been renewed, and the three surviving outer walls are 61 cm (2 ft) thick, as is the chancel wall. Five small round-headed windows and the round arch above the entrance door confirm the Romanesque style.…

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
55.9487, -3.2001
Postcode
EH1 2NG
Parliamentary constituency
Edinburgh East and Musselburgh
Established
1101
Nearest railway station
Edinburgh Waverley0.7 km

Sources

Other places nearby

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Where to eat & stay near St Margaret's

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Places to eat & drink

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Historic pubs · Central Scotland

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Cafés · Central Scotland

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Historic pubs · Central Scotland

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Frequently asked questions

Where is St Margaret's?
St Margaret's is in central Scotland, United Kingdom (postcode EH1 2NG).
What is St Margaret's?
St Margaret's — chapel in Edinburgh Castle, Scotland.
How do I get to St Margaret's?
The nearest railway station is Edinburgh Waverley, about 0.7 km away. Drivers can use postcode EH1 2NG.
When was St Margaret's built?
Built or established in 1101.
Is St Margaret's a listed building?
St Margaret's is officially recognised as category A listed building listed.
Is St Margaret's free to visit?
Yes, St Margaret's is free to enter.
How do I get to St Margaret's?
The nearest railway station is Edinburgh Waverley, about 0.7 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode EH1 2NG.