Description
This walking tour brings alive the extraordinary Christian history of the Old Town of Edinburgh. The streets and closes are filled with the stories and exploits of Christians over the centuries who have impacted the world through law, democracy, human rights, education, social reforms, science and medicine. We begin at St Columba’s Free Church and walk to the National Museum, where we discover Scotland’s ancient Christian history going back to the early centuries of the church, and untangle the amazing symbolism of the Celtic crosses. Moving upstairs we hear about the Reformers and Covenanters, and see some of the original Covenant documents. We visit Magdalen Chapel, birthplace of the Scottish Reformation led by John Knox. This is one of the oldest buildings in Edinburgh and is one of the precious jewels of the city. After the chapel we walk to the Covenanter martyrs’ memorial in the Grassmarket, and then head back to St Columba’s, where there is usually an opportunity to ask questions over free hot drinks.
For larger groups, the tour will be joined by Isolde, a professionally trained soprano singer, and Max the Collie, if they are available.
