Canongate Kirk & Kirkyard
Tucked along the lower Royal Mile, Canongate Kirk is a working 17th-century church whose curved Dutch-style gable is one of Edinburgh's most quietly beautiful facades. Step through its gate and you enter a kirkyard that reads like a who's-who of Scottish intellectual and literary history.
A Church Built for a King's Neighbours
Canongate Kirk was built in 1688 after James VII evicted the congregation from the Abbey Kirk of Holyrood to use it as a chapel for the Knights of the Thistle. The result is a rare, purpose-built Restoration-era church that still holds regular services today.
The kirk bears the royal insignia of Holyrood because it serves as the official place of worship for the royal family when in residence at the Palace of Holyroodhouse — a connection that gives it a quiet prestige entirely out of proportion to its modest size.
The Kirkyard: Edinburgh's Open-Air Pantheon
Among the weathered stones lie some of the most consequential figures of the Scottish Enlightenment. Adam Smith, author of The Wealth of Nations and father of modern economics, is buried here alongside Robert Fergusson, the poet who so inspired Robert Burns that Burns himself paid for Fergusson's headstone.
Agnes Maclehose — Burns's 'Clarinda', the muse behind Ae Fond Kiss — also rests within these walls. A bronze statue of Fergusson stands just outside on the Canongate, raising a hand in perpetual greeting to passers-by.
What to Look For on Your Visit
An information board just inside the gate maps all the notable graves and their locations, so you can navigate the kirkyard without missing anyone. Allow at least 30 minutes to read the stones properly — the inscriptions alone tell a compressed history of Scottish society from the 17th century onwards.
The kirkyard also offers what locals describe as one of the finest views of Calton Hill in the city, framed by ancient yew trees and sandstone monuments.
Canongate Kirk & Kirkyard on video
More of Canongate
Discover where to stay, what to do and the best deals for your trip.
Explore Canongate →
