The 900-year-old St Giles’ Cathedral, situated in the heart of Edinburgh on the Royal Mile, has begun charging an entrance fee for the first time ever.
Originally a Catholic church, St Giles was founded in 1124 and became central to the Reformation and Presbyterianism; John Knox became the minister of St Giles in 1559 and led the removal of Catholicism from the church.
St Giles has made the decision to start charging residents outside of Scotland over the age of 16 a £12 general admission fee in order to support costs, and to fund further investment into certain areas of the church.
Stephen Preston, the Transitional Chief Operating Officer of the Cathedral, said that the admission fees would allow the church “to meet the responsibility of sharing our story with national and international visitors.”
The admission fees should also be able to support St Giles in their deliverance of cultural and musical events, according to Jack Oades, Organist and Master of the Music.
Oades states the resources would allow the cathedral to “level-up (its) musical offering” which would “improve the frequency of (their) choral worship” and “attract world-class performers and engage with the wider creative and cultural activities across Edinburgh and Scotland.”
The money raised will also help with operational running costs at the church, which currently stand at more than £1m.
Image by Cordelia Murray-Brown for The Student
