ST GILES’ NEWS October 2026
What’s inside ➢ ➢
Fond farewells New beginnings
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Visitor charging New staff
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Altar offerings
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New offices Dancing time
As St Giles' Cathedral continues to evolve, keeping the congregation, visitors and wider community informed has never been more important. With the introduction of visitor charging, a new retail offering within the Cathedral, an expanding staff team, and developments in worship and music, this edition of St Giles’ News brings together the latest updates shaping the life of our historic church. Within these pages, the Minister reflects on the significant changes and the vision guiding them. Readers will find updates on visitor charging, our new Cathedral shop, developments in worship and music, new interpretation signage, a community noticeboard, a new office space, and the growing Visitor Engagement team. Alongside these operational developments, this edition celebrates the many ways in which community life continues to flourish at St Giles’, from honouring the life and legacy of Jean Ferris to highlighting the ongoing activities of the Younger Adults Group and a new book review feature as part of our celebration of the National Year of Reading. Together, these stories reflect the Cathedral's continuing commitment to worship, music, fellowship, learning and service in the heart of Edinburgh. This edition also includes a final ‘welcome’ from our Associate Minister, Sigrid, as she prepares to begin a new ministry in the Western Isles. Her departure marks the end of a valued chapter in the life of St Giles’ and offers an opportunity to reflect on the many ways her ministry has enriched both congregation and community. At the same time, it serves as a reminder that change, while not always easy, often brings new opportunities and fresh horizons. As we wish Sigrid every blessing for the future, St Giles’ likewise looks ahead with confidence, embracing the opportunities for growth, renewal and service that lie before us, both here in Edinburgh and beyond.
October 2026
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Welcome “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1) When in the summer I became aware that I have been at St Giles’ Cathedral for 5 years, I spent some time looking back on those eventful years in the life of our congregation. Let me mention just a few things... When I first arrived at St Giles’ the world was just emerging from the Covid pandemic. We were we still observing physical distancing and holding just one service on a Sunday. More importantly, many of us were feeling quite shaken and fragile after that traumatic period of time. We had the great honour to hold the Thanksgiving Service for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth in September 2022, and members and staff worked closely together to facilitate the 24 hours of the Lying at Rest which thousands attended. In July 2023 the service of Thanksgiving for His Majesty King Charles III and Queen Camilla and the Presentation of the Honours of Scotland was held at the Cathedral, which was another opportunity for St Giles’ to serve and to shine. Shortly after that, we went into vacancy when Rev. Calum MacLeod left for the USA after some 9 years at the Cathedral. We were well served by our Interim Moderator, Rev. Dr George Whyte, who led us creatively through our year of celebrations of our 900th anniversary during 2024. Following the retiral of Michael Harris, Jack Oades took on the role of Master of the Music, bringing his extraordinary talent to all aspects of Cathedral music. In April 2025 our new minister, Rev. Dr Scott Rennie arrived. He has been initiating the many necessary improvements to our governance and daily life at the Cathedral with great vision, enthusiasm, and energy. Looking back, it is maybe not surprising that some of us are feeling a bit dazed at the number of significant events and developments which have been happening in those years. All this will need time to process and adjust.
Some of you already know that I am now also going to make a change by answering the call of the congregation of Uist and Barra to become their minister. There is much that I will miss from my life among you. There are many tasks I didn’t complete, and too many people I never got to know. I am truly grateful for my time at St Giles’, and I wish God’s blessing on the life of this community as you go forward. A friend reminded me lately of the poem ‘Stages’ by the German writer Hermann Hesse. Maybe it can also speak into life at the Cathedral in this moment? Many blessings, Sigrid
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Stages As every flower fades and as all youth Departs, so life at every stage, So every virtue, so our grasp of truth, Blooms in its day and may not last forever. Since life may summon us at every age Be ready, heart, for parting, new endeavour, Be ready bravely and without remorse To find new light that old ties cannot give. In all beginnings dwells a magic force For guarding us and helping us to live. Serenely let us move to distant places And let no sentiments of home detain us. The Cosmic Spirit seeks not to restrain us But lifts us stage by stage to wider spaces. If we accept a home of our own making, Familiar habit makes for indolence. We must prepare for parting and leave-taking Or else remain the slave of permanence. Even the hour of our death may send Us speeding on to fresh and newer spaces, And life may summon us to newer races. So be it, heart: bid farewell without end. Hermann Hesse
Congratulations from all of us at St Giles' to Sigrid for this call. Sigrid's dedication to St Giles' and her passion and humour has been appreciated by all in the staff and congregation, and she will be greatly missed. Sigrid’s final service in St Giles’ Cathedral will be Sunday 1st November, All Saints Day.
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A letter from the Minister A warm welcome to the October edition of St Giles' News. This is an exciting time in the life of St Giles’, and it is also a time of change; we are growing our internal team, improving our visitor experience and worship offering, and a putting together a strategy to aid us in navigating the next 5-7 years.
The changes we are undertaking have been focused on preparing St Giles’ for the future: ensuring that our historic church remains not simply a treasured inheritance from the past, but a living, thriving congregation at the heart of Edinburgh and a place of spiritual and cultural significance for Scotland as a whole, as well as for our countless international visitors. As Scotland’s High Kirk we are committed to offering the highest quality of worship and music, and we want to offer visitors from home and abroad the best possible experience and the opportunity to understand how faith and history have shaped Scotland’s life as a nation. We launched our new St Giles’ retail experience in July, which is entirely integrated into an improved visitor experience. Additionally, we have welcomed some new colleagues in the roles of Development Officer and Communications Officer, and our new team of Visitor Engagement Assistants are settling in and beginning to offer tours to our visitors. We will continue to have a role for volunteers who bring a valuable personal connection to the storytelling that takes place in the Cathedral. Visitor Charging will commence on Monday 5th October. This will mean more intentional visitors to the Cathedral, and increased resources for the future life, ministry and work of St Giles’. October will also bring additional opportunities for worship at St Giles’. I am very excited about the addition to our worship offering on Thursdays at 6pm of our new weekly Choral Evensong led by our marvellous St Giles’ Choir, led by Jack Oades and Jordan English, and joined by our five new Choral Scholars. We continue to face challenges, and there will undoubtedly be further decisions to make in the months and years ahead. Change is always difficult, even when necessary, and it demands a great deal of us all. Nonetheless, we can approach the future with confidence and imagination; working to preserve and steward what we have inherited faithfully for generations yet to come. I am confident that these changes will be transformational in incorporating the life and cares of Scottish people into our cycle of worship through the year. I am deeply grateful for the patience, generosity, commitment, and faithfulness that so many of you have shown during this period of transition.
Thank you for all that you do. Together, let us continue to embrace the opportunities before us, trusting that the God who has guided St Giles’ and generations before us through centuries of change is leading us still. With warmest blessings, Scott
October 2026
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Save the date St Giles’ Ceilidh time
27th November 2026 As part of our St Andrewstide celebrations, St Giles', together with our friends at Canongate Kirk, is planning a festive ceilidh for our congregations on the evening of Friday 27th November. Scottish dancing, good company and fellowship awaits. More details will follow in the coming weeks.
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Visitor Charging From October, St Giles’ Cathedral will move to a visitor charging model. This will help the Cathedral deliver meaningful and engaging experiences, where all who come can learn about the unique history and active worshipping life of the building. Free access will continue for all residents in Scotland and all under 16s. Tickets will be priced at £12 and will be available to purchase online and in-person.
These changes will allow us to fully integrate storytelling into our visitor experience, and increase our ability to offer dynamic, impactful, and high-quality cultural events and projects. The increased resources will allow us to enhance our musical offering and our in-house concerts and events, allowing us to improve the frequency of our choral worship and engage with the wider creative and cultural activities across Edinburgh and Scotland. The St Giles' congregation will be issued with a Congregation Pass, which you will be able to collect at the front desk from Monday 5th October. Showing this card to one of the welcomers will allow you immediate access. This is to streamline the entry process for members of our congregation, and to ensure that St Giles' Cathedral continues to function as a site of worship and sanctuary for our community.
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A New Shop St Giles' is excited to report on the opening of our new shop, situated in the West end of the Cathedral. The display cabinets take their design inspiration from the architecture of the building and are moveable for ceremonies and civic events. The shop features an exciting range of products sourced from local suppliers. The umbrellas, tea towels, and soap packaging features elements from our stained-glass windows, and the patterns on the bags are inspired by tiles found throughout the Cathedral. The bookmarks and keyrings are made from recycled leather, and recycled wood from whisky barrels has been used to create a range of fridge magnets. Make sure you try our delicious selection of chocolates, made by the Edinburghbased Quirky Chocolates. The shop is open during regular visiting hours; Monday - Friday: 10am - 5:30pm Saturday: 9am - 4:30pm Sunday: 1pm - 4:30pm
October 2026
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Jean Ferris Memorial Concert Remembering Jean Ferris, a highly respected and much loved member of our congregation, the Edinburgh Southside Choir gave a most enjoyable concert on 20th May. Since Jean had been a member of several choirs, it was surely appropriate that she should be remembered in this way. Throughout her long life, she devoted herself to the service of others, especially of those in need, through a number of voluntary organisations, among them the Edinburgh Clothing Store, the beneficiary of the retiring collection at the end of the concert. The Southside Choir, conductor Seonaid Lynn, accompanist Donald Thomson, gave a varied and wellbalanced programme ranging from the traditional to the popular, much appreciated by the very large audience filling the entire east end to overflowing.
At the interval, Fiona Stimpson, the director of the Edinburgh Clothing Store, gave a talk on its work serving the needs of folk enduring deprivation: important to be reminded that there are so many more of them than we think. It seemed a fitting tribute both to Jean and to the organisation she gave so much time to, that we should include the full text of the address here.
I cannot think of a better way to celebrate the life of the late Jean Ferris than to have The Edinburgh Southside Choir entertain us with such good music in this beautiful church and hopefully raise a lot of money for the on-going work of The Edinburgh Clothing Store.
Jean loved music and was a member of several choirs over her long life. She loved St Giles’ Cathedral and was an active member for many years, serving as a steward, working in the shop, serving on the Neighbourhood Group, providing refreshments for the musicians who took part in St Giles’ at Six, looking after the communion linen and helping to make many of the banners hung in this church. Jean was also a great supporter of The Edinburgh Clothing Store. She served on the Board and as a volunteer twice a week for many years. Many a young man who came to the Clothing Store to get clothes to wear for an interview, was shown how to tie a tie by her. Many people benefited from her sewing skills by receiving pillowcases made by Jean. Over the years she made an astonishing number - in excess of 2000!
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What is The Edinburgh Clothing Store? It is an independent registered charity run entirely by volunteers. It receives no Government or Council funding but over 120 caring agencies refer individuals and families to come to the store at 156 Lower Granton Road to receive clothing, bedding, curtains and/or towels, depending on their needs. The following 3 examples show a range of people who have been helped recently A refugee family with two young children came to get warm clothing as they had none. The little girl of 4 has started Nursery but did not have appropriate clothes to allow her to play outside. She loves the colour pink and could not believe that she was able to have so many pink clothes. Each item she was given, was hugged tightly and she could not have been happier with what she was given. Now she could join in all the activities that were on offer at the Nursery. Her parents were delighted with what they were given for themselves and their baby son. A man was referred by the Job Centre for clothes to wear to a job interview as he had nothing smart enough to wear. He arrived looking very nervous but after he was shown what we could offer him his demeanour changed. He asked if he could possibly change into the clothes as the interview was that day! We agreed that he could and immediately there was a complete transformation. He not only looked much better but he exuded a confidence which was not obvious when he arrived. We were delighted to receive a call from his referral agent the next week to ask if he could now come back for smart black trousers and a few shirts to wear to work - he had indeed been offered the job! This happens surprisingly often, which is great. Women’s Aid and Shakti (the Asian equivalent) refer a lot of families to us. A mother with three children came recently. She had been forced to leave the house with nothing as she did not want her abusive husband to know that they were leaving, so they only had the clothes they were wearing. The children were particularly upset at what they had had to leave behind and were delighted with all they were offered. The mother was so relieved that they were happy and so pleased to be given suitable clothes for herself and bedding and towels for them all. Our aim is to help all those who come and hope that they will then have a chance to make life better for themselves. With the cost of living increase in our country, most people are holding on to their clothing longer and understandably many young people are selling their fashionable and desirable clothes on Vinted and other online outlets. This means that the Clothing Store is receiving fewer donations of good second-hand clothing, bedding and towels so we are having to buy more to meet the needs of our clients. Very sadly, the need for our service is increasing. We have never ever been so busy. The money you will give this evening will help individuals and families like those I have described and many others in genuine need. It will give them a chance to make something of their life which otherwise might not be possible.
Organised by the Neighbourhood Group, the concert raised £2000 for the Edinburgh Clothing Store. We thank everyone for their donations, the choir for giving of their voices and Jean for everything she did for everyone.
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Musical changes Incoming Choral Scholars We are looking forward to welcoming Romola, Emily, Genevive, Bessie, and Sasha to the St Giles' Cathedral Choir as our debut Choral Scholars. The Scholars will join our wonderful Choir in regular Sunday services and important civic events. Emily studied in St Andrews and holds a position on the Young Singers Programme of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra Chorus, and Romola, Genevive, Bessie, and Sasha currently sing in Edinburgh University Chamber Choir and study at the University of Edinburgh.
Weekly Evensong at 6pm on Thursday evenings The Choral Scholars will join the St Giles' Cathedral Choir to offer a Service of Evensong, weekly on Thursday evenings. This will begin in October and will be directed by Jack Oades, our Organist and Master of the Music, with Jordan English, Assistant Organist. We hope weekly Evensong will create a contemplative mid-week moment for our congregation through music and prayer.
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New interpretations The eagle-eyed amongst you may have already spotted these additions to the Cathedral floor. Hand-made by the Grassmarket Community Project with designs by Keir Eunson, this new range of interpretation boards can be found at key locations throughout the Cathedral.
Community noticeboard Our new noticeboard was also made by the Grassmarket Community Project wood workshop, and it will be positioned outside the Holy Cross Aisle in the east-end of the Cathedral. The noticeboard will feature worship information, promote upcoming community events and concerts, and highlight key notices and intimations. Flyers and other articles for this noticeboard should be set to comms@stgilescathedral.org.uk
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Team overview With a range of new additions to our team, we thought that it would be helpful to provide an overview of the St Giles' Staff and departmental structure: Rev Dr Scott Rennie, The Minister of St Giles’ Cathedral, Chief Executive Officer & Head of Staff Stephen Preston - Transitional Chief Operating Officer Susanne Horsburgh - Development Officer Fraser Macdonald - Communications Officer Ministry Team Rev Sigrid Marten - Associate Minister Rev David Rodriguez - Assistant Minister Rev Dr George Whyte - Canon Rev Dr Anne Logan - Canon Mr Jamie Sutherland - Assistant Minister
Cathedral Administration Corinne MacInnes - Cathedral Secretary Alison Wylie - Cathedral Coordinator Music Jack Oades - Organist and Master of the Music Jordan English - Assistant Organist St Giles' Cathedral Choir & Choral Scholars
Beadles Calum Whyte - Head Beadle Robert MacInnes – Deputy Head & Ceremonial Beadle Michael Havelin - Beadle Alan Foggo – Beadle Emilie Stewart - Digital Engagement Officer (Emilie reports to Calum but is not a Beadle) Finance Suzanne Whitehead - Finance Manager Jennifer Wright - Finance Assistant Blandine Connor - Purchase Ledger Assistant Heritage & Culture Sarah O'Connor - Head of Heritage & Culture Lucy Carnegie - Retail Manager Erin Gillman - Heritage & Culture Officer: Groups & Volunteers Lois McColl - Heritage & Culture Officer: Music & Performance Rachel Drury - Heritage & Culture Officer: Community & Education Visitor Engagement Assistants Team Event Assistants Team
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Altar dedication Just after the midday service on 9th September, Sigrid conducted a very moving service of dedication in the Chambers Aisle. A communion table cover of Japanese silk, donated by Sheana Stephen Ashton and the Banner Guild, was dedicated “to the glory of God and in memory of Jean Ferris”, a faithful and devoted member of St Giles’, who for many years past had worked tirelessly to maintain fabrics in the church and who every week laundered and starched the communion linen. Always, Jean worked quietly and uncomplainingly, away from general notice. She amusingly told the story of how, coming out of the west door after the morning service, carrying a bag full of linen to be laundered, another lady facetiously asked whether she had been out shopping. Jean explained about the weekly laundering, starching and ironing, to which came the response: ”That must be very therapeutic for you.” Jean noted wryly that there was no offer to share in the therapeutic experience. The short service of dedication was attended by Jean’s nephew, a few of her friends and by members of the Banner Guild. Jean’s long life of commitment in so many fields was recalled: in child-care, in nursing, in a number of voluntary services. Sigrid read a most appropriate lesson from Proverbs 31. There were prayers of dedication and of intercession and a benediction. It was a most fitting act of worship. The small group of friends afterwards went down to the Lower Aisle for coffee and cake. On drying racks nearby were the newly laundered communion linens from the previous Sunday. It seemed appropriate.
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Our Visitor Engagement Assistants St Giles' Cathedral is pleased to announce that Kieran, Heather, Cora, Shaun, Alex G, Abi, and Gurans have joined Robin and Alex H to form our front-of-house team of Visitor Engagement Assistants. The Visitor Engagement Assistants are the main point of contact for all visitors, working alongside our volunteer tour guides. They conduct guided tours and staff the information desk, the Cathedral shop, and the Thistle Chapel. Get to know some of the new Visitor Engagement Assistants:
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The Younger Adults Group The Younger Adults Group will begin with a new programme of activities for 2026/27. The group is formed of younger adults (under 40s) with connections to St Giles’ Cathedral and Canongate Kirk. Our members included regular worshippers, visiting students, young professionals, St Giles’ staff, and others who are seeking community and connection within a church context in the City Centre. Last year our activities included a Burn’s Supper, Christmas carol concert at Holyrood Palace, and a Lenten retreat hosted by Linlithgow St Michael’s. Many similar events will form part of our programme for this year. Looking to the future, I am also keen to establish more regular opportunities for Christian fellowship which build upon the expanded worship offering at St Giles’. We are also looking at new ways to develop connections with students and younger adults through co-operation with New College and our local partners at Canongate and Greyfriars-St Cuthbert’s. Whether you are well-established within a church community, a visiting student, or new to Edinburgh for work or study, you are warmly welcome at the Younger Adults Group. We send a monthly Younger Adults Newsletter with information about upcoming events and other useful local resources.
To find out more, please contact me at jamie.sutherland@stgilescathedral.org.uk. Many blessings, Jamie
October 2026
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A new office To accommodate our expanding team of staff, we have moved into offices situated on the Old Fishmarket Close, in an old Church of Scotland Breakfast Mission. This office will primarily be used for desk work, administration, and meetings in a room adjacent to the main office space. It is believed that the Architect of the Breakfast Mission was Robert Wilson (1834-1901). Wilson was a prominent Baptist and was for a time Vice-President of the Baptist Union of Scotland. He was interested in philanthropic movements and was the Director of the Free Breakfast Mission in Edinburgh. It is thought that he was both architect and client for the “Edinburgh Sabbath Free Breakfast Mission”, which the title stone on Old Fishmarket Close dates as 1888. In the twentieth century the building passed into the ownership of the Church of Scotland who used it as a hostel for the homeless until they built purpose designed premises nearby on the Cowgate in 1991. After they vacated it was passed to the Church’s housing association Castlerock who leased it to the Gilded Balloon Theatre Company who used it for Festival Performances and subleased it to a back-packing hostel company for the remainder of the year. In 1998, a complex land swap resulted in a new nursery and private flats Old Fishmarket Close and new social housing for Castlerock on the Cowgate. These two completed housing developments now bookend the Breakfast Mission building. The Breakfast Mission sat in the middle of this development and the majority of it was purchased in 2000 by Richard Murphy Architects to be converted into offices. Now the Breakfast Mission is a unique community of creative enterprises, with St Giles' Cathedral being the most recent organisation to move in.
The South Room of the Cathedral The additional office space in the Breakfast Mission has allowed us to reconsider the use of spaces in the Cathedral itself. The South Room will now be primarily by used by the Ministry Team, as a meeting room and for pastoral care.
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Banners in the Sanctuary The green banners marking the season of Trinity and of ‘Ordinary Time’ were designed by Meriel Tilling and first hung in 1998. Meriel Tilling will be known to many. She came from the Royal School of Needlework to set up City and Guilds embroidery in Edinburgh. She told me she had designed and made over 600 pulpit falls, altar cloths and stoles. She “can no longer do such things” as she is now a couple of years off her century!
Her design brief for the banners was: green for hope, abstract in concept, to engage with the ‘new’ Burns window. I was talking to Meriel last month about this commission. They were her first large-scale banners (the central pillars are approximately 20 feet x 29 inches). She was supervising the project but a group from the Embroiderers’ Guild of Edinburgh sewed the banners. She said that a lot of the material was hand-dyed as was the fashion then. The materials were of various weights, textures and fabrics, mainly cottons and linens. The banners took a couple of years to sew. The green banners were refurbished after Covid since fire-proofing had caused them to go out of alignment. Battens have stabilised them and they now hang true again. In September, we celebrate St Giles. The St Giles banners, which I designed, hang for the month of September. Made by our Banner Guild in under a year, they are made in silk, embroidered, quilted, appliqued and hand-painted. The inspiration and source of the design was from the seal on the papal bull making St Giles’ a collegiate church in 1467. During the Festival, the communion table cover, pulpit fall and Bible ties donated by Eric von Ibler in memory of his parents will be seen. Each hand-painted panel of the communion table cover mirrors the stained glass as seen from that side of the church. The green banners will go up again in October, marking ‘Ordinary Time’ in the church calendar. Sheana Stephen Ashton
October 2026
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Revels Office General Update We have been working with the Revels Office on a new 5-year strategy for St Giles' Cathedral. Thank you to everyone who filled in our Community Survey; your contribution has helped us finalise a meaningful strategy and set of values which will underpin our work and goals going forwards.
This project set out to develop a clear and engaging vision and strategy for St Giles’ Cathedral for the next 5 years, one that unites all the roles that St Giles' Cathedral holds as a place of worship, a place for community, a historic attraction, and a cultural destination. In this process we have spoken with the Kirk Session, leadership team, staff, and congregation, as well as expert professionals from other cathedrals, from across the city of Edinburgh, and from Scotland’s tourism and cultural organisations. We look forward to sharing the results of this strategy project with our congregation and community towards the end of the year, as the report will include a review of the preliminary data from visitor admission.
Exchanging the money exchangers Amanda Forsyth has retired as Treasurer after several years of service to the Cathedral and the Kirk Session. Throughout her tenure, Amanda brought a high level of professionalism, diligence and integrity to the role, providing careful stewardship of the Cathedral’s finances and wise counsel on financial matters. Her commitment, attention to detail and steadfast support of the work and ministry of St Giles’ have been greatly valued, and we extend our sincere thanks to her for her service. She remains a greatly valued member of our community and contributor to the life of St Giles’. We are also grateful to Niall Lothian for agreeing to return as Treasurer on an interim basis, providing support as the Cathedral implements a number of significant financial and operational developments, including the introduction of visitor charging, the strengthening of financial systems and processes, and other measures designed to enhance the Cathedral’s long-term sustainability and support its future mission and ministry.
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National Year of Reading Upon A White Horse: Journeys in Ancient Britain and Ireland Author: Peter Ross Peter Ross’s book is dedicated to his grandparents, Eric and Susan Ross. His grandfather, born in 1921, served in the RAF during the Second World War in North Africa, Italy and Palestine. It may have been during this time that his interest in archeology and the past was kindled. That interest became a passion. After the war, he took night classes in field archeology and he and Susan became volunteer diggers on numerous excavations over the years, including on parts of the Antonine Wall and the Roman Fort at Camelon, near Falkirk. They passed on their enthusiasm and a great deal of knowledge to their grandson, Peter. Peter Ross did not become an archeologist, but a journalist and writer. His heritage, interests and skill as a communicator have combined to produce a number of engaging books of which the latest is Upon A White Horse: Journeys in Ancient Britain and Ireland (more on two earlier ones later).
An early chapter, entitled Ring, describes Ross’s visit to Stonehenge at the winter solstice, outlining the history of the site and the stone circle, and some history of rituals observed there. He describes some of the other people present on the day of his visit and his discussions with them, tells of famous visitors of the past, describes birds commonly seen there and informs us about lichens. The author moves on to a visit to Glasgow’s only stone circle at Sighthill accompanied by Stuart Braithwaite, guitarist in the rock band Mogwai. That circle was created in the late 1970s by Braithwaite’s father. Ross again describes people and events connected with the site. Encounters with further circles follow and the chapter ends with the account of his profound and poignant meeting with a father who had built a stone circle in memory of his daughter, killed in a farm accident in 2019. Chapters follow on Henges including Silbury Hill and Avebury, chalk figures like the Uffington White Horse and the figure at Cerne Abbey, graves like Sutton Hoo, and the Irish bog bodies. There is a very engaging account of how, following a chance encounter with a quarry workman who had dug up a skull, Ross’s grandfather discovered a previously unrecognised site.
Peter Ross tells of visits and describes walls, stones, sites and statues from Cornwall to Orkney and Shetland, from Ireland to Vindolanda, touching on history, encounters with people looking after the sites and previous literary references. It makes an accessible and fascinating read. I would use those words to describe two of his earlier books, which I also heartily recommend: A Tomb With A View – The Stories and Glories of Graveyards and Steeple Chasing – Around Britain Church By Church. Of all three books, the author says: “Although not a formal series my books are linked by a common subject – the marks we leave on the earth that seem to ask a hopeful question: ‘We matter, don’t we?’ “ Carole Hope
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Membership Weddings "Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay." (Ruth 1:16)
Clare Robertson & Andrew Sutherland India Clark Stewart & David McNeil Dr Connor Cummings & Josh Babarinde
Deaths “If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.” (Romans 14:8) Rev Charlie Robertson (16 th July 2026)
Baptisms “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name, you are mine.” (Isaiah 43:1b)
Adam Sinclair Forsyth, Karen Emma Ferguson, Imogen Skye Henderson
New Members “In the one Spirit we were all baptised into one body… and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.” (Corinthians 12:13) Jonathan Paul Freemantle, Anna Cetana Freemantle, Maximilian Bennett Freemantle Leonardo Zee Freemantle, Adam Sinclair Forsyth, Karen Emma Ferguson
Contact information St Giles’ staff and office bearers can generally be reached by email on addresses in the style firstname.lastname@stgilescathedral.org.uk or jobtitle@stgilescathedral.org.uk. Some commonly needed addresses are: Scott Rennie, Minister Sigrid Marten, Associate Minister Jack Oades, Master of the Music Sarah O’Connor, Head of Heritage & Culture Beadles
minister@stgilescathedral.org.uk SMarten@churchofscotland.org.uk jack.oades@stgilescathedral.org.uk sarah.oconnor@stgilescathedral.org.uk beadle@stgilescathedral.org.uk
Several members of the team also monitor the comms@stgilescathedral.org.uk address, which can be a good way to get a general question directed to the right person! Useful telephone numbers: The Cathedral Secretary Beadles' Office Finance Office Heritage & Culture
0131 225 4363 0131 226 0672 0131 225 8683 0131 226 0674
Picture credits We thank Peter Backhouse, Sheana Ashton and Fraser Macdonald who have provided their photographic skills for several of the images.
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