19th Century Restorations
By 1800, St Giles' was in a poor state of repair. In 1829, architect William Burn supervised a restoration of the building which demolished some chapels and encased much of the exterior in a skin of smooth ashlar.During the years 1872-83, William Chambers, publisher and Lord Provost of Edinburgh, planned and financed a further major restoration. The building was cleaned and old galleries and partition walls were removed, creating a single interior space. New stained glass was put into the windows.
