Notice of Upcoming Changes in
St Giles’ Cathedral
The beginning of May marked the Rev Dr Scott Rennie’s first year as Minister of St Giles’ Cathedral. Rev Dr Rennie was appointed on a mandate of change and has dedicated himself to working out the best way to improve the worship offering and visitor experience at St Giles’ Cathedral.
From September 2026, St Giles’ Cathedral will move to a visitor charging model. With over 1.5 million visitors each year, St Giles’ Cathedral has an organisational responsibility to ensure its longevity as a place of worship and as a key part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site that is Edinburgh. St Giles’ has been a site of worship for 900 years. This new model 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.
“This is an exciting time in the life of St Giles’. As Scotland’s High Kirk 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. 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.”
— The Rev Dr Scott Rennie, The Minister of St Giles’ Cathedral
“Having recently celebrated our 900th anniversary, and with Scotland in an exciting time of growth with regards to tourism, we want to embrace the opportunity of being one of the world’s most visited heritage sites. These changes will allow us to meet the responsibility of sharing our story with national and international visitors.”
— Stephen Preston, Transitional Chief Operating Officer at St Giles’ Cathedral
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. Visitors will be encouraged to engage with the history and architecture of the Cathedral, with a new set of locally hand-made interpretation panels and enhanced guided tours offered by the front-of-house team. Visitors will be invited to enjoy the Thistle Chapel and the peacefulness of the side aisles, and experience where Scotland paid respect to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
St Giles’ Cathedral is committed to offering enlightening worship, authentic storytelling, and a world-class visitor experience. St Giles’ Cathedral continues to be an inclusive and progressive space, where people of all faiths and none are welcome take sanctuary, to worship, and to participate in the life of the High Kirk of Scotland.
“St Giles’ has a complex and fascinating history. 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. Fundamentally, we want our visitors to have a positive and meaningful experience and come away with a deeper understanding of the history and cultural role that makes St Giles’ Cathedral the High Kirk of Edinburgh.”
— Sarah O’Connor, Head of Heritage and Culture at St Giles’ Cathedral
“The increased resources will allow us to significantly level-up our musical offering and our in-house concerts and events. This will not only allow us to improve the frequency of our choral worship, but to attract world-class performers and engage with the wider creative and cultural activities across Edinburgh and Scotland.”
— Jack Oades, Organist and Master of the Music at St Giles’ Cathedral
Page photos: The Kilted Photographer