Canongate Kirk

Standing as a prominent landmark on the lower end of the Royal Mile, the Canongate Kirk has been the parish church of the Canongate district since its completion in 1691. Commissioned by King James VII (and II of England), the building was constructed using funds from a legacy left by merchant Thomas Moodie, designed in a rare and striking Dutch-gothic style with a curvilinear front gable.

The church's interior is unusually bright and spacious, characterized by white plaster walls and blue-painted columns, a design restored in the mid-20th century to capture its late 17th-century character. It remains an active place of worship and serves as the official church for the Palace of Holyroodhouse, frequently hosting members of the Royal Family during their residences in Edinburgh.

Outside, the atmospheric kirkyard is the final resting place of several of the Scottish Enlightenment's brightest minds. Visitors flock here to pay respects to the father of modern economics, Adam Smith, whose imposing tomb stands near the gate. Next to him lies Robert Fergusson, the tragic young poet whose work inspired Robert Burns, marked by a headstone erected by Burns himself.