HeritagePhoto Wikimedia CommonsCanongate Kirk
United Kingdom
Alternatively, visit the Canongate Kirkyard cemetery, which dates back to the 17th century. Rest assured, there is no staged gimmickry, monster masks or made-up stories on this tour.
Contents
9 sections · tap a section for its opening lines1Canongate Kirk and Kirkyard
Welcome to the historic precinct of Canongate, a magnificent thoroughfare that constitutes the lower section of Edinburgh's world-renowned Royal Mile. As we stand upon these uneven, time-worn cobblestones, it is absolutely…
Listen in the app2The Dutch Gable Facade and the Bronze Poet
Before we cross the threshold into the sanctuary, let us take a moment to carefully analyze the exterior architecture of Canongate Kirk and the fascinating sculptural presence that guards its approach. Standing on the pavement,…
Listen in the app3The Royal Sanctuary and the Poet's Observation
Stepping inside the Canongate Kirk, the immediate sensation is one of profound, enveloping quiet, a stark and welcome contrast to the ceaseless, energetic din of the Royal Mile outside. The interior of the Kirk is remarkably…
Listen in the app4Entering the Kirkyard of the Great and Good
Exiting the bright sanctuary of the Kirk, we now transition into the profoundly atmospheric grounds of the Canongate Kirkyard. The shift in sensory experience is immediate and striking. …
Listen in the app5The Resting Place of Adam Smith
We now arrive at a monument of immense global significance. As we stand before this imposing, weathered stone structure, we are in the presence of the final resting place of Adam Smith, arguably one of the most consequential…
Listen in the app6The Tragic Grave of Robert Fergusson
Continuing our journey through the shadows of the Kirkyard, we arrive at a monument that tells one of the most heartbreakingly tragic stories in the annals of Scottish literature. This is the resting place of Robert Fergusson,…
Listen in the app7The Resting Place of Agnes Maclehose (Clarinda)
Let us shift our focus to a quieter, more intimate corner of the Kirkyard to examine a story of intense, thwarted romance that forever altered the landscape of Scottish poetry. Before us lies the modest grave of Agnes Maclehose. …
Listen in the app8The Vault of David Rizzio
For our final specific stop within the Kirkyard, we must delve significantly further back in time, leaving the polished intellectualism of the eighteenth-century Enlightenment for the brutal, bloody, and politically treacherous…
Listen in the app9Closing
As we conclude our extensive analytical journey and slowly make our way back toward the imposing wrought-iron gates of the Kirkyard, it is vital to pause and synthesize the extraordinary density of history we have just traversed.…
Listen in the app
What is Canongate Kirk?
Canongate Kirk is a place in United Kingdom with 9 story sections on Tellby. You can read the opening of each section on this page; the sound plays in the app.
| Location | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Type | Heritage |
| Story sections | 9 |
| Text language | English |
| Coordinates | 55.9517, -3.1793 |
| Last updated |


