112 Edinburgh: St Mary’s episcopal cathedral - and the sensitive warden

I don’t often talk to people when visiting churches – despite my exuberance I am quite shy. But this time I accidentally got into conversation with a church warden. “Lovely church” seemed to be a fair thing to say to start, so I said that. “I am glad you like it” said the warden. “So this is the episcopal church” I then said. This was not to inform him – I guessed he knew; I was just trying to make religious small talk. I knew it was an episcopal church because *it was written, at the entrance*, so I was more than a little surprised to see his features stiffen as if I had accidentally called his sister a tart. “We prefer to say Anglo-Catholic” he informed me, trying not to sound annoyed, I felt.

So, that might reflect continuing tension about denomination in Edinburgh (even though they have long ago stopped throwing stools at each other) , or perhaps he was just having a bad hair day.

It is indeed a lovely church. Consecrated in 1879, in your Gothic revival style, designed by Mr Gothic Revival  himself, George Gilbert Scott, who also did the Albert Memorial, and that incredible hotel just next to St Pancras train station in London.

There is a delightful pulpit, and gaily coloured stained glass, too. There is  a special pew which was reserved for Sir Walter Scott of Ivanhoe fame. On the noticeboard are a number of interesting bits of information, like how to join in with no-mow May.

But I must have been a bit sleepy during this particular visit, because I didn’t look up enough, and so didn’t photograph the rood cross (a big cross with Jesus, suspended above the altar).