Canongate Kirk, Edinburgh

This beautiful stone-built church, Canongate Kirk is the Parish Church of the Canongate as well as the Kirk of Holyroodhouse Palace .It is therefore the place of worship of the Royal family when they are in residence. It was built by the order of James VII in 1688 and is well worth visiting in order to admire its exquisite architecture and to soak up some of the Royal Mile's infectious atmosphere. Visitors can also walk around the pleasant graveyard, where such luminaries as the economist Adam Smith and the master-mind behind the New Town developments, Lord Provost George Drummond are buried. David Rizzio, the murdered Secretary of Mary Queen of Scots, also rests here. There are occasional classical music concerts staged in the kirk, including choral recitals by the Edinburgh University Renaissance Singers - phone for the latest details.