Visitors to St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh set to be charged for entry for the first time

It has been a place of worship at Edinburgh’s historic beating heart for nearly 900 years.

But now visitors to St Giles' Cathedral, one of the most prominent landmarks on the Royal Mile, face having to pay an admission fee for the first time.

The Church of Scotland wants to impose a charge on all visitors entering the building on non-worship days to meet annual repair and maintenance costs which have soared to almost £1 million a year.

Visitors are currently asked to make a £5 donation, however a slump in donations since the start of the pandemic three years ago, combined with growing repair and maintenance costs, have prompted the admission fee move.

St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh. Picture: Greg Macvean

It would bring to an end an historic right of free public access to the site, which dates back to 1124 and was the focal point of the 16th century Scottish Reformation.

Councillors will have to approve a request to amend the title deeds to St Giles,’ which currently guarantee free access on non-worshipping days throughout the year.

St Giles has been one of Scotland’s most popular attractions in modern times, with more than 1.2 million visitors recorded in 2019.The St Giles’ Cathedral Trust, which runs the building on a day-to-day basis, was plunged into a financial crisis by Covid restrictions, which saw donations plummet.

A fundraising appeal generated nearly half a million pounds. However Kirk chiefs says the “finanancial burdens” of looking after St Giles’ are “significant and continuing to rise.”

St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh.

Its general trustees, who advise kirk sessions around the country on the upkeep of church buildings, have already approved the introduction of an admission fee. A final decision would still have to be made by the Kirk's General Assembly.

The Kirk’s Moderator, the Rt Rev Dr Iain Greenshields, last year argued in favour of historic churches being able to charge non-worshipping visitors.

However Historic Environment Scotland, the government agency which runs Glasgow Cathedral as an attraction, was forced to ditch plans to introduce an admission fee following widespread opposition, including from its kirk session.

An official council report states that without having the ability to levy an entry charge, the St Giles’ kirk session is “increasingly unable to adequately maintain the fabric of the building.”

Artist Michael Pendry puts the finishing touches to his 'art for peace installation Les Colombes at St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh last year. Picture: Lloyd Smith

The most recent accounts for the St Giles’ Cathedral Trust, which warn of “challenging times financially in 2023,” state that it is “actively examining” ways to increase the amount of income generated from visitors.

A Kirk spokeswoman said: “St Giles' Cathedral has been asking for donations from visitors for more than 10 years.

"In 2018, when the cathedral's finances started to deteriorate sharply, St Giles’ suggested more explicitly that a donation of £5 would be appropriate for visitors and advertised that at the entrance.

"Without voluntary donations, we would struggle to maintain access to the building seven-days-a-week and to manage the costs around maintaining the building’s fabric.“The financial burdens of looking after such an ancient and historic property, coupled with the pressures of being open all-year round in a World Heritage site, are significant and continue to rise.

“For this reason, we’re seeking a variation to the title deeds provisions to allow charging for non-worshipping entry in future. In order to do so, the kirk session requires, in the first instance, the council’s consent.”