An Early Proposal

It is a seriously impressive structure, though under scaffold and tarp the last few times I’ve been past, the inside is just as impressive. I used to go to their lunchtime eucharist if I had a job in the area when I was a member of OSP up the road. Not ‘as high up the candle’ as I remember.Pope Benedict’s recent ‘Priest’s must be joyful’ pronouncement reminded me immediately of a joyful episcopal priest celebrating at one of those lunchtimes. He radiated real joy, not a false or excessively smiley joy either. I don’t know who it was, but his face is engraved on my mind.

This image is Sir Giles Gilbert Scott’s winning original proposal. The trustees soon asked him to add two towers to the west end, and so we have the beautiful cathedral we know today.

A wonderful structure. I recall reading that the plans for it were badly received by the citizens and officials of Edinburgh. Like the Scott Monument and New College, it was one of the early pioneers of the Gothic style in that largely Georgian and Classical city.

For my part, I’ve always been of the opinion that it faces the wrong way. If it was possible to turn buildings around 180 degrees with ease, then I’d very much advocate it in this situation.

I was amused by the first comment: I have lived in Edinburgh for ten years, and walk by the cathedral almost daily. Never have I seen it without scaffolding!