---
title: "St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh"
description: "Located in Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh. Built 1874–79; chapter house 1890–91; west spires 1913–17. Diocese of Edinburgh. Grade A. Gothic Revival style."
category: "Church"
tags: ["Church","Scottish Episcopal Church","City of Edinburgh","Edinburgh","Category A","Gothic Revival","George Gilbert Scott"]
canonical: "https://thebritishgazette.com/post/st-marys-cathedral-edinburgh"
pubDate: "2026-09-06T01:38:58.423Z"
dateModified: "2026-09-09T12:30:30.434Z"
location: "Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh"
country: "Scotland"
county: "City of Edinburgh"
town: "Edinburgh"
address: "Palmerston Place, Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh, EH12 5AW"
postcode: "EH12 5AW"
built: "1874–79; chapter house 1890–91; west spires 1913–17"
consecrated: "1879"
architect: "George Gilbert Scott; chapter house John Oldrid Scott; west spires Charles Marriott Oldrid Scott"
denomination: "Scottish Episcopal Church"
dedications: ["Mary"]
diocese: "Edinburgh"
grade: "A"
style: "Gothic Revival"
materials: "Squared and snecked sandstone with ashlar quoins"
website: "http://www.cathedral.net/"
openingHours: "Open daily from 7.30am."
parish: "St Mary's Cathedral"
accessNotes: "Non-accessible toilets in church. Level access to the main areas. Accessible toilets nearby. Accessible toilets in church"
---

# St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh

St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral on Palmerston Place is the Category A listed seat of the Bishop of Edinburgh, designed by George Gilbert Scott and dedicated in 1879.

## Overview

Historic Environment Scotland records a scholarly Gothic Revival cathedral of 1874–90, with a chapter house by John Oldrid Scott of 1891 and west spires of 1913–17 by Charles Marriott Oldrid Scott, all to the original designs. The plan is cruciform, with a six-bay nave, side aisles, large crossing, two-bay transepts and a chapter house to the north-east. The composition is dominated by a central lucarned spire with flying buttresses and an octagonal belfry, and two further towers to the west. Fabric is squared and snecked sandstone with some ashlar quoins.

The foundation stone was laid on 21 May 1874. The cathedral website states that the building was dedicated in 1879. The listing notes sources in Scottish medieval work including Holyrood and Dunblane. The two west spires are known as Barbara and Mary and were completed in 1917. Scottish listings are not entered as listEntryUrl on this site; the HES record is linked below.

## Further Information

- [Historic Environment Scotland LB27441](https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/apex/f?p=1505:300:::VIEWTYPE,VIEWREF:designation,LB27441)
- [St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral](https://www.cathedral.net/)
- [Wikipedia: St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh (Episcopal)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Mary%27s_Cathedral,_Edinburgh_(Episcopal))