Colinton Parish Church is a congregation of the

Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland (CoS; ; ) is a Presbyterian denomination of Christianity that holds the status of the national church in Scotland. It is one of the country's largest, having 245,000 members in 2024 and 259,200 members in 2023. While mem ...

. The church building is located in Dell Road,

Colinton Colinton is a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland situated southwest of the city centre. Up until the late 18th century it appears on maps as Collington. It is bordered by Dreghorn to the south and Craiglockhart to the north-east. To the north-w ...

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

next to the

Water of Leith The Water of Leith (Scottish Gaelic: ''Uisge Lìte'') is the main river flowing through central Edinburgh, Scotland, that starts in the Pentlands Hills and flows into the port of Leith and then into the sea via the Firth of Forth. Name The ...

History

St Cuthbert's Church, originally called the parish of Hailes, was founded in 1095 by Ethelred, Earl of

Fife Fife ( , ; ; ) is a council areas of Scotland, council area and lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area in Scotland. A peninsula, it is bordered by the Firth of Tay to the north, the North Sea to the east, the Firth of Forth to the s ...

, son of King Malcolm III. The church came under the authority of

Dunfermline Abbey Dunfermline Abbey is a Church of Scotland parish church in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland. The church occupies the site of the ancient chancel and transepts of a large medieval Benedictine abbey, which was confiscated and sacked in 1560 during the S ...

and in 1234 this was confirmed in a Papal Bull from Pope Gregory. In 1248 a rebuilt church was dedicated by David De Bernham but is thought to have been destroyed during the English invasion of 1544. The present church site has existed since 1636 and was rebuilt in 1771 and 1907. A church has stood on the site for approximately 1000 years, but the current building was constructed and opened in 1908. Later, a new adjacent church hall was added in the 1990s. The current church was redesigned in 1907-8 by the architect

Sydney Mitchell Arthur George Sydney Mitchell (7 January 1856 – 13 October 1930) was a Scotland, Scottish architect. He designed a large number of bank branches, country houses, churches, and church halls. His most significant commissions include the housin ...

. The church incorporates the tower from the old church, which had been designed by

David Bryce David Bryce Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, FRSE FRIBA Royal Scottish Academy, RSA (3 April 1803 – 7 May 1876) was a Scotland, Scottish architect. Life Bryce was born at 5 South College Street in Edinburgh, the son of David B ...

and built in 1837. The interior has a neo-Byzantine design, with pink sandstone columns. In 2001 the congregation had a roll of 1175 members, making it one of the largest church congregations by membership in the Church of Scotland.Church of Scotland Yearbook 2002-2003,

Ministers

Several former ministers have served as

Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland The moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the minister or elder chosen to moderate (chair) the annual General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which is held for a week in Edinburgh every year. After chairing the Ass ...

, most recently the Very Reverend Dr

William Bryce Johnston William Bryce Johnston, (16 September 1921 – 22 May 2005) was a Church of Scotland minister, most notably Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland from 1980 until 1981. He was Executive Committee Chairman of the British ...

(in 1980). The minister is currently the Rev. Rolf Billes. The previous minister was the Reverend Dr George Whyte, who demitted the charge (resigned) in September 2008 to become Clerk to the Church of Scotland's Presbytery of Edinburg

* Peter Hewat MA from 1596 to 1598 * James Thomson MA (d.1635) from 1598 to 1634 * William Ogston MA, formerly regent of

Marischal College Marischal College ( ) is a large granite building on Broad Street in the centre of Aberdeen in north-east Scotland, and since 2011 has been the headquarters of Aberdeen City Council. The building was constructed for and is on long-term lease fr ...

from 1635 to 1639 * Thomas Garvine from 1639 to 1649 * Alexander Livingston (d.1660) from 1650 to 1659 * Robert Bennet (d.1709) from 1659 to 1681 * Thomas Murray from 1682 to 1685 * Samuel Nimmo MA (d.1717) from 1686 to 1691 * James Thomson from 1694 to 1696 then translated to

Elgin Elgin may refer to: Places Canada * Elgin County, Ontario * Elgin Settlement, a 19th-century community for freed slaves located in present-day North Buxton and South Buxton, Ontario * Elgin, a village in Rideau Lakes, Ontario * Elgin, Manit ...

* Thomas Paterson from 1697 to 1699 then translated to St Cuthbert's in Edinburgh * Walter Allan MA (d.1732) from 1700 to 1732 * George Gibson (1706-1746) from 1733 to 1746 * John Hyndman from 1746 to 1752 when he translated to St Cuthbert's (Moderator in 1761) * Rev Robert Fisher (1715-1782) from 1752 to 1782 * Rev Prof John Walker FRSE (1731-1803) from 1783 to 1803, Moderator in 1790 * John Fleming of Craigs (1750-1824) from 1804 to 1824 * Rev

Lewis Balfour Lewis Balfour (1777–1860) was a Scottish Church of Scotland minister and grandfather to the author Robert Louis Stevenson. Life Balfour was born on 30 August 1777 at Pilrig, Pilrig House between Edinburgh and Leith, the son of Jean Whytt ...

(1777-1860) from 1824 to 1860 * Rev William Lockhart DD (1825-1902) from 1861 to 1902, his will paid for the Lockhart Memorial Church in the

Grange, Edinburgh The Grange (originally St Giles' Grange) is an affluent suburb of Edinburgh, just south of the city centre, with Morningside and Greenhill to the west, Newington to the east, The Meadows park and Marchmont to the north, and Blackford Hi ...

* Norman MacLean MA from 1902 to 1910 * Thomas Marjoribanks (1871-1947) from 1910 to 1947, chief of

Clan Marjoribanks Clan Marjoribanks is a Scottish clan of the Scottish Lowlands. History Origins The story often told of the origins of the surname Marjoribanks, and even supported by respectable authorities, is that Marjorie Bruce, Marjorie, daughter of King ...

* Very Rev William Bryce Johnston (1921-2005) from 1964 to 1991

Notable burials

*Dr

George William Balfour George William Balfour Royal Society of Edinburgh, FRSE (2 June 1823 – 9 August 1903) was a Scottish physician, known as a heart specialist. Early life and education Born at the manse of Sorn, East Ayrshire, Sorn, Ayrshire, on 2 June 1823, h ...

*Rev

(1777-1860) minister of Colinton and

Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as ''Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll ...

's grandfather *Edward Burton (engraver) and his great uncle

Mungo Burton Mungo may refer to: People * Mungo (name), a list of people with the given name or surname * Mungo people, an ethnic group in Cameroon Places * Mungo, Angola, a town and municipality * Mungo National Park, Australia * Lake Mungo, Australia * ...

ARSA *

Alexander Lorne Campbell Alexander Lorne Campbell (1871–1944) was a Scotland, Scottish architect, who practised across Scotland. He was founder of the successful firm of Scott & Campbell. Early life He was born in Edinburgh the son of Archibald Campbell, deputy city ...

architect *Rev Cpt Marcell William Townend Conran, author * John Gibson (chemist) *

James Gillespie (philanthropist) James Gillespie (1726–1797) was a Scottish snuff and tobacco merchant in Edinburgh in the 18th century. He never married, and upon his death left a fortune with the request that a hospital and school for the poor should be built, now know ...

* Admiral John Inglis *Very Rev

, Moderator of the Church of Scotland 1980-1 *Sir

Matthew Ochterlony Sir Matthew Montgomery Ochterlony FRIBA (28 February 1880 – 4 October 1946) was a 20th century Scottish baronet and architect. He largely received commissions for large villas for monied friends, but in later years did much work for the Ep ...

, 4th baronet Ochterlony and architect, and his daughter, Gertrude Row-Fogo (d.1917 serving as a nurse) *Prof James Scott Robson (1921-2010) *

Ramsay Heatley Traquair Ramsay Heatley Traquair FRSE FRS (30 July 1840 – 22 November 1912) was a Scottish naturalist and palaeontologist who became a leading expert on fossil fish. Traquair trained as a medical doctor, but his thesis was on aspects of fish anatomy ...

Phoebe Traquair Phoebe Anna Traquair (; 24 May 1852 – 4 August 1936) was an Irish-born artist, who achieved international recognition for her role in the Arts and Crafts movement in Scotland, as an illustrator, painter and embroiderer. Her works included larg ...

(1840-1912) artist

Colinton Cemetery

A cemetery was added in the late 19th century, to the south of the historic graveyard. This area contains the village

war memorial A war memorial is a building, monument, statue, or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or (predominating in modern times) to commemorate those who died or were injured in a war. Symbolism Historical usage It has ...

. A relatively rare Norwegian war grave lies in the southern section towards the centre. The

standing in the centre of the small cemetery, was designed by

Pilkington Jackson Charles d’Orville Pilkington Jackson RSA, FRBS, FRSA (11 October 1887 – 20 September 1973) was a British sculptor prominent in Scotland in the 20th century. Throughout his career he worked closely with the architect Sir Robert Lorimer. He ...

References

External links