Greenside Church

My flat looks over this pretty church which is beautifully located on the edge of Calton Hill and has a marvellous view looking over the centre of Edinburgh. Indeed the name of this church is derived from its location on the 'green side' of Calton Hill.

The "green side", is an area of historical interest. In 1518 ground was conferred to "the Freris Carmelitis for theyre Chapel of Holy Cross". After the reformation the buildings fell into neglect. Although not one stone of this foundation remains, an official of the Carmelites in Rome, until recent times, still bore the title "Il Padre Priori Di Greenside".

In the 16th century, the remains of the monastery buildings were used as a leper colony. An area of Greenside was also at that time given over to fairs and jousting at which, it is said, Mary Queen of Scots was a spectator.

The church was built to a design by the architect, James Gillespie Graham, in his "robust Gothic" style, and was opened in 1839 to serve the residents of Playfield's Georgian terraces that encircle the Calton Hill.