Meadowbank Parish Church (known until 2017 as Holyrood Abbey Church) is a congregation of the Church of Scotland in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is based in a late-

Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literature ...

church building on London Road, Abbeyhill, around north of

Holyrood Abbey Holyrood Abbey is a ruined abbey of the Canons Regular in Edinburgh, Scotland. The abbey was founded in 1128 by David I of Scotland. During the 15th century, the abbey guesthouse was developed into a royal residence, and after the Scottish Ref ...

. The church building was opened in December 1900 as Abbeyhill United Free Church. The 12th-century Holyrood Abbey served as the parish church of the

Canongate The Canongate is a street and associated district in central Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland. The street forms the main eastern length of the Royal Mile while the district is the main eastern section of Edinburgh's Old Town. It began ...

until the construction of the

Kirk of the Canongate The Kirk of the Canongate, or Canongate Kirk, serves the Parish of Canongate in Edinburgh's Old Town, in Scotland. It is a congregation of the Church of Scotland. The parish includes the Palace of Holyroodhouse and the Scottish Parliament. I ...

in 1688. Following the Disruption of 1843 in the Church of Scotland, part of the congregation of the Kirk of the Canongate left to form Holyrood Free Church. A new building was constructed by them on Abbey Strand, in front of the Palace of Holyroodhouse. In 1915 this congregation united with Abbeyhill United Free Church, henceforth using the church buildings at 83 London Road. When the United Free Church of Scotland united with the Church of Scotland in 1929, the congregation became known as Holyrood Abbey Church. The former Holyrood United Free Church building adjacent to the Palace was used for many years as a storeroom, but in 2002 was extensively renovated and reopened as The Queen's Gallery, for art exhibitions from the

Royal Collection The Royal Collection of the British royal family is the largest private art collection in the world. Spread among 13 occupied and historic royal residences in the United Kingdom, the collection is owned by King Charles III and overseen by the ...

. The building at 83 London Road was designed by R M Cameron, and is protected as a category B listed building. It was extensively upgraded in 2006–2007. In 2014 the minister of Holyrood Abbey Church resigned over his disagreement with the Kirk's decision to accept homosexual ministers in marriages and civil partnerships. He led many of the congregation to set up

Holyrood Evangelical Church Holyrood may refer to: Religion * Holyrood (cross), a Christian relic alleged to be part of the True Cross on which Jesus died * Feast of the Cross, or Holy Rood day, in the Christian liturgical calendar Places United Kingdom * Holyrood, Edinbu ...

, an independent congregation. Due to the shortage of Church of Scotland ministers, and following the schisms within Holyrood Abbey and the nearby New Restalrig Parish Church (now Willowbrae Parish Church), the Presbytery of Edinburgh took the decision to close the building on the corner of London Road and Easter Road used by London Road Church and unite that congregation with the remaining members of the Holyrood Abbey congregation. The union took place in February 2017 and the congregation is now known as Meadowbank Church, however, the majority of the congregation at London Road church choose not to join the new congregation.

References

External links

Meadowbank Church of Scotland websiteHolyrood Evangelical Church website
{{coord, 55.9569, -3.1640, region:GB, display=title Church of Scotland churches in Edinburgh Listed churches in Edinburgh Category B listed buildings in Edinburgh Churches completed in 1900 20th-century Church of Scotland church buildings 20th-century churches in the United Kingdom