A royal charter. That’s what started it all. Right here where we stand today once stood Trinity College Kirk. A magnificent church founded in 1460. It was a testament to Mary of Guelders’ love for her late husband King James II. He had died that same year at the siege of Roxburgh Castle.
The Kirk wasn’t just any church. It held a special place in Edinburgh’s history. It was a royal collegiate church. It also housed Trinity Hospital an almshouse for the needy. The church’s design was ambitious. Sadly only the apse choir and transepts were ever completed. Local sandstone from a quarry near Princes Street was used in its construction. The style was late Gothic a popular choice at the time. Interestingly enough it featured several monkey decorations a rather unusual detail for a church.
The Kirk had a thriving foundation. It consisted of a provost eight prebendaries and two clerks each with their own benefices and land. Their income came from various sources across Scotland including Uthrogal a leper colony. The church attracted significant attention. A papal bull in 1463 granted plenary indulgences to visitors contributing to the church’s construction. The Kirk’s beauty was renowned. It once held a spectacular triptych altarpiece by Hugo van der Goes. This masterpiece is now in the National Gallery of Scotland. It depicts James III and his family.
Construction continued for decades. In 1531 a contract was signed to finish the building. Master John Dingwall wished to complete the church conforming to the choir. Even James V sought papal indulgences to help finance the work. However after Dingwall’s death in 1533 only the apse choir and transepts were finished.
After the Scottish Reformation the Kirk fell under the Crown’s control. For a time it served as a church for the hospital. Later it became the church for Edinburgh’s northeast quarter. The Kirk remained in use until 1848. That year saw its demolition to make way for Waverley Station a move met with protest. The stones were numbered for a planned reconstruction but sadly that never happened. Most of the stones ended up being used elsewhere.
Today only a fragment of Trinity College Kirk remains. The Trinity Apse. This part of the original choir and apse now serves as a hall within a hotel. It’s a poignant reminder of the Kirk’s grandeur and its unique history in Edinburgh. A tangible link to a royal church a cherished place of worship and a remarkable piece of Scottish architectural history.