High above St Margaret’s Loch stands St Anthony’s Chapel. A gaunt ruin it looks more like an ancient castle than a religious building. This is St Anthony’s Chapel in Edinburgh’s Holyrood Park.
Its origins are shrouded in mystery. We know little about its construction. Ownership of the land in the 1100s was divided between Kelso and Holyrood Abbeys. The chapel’s land likely belonged to Kelso Abbey. However St Anthony’s Chapel was probably closely linked to Holyrood Abbey. A stone track connected the two. You can still see parts of this track today. About three-quarters of the way along this track lies St Anthony’s Well a spring with a carved stone bowl.
Some believe St Anthony’s Chapel served as an outlying chapel for Holyrood Abbey. Perhaps it was built to keep pilgrims away from the abbey monks. Another theory suggests it served as a beacon for sea-borne pilgrims sailing up the River Forth.
A papal grant for repairs in 1426 suggests the chapel existed by the 1300s or earlier. After the Reformation in 1560 the chapel fell into disuse and disrepair. Today only parts of the north wall remain. There are also remnants of another building. This was possibly a store room not a hermitage as some believe.
The remaining chapel wall shows signs of vaulting. When complete the building likely comprised a small three-bay chapel. There would have been a three-storey tower at its west end. Its unusual shape tall and long suggests it was designed for distant visibility as much as for worshippers.
St Anthony’s Chapel is a fascinating and mysterious place. It’s fairly accessible but that has its drawbacks. Because of its accessibility you might find evidence of modern visitors. On a recent visit broken glass from a Buckfast Tonic Wine bottle lay near the chapel. This highlights a social issue in Scotland the impact of cheap alcohol on poorer communities.
St Anthony’s Chapel is a free attraction open all year. Explore its history and enjoy the stunning views. This is more than just a ruin. It’s a piece of Edinburgh’s rich and complex past.