THE KIRK O THE HALY RUDE

 

“Rude” is the Scots word for the Croce o the Crucifixion.

 

The first Kirk on this steid wis foondit by King David I in 1129, but wis burnt tae the grund in a bleeze in 1406. No lang efter, the Lord Chamberlain o Scotland gied siller tae bigg a new Kirk and the Nave, Sooth Trance and Touer were feenished aboot 1414. This pairt o the Kirk with its roondit Scots stoups, its Gothic pends and its original aik timmered ruif noo, efter mony chynges, is muckle the same as when it wis first biggit.

 

The Choir (or eastern) pairt wis biggit atween 1507 and 1546 acause the Kirk wisna muckle eneuch for aw its folk. Local dargers chauved at the wark unner the eident ee o Maister Mason, John Coutts.

 

In 1656, efter a collieshangie atween the twa meenisters o the Kirk and their respective hirsel, the Toun Cooncil stellit a pairtition atween them whaur the crossin noo is. This made twa hooses ablow the ae ruif – the East Kirk and the West Kirk, ilk ane wi its ain meenister. This wis the situation aye and on until 1935, when the twa congregations jined thegither unner the ae meenister.

 

Syne follaed the major restoration durin the years 1936 - 1940. The dividin waw was taen oot, the twa short corse-kirks were extendit, the groined ruif o the crossin wis biggit, the flairs o the Choir and Chancel were heezed up while Vestries and a Session Hoose were constructit unner the flair o the Choir.

 

Atween 1965 and 1968 mair restoration wis cairried oot. This involved makkin new the stane tracery o a wheen windaes, the replacement o mony worn-oot stanes, the re-pointin o the haill o the stanewark and the renewin o the heatin system. In 1970 the carillon o 6 bells in the Touer wis recast and re-hangit. Thir can noo be rung either by haun or mechanically. Atween 1987 and 1993 a major renovation o the Kirk took place at a cost o £1,250,000.

 

Mary, Queen o Scots, worshipped in this Kirk and John Knox preached here. Mary’s infant son, James VI o Scotland, that efter became James I o England in 1603, on the deith o Queen Elizabeth, wis crooned here on 29^th July 1567, makkin this Kirk the ae kirk in Britain, in regular use for worship, forby Westminster Abbey in London, whaur a Coronation has taen place.