Early Restalrig
The casual visitor to the district of Restalrig neat Leith, when he looks on the little church surrounded by a small Churchyard and set today in the midst of a great new housing scheme, would never imgine the wealth of tradition and the long history centred in that unpretentious building-the Parish Church of Restalrig (now called St Margaret’s).
Yet its traditions take us back to the days when there was little history in Scotland and the earliest authentic accounts that have come down to us prove it to be the very oldest of Edinburgh’s Churches. When we consider the name of St Triduana with whose name name Restlrig is for ever linked. We are moving amongst the dim shadows of a very distant day.
The Seal of the Collegiate Church of Restalrig pre 1560
Restalrig Church 1560
Restalrig Church showing St Triduana’s Chapel, Skene watercolour 1817
Restalrig Church today
The Logan Window Restalrig Church
Restalrig village in 1850
St Triduana’s Chapel is the only remaining part of a larger structure called the Royal Chapel. Above is the idea of Dr Thomas Ross of what the complete structure would have looked liked. Since this was done it has been proved that St Triduana’s Chapel wasn’t in fact a well.
From a short account of Restalrig Parish Church by Rev Robert Black Norman 1985