Description

Earlier 12th century, with later alterations and additions (see Notes). Simple pitch-roofed (piended to E) Romanesque chapel. Squared ashlar and random rubble with ashlar dressings and skews. Timber studded door in round-arched opening to N, J Wilson Paterson, 1939.

INTERIOR: barrel-vaulted rectangular nave (see Notes), separated from apsidal sanctuary by Romanesque chevron-inscribed chancel arch with nook-shafts (restored 1851-2). N doorway and aumbry to sanctuary. Stained glass by Douglas Strachan, 1922 (SS Andrew, Columba, Margaret and Ninian, and William Wallace).

Statement of Interest

The A Group comprises Batteries, Foog's Gate, Gatehouse, Governor's House, Great Hall, Lang Stairs, Military Prison, National War Museum, New Barracks, Old Guardhouse, Palace Block, Portcullis Gate, St Margaret's Chapel, Scottish National War Memorial, Telephone Kiosks, United Services Museum and Vaults, all within Edinburgh Castle, and in the Care of Historic Scotland. The earliest surviving building on the Castle Rock, the Chapel may have been built by David I in memory of his mother, canonised as St Margaret in 1250. The building was much altered during use as a magazine and munitions store from 16th-19th centuries. In 1845 the Chapel (then a storehouse at the W end of the 18th century garrison chapel) was rediscovered as such by the antiquarian Daniel Wilson. Surrounding buildings, including the garrison chapel, were demolished, and a simple restoration carried out under the direction of Col George Phillpots and Maximilian Grant, 1851-2. The barrel-vault of the nave is of this period, although it was probably also originally vaulted. Grant's illustration shows the form of the N door at this time. A later proposal by Hippolyte Blanc to enlarge and enrich the chapel was rejected.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• St Margaret's at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q2061784

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)
• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Hampshire: South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)