St Margaret's Chapel, Edinburgh Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids St Margaret's Chapel
The south façade of the chapel
55°56′55.4″N 03°12′00.4″W / 55.948722°N 3.200111°W / 55.948722; -3.200111
OS grid reference	NT252735
Location	Edinburgh Castle
Country	Scotland
Denomination	Non-denominational
History
Founded	12th century
Founder(s)	David I of Scotland
Dedication	Saint Margaret of Scotland
Dedicated	Rededicated on 16 November 1993
Architecture
Heritage designation	Category A listed building
Designated	14 December 1970
Style	Romanesque
Administration
Parish	Canongate

St Margaret's Chapel is a very old building inside Edinburgh Castle in Scotland. It's the oldest building still standing in Edinburgh! This small chapel is a great example of Romanesque architecture, which is a style of building from the Middle Ages.

It was built in the 1100s. For a while, people stopped using it, especially after the Reformation, a big change in religion. But in the 1800s, the chapel was fixed up. Today, a group called the St Margaret's Chapel Guild looks after it.

The Story of St Margaret
Chapel Design
See also

The Story of St Margaret

Saint Margaret of Scotland was an English princess. She was born around 1045 and died in 1093. Margaret and her family came to Scotland after the Norman conquest of England in 1066.

Around 1070, Margaret married Malcolm III of Scotland, the King of Scotland. She was a very religious and kind person. She did many good things, like setting up a ferry to help pilgrims cross the Firth of Forth. This helped them travel to Dunfermline Abbey.

Margaret died at Edinburgh Castle in 1093. This was just a few days after she heard that her husband had died in battle. In 1250, the Pope made her a saint.

Building the Chapel

People once thought that Saint Margaret herself prayed in this chapel. But the way it's built shows it was made later. It was built during the time of King David I. He was Margaret's fourth son and ruled from 1124 to 1153.

The chapel was part of a bigger royal building in the castle. On March 14, 1314, Robert the Bruce captured Edinburgh Castle. He destroyed most of the castle buildings. But he left the little chapel untouched.

When Robert the Bruce was dying in 1329, he remembered Queen Margaret's story. He ordered the chapel to be repaired. He even set aside money for it. For many years, people called it the "Royal Chapel in the Castle." Services were often held there.

When the Chapel Was Not Used

The chapel stopped being used for church services during the Scottish Reformation. This was a time when Scotland changed its main religion. From the 1500s, the chapel was used to store gunpowder!

In 1845, a historian named Sir Daniel Wilson realized how important the chapel was. He told everyone about it. The building that was next to it was taken down. St Margaret's Chapel was then restored in 1851–1852. Queen Victoria helped with this work.

A curved ceiling was added inside the chapel at this time. This was done to match the old building style. Stained glass windows were put in during 1922. More work was done in 1929 to get the chapel ready for use again. It was officially opened on March 16, 1934.

Interior of St Margaret's Chapel, showing the chancel arch with chevron motifs

The St Margaret's Chapel Guild

The St Margaret's Chapel Guild started in 1942. Princess Margaret was one of its first supporters. In 1993, the chapel was renovated to mark 900 years since St Margaret's death.

The Guild helped furnish the chapel with new items. These included an altar cloth, wooden seats, and a display case. Members of the Guild now make sure there are always fresh flowers in the chapel.

Only people named Margaret, or with a name from Margaret, can join the Guild. Baptisms and weddings can be held at the chapel today.

Chapel Design

This small stone building looks a bit like older chapels from Scotland and Ireland. It's a rectangular shape. Inside, it's about 3 meters (10 feet) wide. The main part, called the nave, is about 4.87 meters (16 feet) long.

A round arch leads into the next part, called the apsed sanctuary. This arch is 1.52 meters (5 feet) wide. It has cool zigzag patterns called chevron mouldings. The sanctuary is 3 meters long.

The walls are about 61 centimeters (2 feet) thick. Five small, round-headed windows and the round arch over the entrance show the Romanesque style.

The five stained-glass windows were made by Douglas Strachan in 1922. They show pictures of St Margaret, St Andrew, St Columba, St Ninian, and William Wallace.