The building
St Mary’s Cathedral is the Mother Church of the Diocese of Edinburgh and the largest cathedral in Scotland, and the only one in Scotland to keep up the tradition of daily choral worship. Consecrated in 1879, it has been open every day since, with a coffee shop, a bookshop and a busy programme of concerts and events.
Our work
The work began in July 2025. It includes:
- Overhauling the chancel slating and leadwork
- Raking out and repointing the chancel elevations, the nave gable and the south elevation
- New slating and leadwork to the sacristy roof and the chancel south aisle
- Repointing the walls around the sacristy roof, and new stone infill to openings
- Lifting and resetting copes and wellhead slabs to install lead damp-proof courses
- Minor repairs to the lantern and the stone tracery, and redecorating the rainwater goods
Keeping the cathedral open
A large temporary roof over the sacristy keeps the rooms below in use. The work is being carried out while the cathedral, coffee shop and bookshop stay fully open, through major events such as a Festival Mass celebrated by Archbishop Leo Cushley and the Christmas services and concerts.
See more of our work in Edinburgh and Midlothian.
