St Mark's
250th Anniversary of Unitarians in Edinburgh
Edinburgh Unitarians have called the Scottish capital home since 1776. Today, St Mark’s Unitarian Church keeps that vibrant, 250-year history alive as an inclusive, open-minded community of spiritual explorers.
Look our for events here and please
join us as we celebrate our landmark 250th anniversary throughout the year!
Sunday 27 September
11 AM - 4 PM
We're having a party - and you're invited!
Join us in Edinburgh to celebrate 250 years of Unitarian spirit and community—fun, history, and good vibes!
Join us on Sunday 27th September at 11am, where Rev. Janine Sim will kick off proceedings with a celebratory service, to be followed by a pot luck lunch, and finally a fun craft session focussing on the theme of “future ancestors” for Doors Open Day
Saturday, September 26
2 PM - 5 PM
Guided Historical Walk: 250 Years of Unitarianism in Edinburgh
A fun, free history walk in central Edinburgh celebrating 250 years of Unitarianism. Join us for coffee, chats and fascinating stories!
Together, we chart a course between the four historical meeting sites of the Edinburgh Unitarians, stopping for breaks and chats along the way. All are welcome – Unitarian or not!
Sunday, September 27
2 PM - 4 PM
"Future Ancestors": fun, free craftivism session
As part of our celebration, and to coincide with Doors Open Day, we’re hosting a free “crafternoon” session on the theme of “being good future ancestors” – fun for kids and adults alike! Everyone is welcome to come and explore our building and have some fun crafting on a Sunday afternoon. These are drop in sessions, so no need to arriveprompt at 2pm,
Wednesday, September 23-Thursday, September 24
7.30-10PM
Exploring Unitarianism
A new, 5 week online course; for anyone who’s been coming along and would like to know more about what Unitarianism actually is — and equally for people who’ve never set foot in St Mark’s and are simply curious.
Week 1 — 23 September How did you get here?
Week 2 — 30 September Many paths, one room
Week 3 — 7 October What holds us together
Week 4 — 14 October The shapes we keep
Week 5 — 21 October Where we go from here
Each session runs 75 minutes on Zoom. Rev. Janine Sim will talk for about ten minutes; and ask questions in between, the rest of the evening belongs to the group. There’s a break in the middle and we finish on time.
Sunday 21 July 2026
This year marks the 250th anniversaries of both the American Declaration of Independence and the founding of the Unitarian Church in Edinburgh. At first glance it would seem that this is just a coincidence. However, as Miss Marple said, ‘Any coincidence is worth noticing.’
To kick off the events to mark 250 years of Unitarians in Edinburgh, Frank Cogliano will discuss the connection between these two events and reflect on the significance of the US semiquincentennial based on his recently-published book, Thomas Jefferson Survives: American Independence in His Time and Ours (with Peter S. Onuf).
St Mark's
A place called home
St Mark's Unitarian Church at Castle Terrace, Edinburgh, has been our meeting place for almost two hundred years. We also meet via Zoom and you can connect with us through social media (Facebook and Twitter).
We’d love you to come along to our time together in community any Sunday at 11.00am, or to any of our groups, events and activities.