I kept my camera close the entire trip—sometimes shooting through a bus window, other times hopping out for a quick stop in a tourist town. I debated writing separate posts for each place (there’s so much rich church history!), but decided to gather everything into one longer guide. (Except Dunrobin Castle—it’s so stunning it deserves its own post.) For anyone curious, here we go: not in chronological order, but grouped by location.

(If you’re wondering why we were in Scotland, read this first post: “From Darkness to Light: Church Planting in Scotland’s Schemes.”)

St. Andrews

You can’t tell from the photos, but we had one hour—in a downpour—to see as much of this charming town as possible. Ethan and I headed straight to St Andrews Castle, the site of George Wishart’s martyrdom and, soon after, the retaliatory killing of the cardinal who ordered it. Several months later, John Knox began his public ministry here. Walking those grounds felt surreal—this place is a pivotal chapter in Scottish church history.

The rain left the images softer than I’d hoped, but there’s still a quiet beauty in them.

St. Andrews Castle —

St. Andrew’s Cathedral —

Edinburgh

Craigmillar Castle —

This castle was just outside one of the scheme and while it’s considered a more “modern” castle, it holds significance because it was where Mary Queen of Scotts stayed for a time when she was sick. It also felt strange standing in the room where she would’ve been bedridden. But the part that shocked us the most was the portion that was once a former church now turned into an outbuilding. (As I’ve previously mentioned, Scotland’s attitude towards it’s own church history is shown in items like this.)

Downtown Edinburgh —

Downtown Edinburgh was so visually interesting—a living splice of the medieval and the modern, as if you’d wandered into another century while keeping one foot in 2025.

Grassmarket —

Once a bustling livestock marketplace beneath Edinburgh Castle, the Grassmarket also served for centuries as Edinburgh’s public execution ground—remembered today by the 1937 Covenanters’ memorial, a stone-inlaid “gallows shadow” set into the pavement, and brass plates marking the site.

Greyfriars Kirkyard —

Within Greyfriars Kirkyard, the Covenanters’ Prison—an open-air enclosure where hundreds of Presbyterian Covenanters were confined after the 1679 Battle of Bothwell Bridge, with many dying, deported, or executed—stands as a stark memorial to Scotland’s fight for religious liberty.

On the Greyfriars grounds, we passed a female priest leading a “pet-blessing” ceremony. A former Scottish pastor in our group—now a theology professor—bluntly said to her, “Where’d you find that in the Bible?” It felt like another sad snapshot of the church today, though the pets themselves were irresistibly cute.

St. Giles Cathedral —

At St Giles’ Cathedral (the High Kirk of Edinburgh), John Knox served as minister from 1559, preaching the Scottish Reformation and helping establish Presbyterian worship in Scotland.

John Knox Burial Site —

John Knox was buried in the old kirkyard beside St Giles’ in 1572; today the spot lies under the tarmac of Parliament Square’s car park, marked by a small brass plaque. Locals often point it out as roughly around parking bay 23—an oddly humble resting place for Scotland’s great Reformer.

John Knox House —

John Knox lived here only briefly, though it’s now a museum. We skipped the tour—friends said it wasn’t worth the price—but we did wander the gift shop. Surprisingly (but also not surprisingly), there were more titles on witchcraft and Mary, Queen of Scots than on Knox himself.

Holyrood Park —

Perth

St. John’s Kirk—

When our train to Inverness terminated, we ended up stranded in Perth—but made the most of it, visiting the outside of the rebuilt St John’s Kirk, where Knox famously preached that the Mass was idolatry, a sermon that set off the Perth riot.

The riot led to the removal and looting of ornate Catholic ornaments, yet—ironically—John Knox’s modest-looking cane and candlestick have been carefully preserved over the years, though they’re kept as historical artifacts rather than objects of veneration.

Carrbridge Packhorse Bridge

Inverness Area

Another failed attempt at self-timer portraits, but hey—we look happy. :)

Nairn

Clava Clairns —

Just outside Inverness, are Bronze Age stone mounds and standing stones set to catch the midwinter light. I’m sure this is a deeply spiritual place for the people who built it but it just felt like a pile of stones to me, lol.

From rain-soaked castle ruins to crowded streets layered with church history, Scotland met us with beauty at every turn. Some stops were grand, others were small and ordinary, but together they told a story of God’s faithfulness through time. I’m grateful we could witness a little of it and am able to show you glimpses of it here.

Scenes from Scotland