Assembly city

As commissioners and visitors flock to Edinburgh for the annual General Assembly, Lynne McNeil reflects on the hospitality and surroundings around the Assembly Hall.

FOR the Church of Scotland, Edinburgh becomes the focus in May – and the annual General Assembly on the Mound.

The Assembly has changed over the years and most recent changes have resulted in online and hybrid General Assemblies, but the annual gathering brings hundreds of commissioners and delegates to the city to debate the business at the heart of the Church.

Hotels and guest houses (close to the city centre and beyond) are full with those taking part in the business of the Church during the third week in May.

During the week, cafes and restaurants are awash with the buzz of the Assembly.

For those present in the Assembly Hall, the University of Edinburgh’s Rainy Hall is the meeting place for breakfast, lunch and coffee or tea.

For those venturing outdoors at lunchbreaks, there are many sandwich shops dotted along the Royal Mile and Princes Street is only a five-minute walk away (although the Gardens are busy with lunchtime picnickers on sunny days).

The café at the Scottish Storytelling Centre offers a further pitstop (and a chance to visit to John Knox House if there is time).

Some churches also have their own lunchtime cafes, including the Undercroft at St Andrew’s and St George’s West in nearby George Street.

Both the Old Town and New Town of Edinburgh are within walking distance, opening up a variety of places to dine at breakfast, lunch and dinner.

For the Assembly is not just a business meeting, but an opportunity to meet up with old friends and make new ones as the hospitality of the event offers the opportunity for new connections and inspiration.

Fringe events (see page …) have been planned for lunchtime and early evening at this year’s Assembly on a range of subjects and with some offering light lunch and refreshments.

May offers longer (and sometimes sunnier) days and Edinburgh is a city of great beauty and history and is easily navigated on foot with many lovely spots to pause and reflect or enjoy the spring sunshine (or take shelter if the weather is chilly and wet).

The Church of Scotland is part of the vital fabric of the capital and for those seeking quiet spaces, many of the churches are open during the day and within walking distance of the Assembly Hall.

Whilst commissioners are invited to attend Sunday morning worship at the historic High Kirk of St Giles on the Royal Mile, those seeking to worship at different times and different places will find many open doors and hospitality in many of the central churches of the city – all used to welcoming visitors old and new during the business of the annual General Assembly.

A proportion of commissioners will, of course, join this year’s Assembly online from the comfort of their own surroundings and will be able to enjoy hospitality of their own choice, perhaps homemade or perhaps supporting local business.

Dining in or out, there will be plenty on offer to sustain through the demands of the daily business of the 2023 General Assembly in Edinburgh or elsewhere. ¤