The Scottish Parliament’s first home

Lynne McNeil recalls the role of the Church of Scotland in re-establishing the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh.

TWENTY-five years ago this month the eyes of the world were on Edinburgh – and the General Assembly Hall of the Church of Scotland.

The iconic building, with its familiar black and white corridor and vertigo-inducing steps, with an entrance though the courtyard and familiar statue of John Knox, famously became the first home of the Scottish Parliament.

After the 1997 referendum voted overwhelmingly in favour of the reestablishment of a Scottish Parliament, hearts and minds turned to where the new Parliament would be.

A design was developed for the current Holyrood building, but it was evident from the start that this would never be ready in time for the official opening of the Parliament in 1999.

There was much debate about where the temporary Parliament would be housed.

Edinburgh, as the capital city, appeared to be the natural home, but, predictably, there was a spirited bid from Glasgow, which offered the offices of the former Strathclyde Regional Council as a potential solution.

Other sites which appeared to be in the running included the former Royal High School in central Edinburgh – and the General Assembly Hall of the Church of Scotland.

In 1998 I was a news reporter with The Herald, based in Edinburgh. Late one afternoon a tip off came that Edinburgh (and the Church of Scotland) had succeeded in securing the temporary home of the new Parliament. A team of us were assigned to confirming the decision and gathering reaction, and so it was that the new temporary home of the new Scottish Parliament came to be housed in the Assembly Hall.

“ The day was not only one for the history books, but also one of celebration for the dawn of a new chapter of Scottish democracy with the Church appropriately at its centre.

A new glass fronted entrance was created in Mylne’s Court (now gone) and on May 12 1999, a new chapter opened in the life of the symbolic Assembly Hall.

On Thursday July 1 1999, the Assembly Hall found itself under a global spotlight as the new Parliament was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II.

Thousands of people thronged the streets of Edinburgh to witness this historic official reopening of the first Scottish Parliament in nearly 300 years.

She travelled by horse and carriage up the Mound and into the Hall to officially declare the new Parliament to be open (although the 129 newly-elected MSPs had been meeting there since May).

The day was not only one for the history books, but also one of celebration for the dawn of a new chapter of Scottish democracy with the Church appropriately at its centre.

For as the debate about the possibility of self-government for Scotland gathered pace, particularly in the 1970s, the annual General Assembly – very much bigger than it is today – was regarded as the closest thing to a Parliament in Scotland as it geographically represented every area of the country and offered opportunity for debate on many subjects – some far more wide-ranging than topics that could be debated in a Parliament.

Debates and pronouncements from the Assembly generated daily media headlines and the symbolism of using the Hall which had also housed the Scottish Constitutional Convention was not lost on commentators.

The day itself was picture perfect: the weather held and thousands of people lined the streets of Edinburgh to mark the moment in history.

The Queen opened the Parliament and presented a specially-commissioned Mace to mark the authority of the new legislature saying: “I have trust in the good judgment of the Scottish people. I have faith in your commitment to their service and I am confident in the future of Scotland.”

In response, Scotland’s late First Minister Donald Dewar thanked the Queen for the Mace.

He said the day was a ‘turning point’ in which democracy was renewed in Scotland.

“This is about more than our politics and our laws,” he said. “This is about who we are, how we carry ourselves and in quiet moments of today, we might hear echoes on the past.”

The Scottish Crown, which dated back to the 15th century, was used in a public ceremony for the first time since 1953 and was placed in front of the Queen in the Assembly Hall.

Special guests included ambassadors from more than 30 countries, and speakers from 13 parliaments, along with representatives of the armed forces, business, the churches entertainment and sport in Scotland were also present.

A flyover by Concorde, the RAF’s Red Arrows and a 21-gun salute, followed by a parade involving thousands of children, concluded the formal ceremony, which was followed by outdoor concerts.

Karen Gillon, now General Secretary of the Church of Scotland Guild, was the first woman MSP to be elected to the Parliament on May 6 1999, representing Clydesdale, which she served until 2011.

“For me I probably got some of the best years being part of that first Scottish Parliament. There was a real sense of optimism and what could be achieved but there were probably some unrealistic expectations too. I hope overall we made a positive impact on people’s lives.

“I remember that day, walking from Parliament Square to the Parliament building, in our General Assembly Hall. People were all cheering. I was in the back row of MSPs, just in front of Donald Dewar and Sir David Steel.

“People were really excited about what devolution could bring and what difference it could make.

“I remember that day vividly – the whole ceremony was amazing, Donald’s speech encapsulated the mood of the nation and Sheena Wellington singing and everyone joining in spontaneously at the end of A Man’s A Man For A’ That was special. Then as we came outside there was the fly past and the Queen sitting on the platform outside the Assembly Hall and crowds cheering. It was a special day in Scotland’s story I think.”

She has fond memories of that time, particularly as the Parliament met in the Church of Scotland Assembly Hall.

“When you were in the Assembly Hall, if you were over there for a vote, you had to be over there and there was a wee tea room – where the tech team now sits at the General Assembly. This was the tea room for members. When there was a vote you would be in there sitting and chatting to colleagues of all parties. That was something I think we lost when we moved to Holyrood as you could get from your office to the chamber in two minutes when the bell rang for a vote.”

Karen held the high-profile education brief at one point and praises the committee system which allowed full scrutiny of legislation and believe it offered the ability to ‘change legislation and hold ministers to account.’

Indeed, the familiar black and white corridor of the Assembly Hall was so beloved by MSPs as a place to meet and chat after business that a similar area was forged at Holyrood to ensure there would be an informal place of friendship outside the debating chamber.

In taking on the mantle of the temporary home for the Parliament, it was not initially expected to be for five years, but so it was that it was 2004 before the current Holyrood building opened for business.

During that time the General Assembly relocated twice – to the Edinburgh International Conference Centre and then to the Usher Hall, both in Edinburgh, but as time moved on, it was the Parliament which vacated the building and met elsewhere.

MSPs of the time still speak with great affection about the first home of the modern Parliament and the Church’s key role in creating a new democracy will not be forgotten by the history books of tomorrow as the Parliament enters its 26th year.