:''This article is on the diocese of the
Scottish Episcopal Church; for the Catholic diocese, see
Archdiocese of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh.''
The 'Diocese of Edinburgh' is one of the seven
dioceses of the
Scottish Episcopal Church. It covers the
City of Edinburgh and
Lothian, the
Scottish Borders and
Falkirk. The diocesan centre is
St. Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh.
Unlike the other dioceses of the Scottish Episcopal Church, the Diocese of Edinburgh is a fairly recent creation. The diocese was created by
Charles I in 1634, with William Forbes as its first bishop.
St. Giles' Cathedral was its original
cathedral. Through the Scottish
Reformation, the heritage and jurisdiction of the church passed into the hands of the
Church of Scotland. However, the line of bishops has been preserved in the Scottish Episcopal Church. In 1874, the foundations were laid for the present Episcopalian cathedral in Edinburgh. The present
Bishop of Edinburgh is the
Right Reverend Brian Smith.
The Diocese of Edinburgh is twinned with the
Anglican Diocese of Dunedin (
Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia) and the
Diocese of Connor (
Church of Ireland).