The Assembly Hall is located between the Lawnmarket and the Mound in Edinburgh. It is the meeting place of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. Edinburgh (pronounced ; Scottish Gaelic: ) is the capital of Scotland and its second-largest city. ... The 2004 Assembly with Dr Alison Elliot as Moderator The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the sovereign and highest court of the Church of Scotland, and is thus the Churchs governing body. ...

Following the Disruption in the Church of Scotland in 1843, the emergent Free Church of Scotland urgently required a new theological college (New College) in Edinburgh, an Assembly Hall and a home for the Free High Church (the member of St Giles' Cathedral who left at the Disruption). A complex of buildings was thus designed by William Henry Playfair and built from 1846 onwards. The Assembly Hall itself was designed by David Bryce and built in 1858-9. The back of the Hall facing Castlehill was extended east by J. M. Dick Peddie in 1885, with further work in 1902-3. In 1934 the Free High Church vacated its building, which was adapted to become the New College Library. Disruption generally refers to the normal workings of something being interrupted. ... The Church of Scotland (CofS, known informally as The Kirk, Eaglais na h-Alba in Scottish Gaelic) is the national church of Scotland. ... 1843 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... This article concerns the Free Church of Scotland 1843-1900, for the Free Church of Scotland existing from 1900 to the present day see Free Church of Scotland (post 1900). ... New College, Edinburgh was founded in 1846 as a college of the Free Church of Scotland, later of the United Free Church of Scotland, and currently the School of Divinity of the University of Edinburgh and a Divinity college of the Church of Scotland. ... Old College, University of Edinburgh, courtyard facade: detail by Playfair William Henry Playfair (1790-1857) was one of the greatest Scottish architects of the 19th Century. ... 1846 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... David Bryce (1803-1876) was a Scottish architect. ... 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ...

On the north side, there is a corridor known as "the Black and White Corridor" because of its distinctive chequered floor tiling. From the Black and White Corridor, there are steps down to the New College quadrangle (and Mound Place) and a staircase up to the Moderator's rooms and the Clerks' room (immediately above). Stairs also lead into the Rainy Hall of New College.

In 1900, the United Presbyterian Church and a majority of the Free Church of Scotland united as the United Free Church of Scotland; the Assembly Hall was henceforth used by the newly united church. The United Free Church of Scotland and the Church of Scotland united in 1929. The Assembly Hall thus became the Assembly Hall of the reunited Church of Scotland. Overlooking the Moderator's chair, the centre of the south gallery was adapted to become the "Throne Gallery" for the Lord High Commissioner. Prior to 1929, the General Assemblies of the (old) Church of Scotland were held in St John's Highland Tolbooth Church (now 'The Hub'), the spire of which continues to overshadow the Assembly Hall and New College. United Presbyterian Church (of Scotland). ... The United Free Church of Scotland (or ‘U.F. Church’) is a Scottish Presbyterian denomination formed in 1900 by the union of the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland (or U.P.) and the Free Church of Scotland, which in turn united with the Church of Scotland in 1929. ... The Church of Scotland (CofS, known informally as The Kirk, Eaglais na h-Alba in Scottish Gaelic) is the national church of Scotland. ... The standard of the Moderator The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is an honorary role, held for 12 months. ... The Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the British Sovereigns personal representative to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland (the Kirk). ... The Hub may refer to: The Hub; computer network music ensemble The Hub; land area in Fallout The Hub; the centre of the Discworld in the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett The Hub; former church in Edinburgh which is now home to the Edinburgh International Festival. ...

Prior to 1999, the Assembly Hall was hardly used other than for meeting of the General Assembly and performances during the Edinburgh International Festival. The Edinburgh International Festival is a festival of performing arts that takes place in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland over three weeks from around the middle of August. ...

Between 1999 and 2004 the Assembly Hall was used as the temporary debating chamber of the Scottish Parliament. The old (and uncomfortable) dark green leather bench seating was removed. Temporary (and removable) desks and seating were installed and the Hall was carpeted. The Church of Scotland used the Edinburgh International Conference Centre for the General Assembly in 1999 and the Usher Hall in 2001. In other years the Parliament had to vacate the Assembly Hall for the Church. For the national legislative body up to 1707, see Parliament of Scotland. ...

Following the completion of the new Scottish Parliament Building at Holyrood, the Assembly Hall was refurbished with new theatre-type upholstered seating. The Church of Scotland's Board of Practice and Procedure set up an Assembly Hall Development Group to consider how the building could be more widely used in future. The Assembly Hall is now regularly used for conferences and performances, as well as for the General Assembly every May. The Scottish Parliament building in April 2006 The Scottish Parliament Building is the home of the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood, within the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Edinburgh. ...

The Assembly Hall should not be confused with the Assembly Rooms in George Street, Edinburgh. The Assembly Rooms are a set of elegant rooms open to the public and located in the heart of the world heritage City of Bath at Bennett Street, Bath, BA1 2QH UK. History The Assembly Rooms formed the hub of fashionable Georgian society in the city. ...

Reference

• J. Gifford, C. McWilliam and D. Walker, The Buildings of Scotland: Edinburgh, Penguin Books, 1984, ISBN 0-14-071068-X.

See also

• General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
• Church of Scotland Offices

The 2004 Assembly with Dr Alison Elliot as Moderator The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the sovereign and highest court of the Church of Scotland, and is thus the Churchs governing body. ... The Church of Scotland offices are located in the centre of Edinburgh (in the New Town) at 121 George Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4YN. These imposing buildings are popularly known in Church circles as one-two-one. They were designed in a Scandinavian-influenced style by the architect Sydney Mitchell and...

External link

• Church of Scotland

Coordinates: 55°56′59″N, 3°11′42″W Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...