The Tron Kirk

Edinburgh's Tron Kirk is one of several notable churches along the Royal Mile. It's located at about the centre of the Mile, next to the South Bridge, and is named after the old public weighing beam ("tron") that used to stand there. Although not as grand as either The Hub or Saint Giles it's still an impressive building and makes a good Old Town landmark for visitors to the city.

The Tron is currently not open to the public.

History

The Tron church was built in the 17th century, initially as an overflow from Saint Giles when the latter was used as the seat for the Bishop of Edinburgh. It was initially significantly wider than it is now, the East wing having been demolished to make way for the building of the South Bridge. The West wing was then also demolished in order to restore symmetry to the church.

The Tron ceased to be used as a church in 1952 and the interior gutted to allow for excavation of Marlin's Wynd which lies below. The building was for used briefly as a Visitor Information Centre but at the time of writing (May 2010) is closed off and unused. Outside the Tron today stand the meeting boards for Auld Reekie underground ghost tours.

The Tron used to be a centre for the city's Hogmanay celebrations, however today the focus of these has largely shifted to Princes Street to accommodate the larger numbers.

Don't confuse the kirk with the Tron pub which is just around the back of the church!