The History of St Peter's Episcopal Church

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The church of Saint Peter stands in a prominent position at the eastern end of the High Street in the town of Musselburgh. Built between 1864 and 1866 in the French Early Pointed style, it stands close to the site of the famous battle (Battle of Pinkie Cleugh) that took place on 10 September 1547 when many Scots were killed by an invading English army.

The church belongs to the Diocese of Edinburgh of the Scottish Episcopal Church, so is part of the Anglican Communion. It originally had links with Loretto School but these formally ended in 1876 when the School built its own chapel within the school grounds.

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There are more than 20 stained glass windows in the church, installed between 1866 and 1883. The majority illustrate events/writings recorded in the New Testament of the Bible. Most of the windows were given in memory of members of the Hope family, strong supporters of St Peters, who lived at Pinkie House (now part of Loretto School).

There is a carved sandstone font at the west end of the church near the main entrance. It is an octagonal design, imitating medieval work. It was formerly in St George's Episcopal Chapel in Edinburgh (now combined with St Paul's in York Place) and is thought to have been made around 1941.