St. Giles

At the Mercat Cross is the Protestant Church of St. Giles, founded in the early 12th century. St. Giles, the High Kirk of Edinburgh, was the church of John Knox during the Reformation. The Saint the church is named after, and the patron saint of the town, Giles, was a hermit who lived in France. He was accidentally wounded by a huntsman in pursuit of a hind; and after his death hospitals and safe houses for lepers, cripples, and beggars were established throughout England and Scotland.