Historic cottage, which comes with its own church, goes on the market for offers over £1 million

Published: 19:50, 16 August 2026 | Updated: 19:53, 16 August 2026 A historic kirk and detached cottage on one of Scotland’s most expensive streets has gone on the market for offers over £1million. Greenside Church and detached Caretaker’s Cottage at 1A and 1B Royal Terrace in Edinburgh are being offloaded by the Church of Scotland. They sit within the exclusive Georgian enclave where homes often command multi-million-pound price tags. Royal Terrace was crowned the country’s priciest road last October with the average property value worth almost £3million, according to research by Optimise Accountants Limited. The Kirk says the sale at offers over £1.075million represents a ‘fantastic opportunity’ to acquire property in a ‘prestigious position in the heart of Edinburgh’s historic city centre’. It is the Kirk’s second £1million property to hit the market in just a matter of weeks, amid its ongoing fire sale of churches and manses. It recently listed a beachfront manse for sale with a price tag of more than £1.1million in North Berwick, East Lothian. The Church of Scotland is selling Greenside Church and the detached Caretaker’s Cottage for offers over £1million The properties, at 1A and 1B Royal Terrace in Edinburgh, sit in one of Scotland's most expensive streets It is the Kirk’s second £1million property to hit the market in just a matter of weeks, amid its ongoing fire sale of churches and manses Should historic buildings like churches be preserved for community use or sold off to wealthy buyers? What's your view?The Church is offloading hundreds of surplus buildings as it seeks to downsize amid shrinking congregations and soaring maintenance costs. It had plunged millions into the red amid dwindling membership and the crippling costs of maintaining its 5,000-strong property portfolio. The A-listed buildings at Royal Terrace come with their own private gardens and offers are invited for the church and cottage – either together or as separate lots. Together, they offer 8,653 sq ft of internal space, along with large private gardens. Internally, the church comprises an entrance vestibule with a small vestry, leading through to the impressive main worship space at ground floor level, with a mezzanine gallery seating area above. The lower ground floor provides extensive ancillary accommodation, including two church hall areas, office space, storage rooms, kitchen facilities, toilets and a boiler room. The detached cottage has an entrance hall, a living room with adjoining kitchen, three bedrooms and a bathroom. Royal Terrace, which was built in the 1820s, forms part of Edinburgh’s New Town, a Unesco World Heritage Site which features properties designed by the celebrated architect William Playfair. A Church of Scotland spokesman said: ‘Reducing the number of buildings we own has been one part of a raft of radical reforms being undertaken by the Church in recent years aimed at ensuring we are lean and fit for mission in the 21st century and have well equipped spaces in the right places.’