Church of Scotland Offices, Edinburgh

Perhaps the idea of visiting the Church of Scotland Offices doesn’t inspire you – after all offices are pretty much the same all over the world – filled with filing cabinets and archives! But do go and have a look at this historic building.

Located on George Street, the offices were built in the Scandinavian style by Sydney Mitchell in 1911. Just inside the main entrance is a small chapel and the extension on the east side has a great book shop. The ground and first floors of the building are of grey Aberdeen granite, the rest is of rusticated sandstone. The façade has ten Doric columns supporting elegant arches.

Above the entrance is a coat of arms representing the Burning Bush, with a winged angel on either side. Hovering over the Bush is a dove carrying an olive twig in its beak. Above the dove is Noah’s Ark. The inscription written across the Bush translates: “and yet it was not consumed”.

Above the windows on the second floor over the main entrance there are three flag poles set in bronze swags. Three cherubs gather around the centre pole. The cornice below the windows on the fourth floor have granite carvings of nine ram’s heads, representing the sacrifice the Lord told Moses to make to Him after the carving of the Ten Commandments.