Centre for the Study of World Christianity

The Centre for Theology and Public Issues (CTPI) is a research centre based in New College, the School of Divinity at the University of Edinburgh. Founded in 1984 by Duncan B. Forrester, CTPI promotes Christian theological reflection and research on important public issues. CTPI research is global in orientation and rooted in the tradition of public theology. Issues are examined by bringing together theologians, social scientists, church leaders, policy makers and the public. CTPI has particularly close relations with the Scottish Parliament and other institutions of Scottish public life. The current director is Jolyon Mitchell.

New College is a historic building at the University of Edinburgh which houses the university's School of Divinity. It is one of the largest and most renowned centres for studies in Theology and Religious Studies in the United Kingdom. Students in M.A., M.Th. and Ph.D. degree programmes come from over 30 countries, and are taught by almost 40 full-time members of the academic staff. New College is situated on The Mound in the heart of Edinburgh's Old Town. New College originally opened its doors in 1846 as a college of the Free Church of Scotland, later of the United Free Church of Scotland, and since 1935 has been the home of the School of Divinity (formerly the Faculty of Divinity) of the University of Edinburgh. As "New College" it continues the historic commitment to offer a programme of academic preparation for ministry in the Church of Scotland, also made use of by ministerial candidates from other churches. In the 1970s the Faculty of Divinity also began offering undergraduate degrees in Theology and Religious Studies, and students in these programmes now make up the majority of the nearly 300 undergraduates enrolled in any given year.

The Church of Scotland (Scots: The Scots Kirk; Scottish Gaelic: Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland. The Church of Scotland's identity was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Reformation of 1560, when it split from the Catholic Church and established itself as a church in the reformed tradition. The church is Calvinist Presbyterian, having no head of faith or leadership group and believing that God invited the church's adherents to worship Jesus. The annual meeting of its general assembly is chaired by the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. The Church of Scotland celebrates two sacraments, Baptism and the Lord's Supper, as well as five other rites, such as Confirmation and Matrimony. The church adheres to the Bible and the Westminster Confession of Faith, and is a member of the World Communion of Reformed Churches.

The Assembly Hall is located between Castlehill and Mound Place in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is the meeting place of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

Camera Obscura & World of Illusions is a tourist attraction located in Outlook Tower on the Castlehill section of the Royal Mile close to Edinburgh Castle. The original attraction was founded by entrepreneur Maria Theresa Short in 1835 and was exhibited on Calton Hill. Outlook Tower has been a museum since the late 1890s and is currently home to many interactive exhibits, including the original Camera Obscura.

The Mound is an artificial slope in central Edinburgh, Scotland, which connects Edinburgh's New and Old Towns. It was formed by dumping around 1,501,000 cartloads of earth excavated from the foundations of the New Town into Nor Loch which was drained in 1765 and forms today's Princes Street Gardens.

The Bust of Carlo Antonio del Pozzo is a sculptural portrait by the Italian artist Gianlorenzo Bernini. It is in the National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh. Carlo Antonio was the Archbishop of Pisa and the uncle of the noted seventeenth-century collector, Cassiano del Pozzo, who commissioned Bernini to create the sculpture.It was acquired by the National Gallery of Scotland in 1986, at a cost of 3m British Pounds, although the value at the time was said to be much higher (around 7.5m pounds). It had previously been in the British stately palace of Castle Howard, since 1715.

The Witchery by the Castle is a restaurant on the Royal Mile near Edinburgh Castle which also provides bed and breakfast accommodation. The restaurant was opened in 1979 by chef James Thompson. At the start there were just three staff but the business has now grown to employ over 70, including several housekeepers, a night porter and 16 chefs.The building is Boswell's Court which was built in 1595 for merchant Thomas Lowthian and subsequently named after John Boswell – an eccentric physician who lived there and entertained his nephew James Boswell and Dr Johnson. The building was later used as an office and rectory for the Church of Scotland. It is said to be haunted by one of the thousand people who were burned for witchcraft on Castlehill in 15th and 16th centuries. The eight bedroom suites are furnished in a Gothic style with oak panelling, tapestries and antique features.Notable people who have stayed there include Andrew Lloyd Webber and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

The Hub is a public arts and events building in the centre of Edinburgh, Scotland. Located at the top of the Royal Mile, it is a prominent landmark as its tall gothic spire is the highest point in central Edinburgh, and towers over the surrounding buildings below Edinburgh Castle. The building is a notable example of Gothic Revival architecture and was designed by architects J Gillespie Graham and Augustus Pugin. Constructed between 1842 and 1845, it was originally designed as a meeting hall for the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. From 1929 the building was used as a church until the mid-1980s. Today it is the home of the Edinburgh International Festival and is used as a ticket office, information centre and performance venue.

Cannonball House is a 17th-century town house on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was built in 1630 and substantially renovated in the early 20th century. It takes its name from a cannonball embedded in its western wall. The building is protected as a Category A listed building.

St Columba's-by-the-Castle is a congregation of the Scottish Episcopal Church in central Edinburgh, Scotland. The church is located close to Edinburgh Castle, on the south slope of Castle Hill, and is protected as a category B listed building.The church was constructed in 1846–1847 in an Early English Gothic style, to designs by architect John Henderson. Stone for the building was brought from the palace of Mary of Guise, 16th-century queen regent of Scotland, on the Royal Mile. Its layout was inspired by the reforms of Anglican worship arising from the Oxford Movement.St Columba's-by-the-Castle is part of a local ecumenical partnership (LEP) with Greyfriars Tolbooth & Highland Kirk (Church of Scotland) and Augustine United Church (United Reformed Church). It is also part of Edinburgh Churches Together and Action of Churches Together in Scotland.During the Edinburgh Festival Fringe it has been used by the promoter C venues as a venue.

The Witches' Well is a monument to accused witches burned at the stake in Edinburgh, Scotland, and is the only one of its kind in the city.The memorial drinking fountain is attached to a wall at the lower end of the Castle Esplanade, below Edinburgh Castle, and located close to where many witches were burned at the stake. During the high point of witch hunting in the early modern period, 32% of accused witches came from the Lothian area.