RESTALRIG, a village (ancient), and formerly a
parish of itself, now in the parish of South-Leith,
county of Edinburgh, li mile (E.) from Edinburgh;
containing 92 inhabitants. The barony early formed
part of the possessions of the Logan family, after whose
forfeiture it became the property of the Balmerino family,
with whom it remained till 1746, when, on the attainder
of Arthur, sixth Lord Balmerino, it passed to the Earl
of Moray, Lady Balmerino continuing to reside in the
family seat till her decease in 1765. It is now the property
of the present earl. James III. founded in the
parish church a collegiate establishment, which was increased
by James IV., and also by James V., who endowed
it for a dean, nine prebendaries, and two choristers.
The establishment continued to flourish for
some time; and John Sinclair, dean of Restalrig, solemnized
the marriage of Mary, Queen of Scots, with Lord
Darnley. At the Reformation the society, then consisting
of a dean and eight prebendaries, was dissolved;
the church was ordered by the General Assembly to be
demolished as a monument of idolatry, and the parishioners
were directed to assemble for divine service in
the chapel of St. Mary the Virgin, in South Leith. By
act of parliament in 1609, the parish and church of
Restalrig were more completely divested of their legal
rights and revenues, which were transferred to South
Leith, then made an independent parish. The church
remained in ruins from the Reformation till the year
1836, when, by the exertions of a few zealous individuals,
aided by the Church-Extension Committee, a sum was
raised by subscription, and the edifice was completely
restored and renovated, after a plan gratuitously furnished
by Mr. Burn, architect. Divine worship is performed
in it by an assistant minister of South Leith, for the
benefit of the surrounding population. The ancient
burying-ground still remains attached to the church.
The village consists only of a few houses; it is pleasantly
situated in a plain near the Piershill barracks, and is
surrounded with meadows, and with gardens in which
great quantities of fruit and vegetables are raised for the
Edinburgh market.