The Chapel - Royal Edinburgh Hospital

This morning's run was along the canal cutting off at Ashley Terrace to go up towards and through the Royal Edinburgh Hospital estate.  There's been a psychiatric hospital on the site since 1813 with a hotch potch of buildings across the 50 acres including "The Chapel". 

The Chapel is known now as "the hive" acting as an activity centre and coffee shop for in-patients.  But the building itself is interesting.   It's a church made from corrugated iron - apparently they are rare.   The design is quite decorative - it still has the bellcote which would have sheltered the bells, symmetrical gabled entrance porches, detailed barge boarding and Gothic style windows.  But it was originally built as St Michael's Church on Slateford Road, a mile down the road, in 1876.  When St Michael's was replaced with a stone built church in 1888 this corrugated one was bought by the Royal Edinburgh Hospital and erected in its current spot!  Apparently they are known as tin tabernacles.