John Knox House
Home of the father of the Scottish Reformation
About this Site
John Knox House is one of the oldest surviving buildings on the Royal Mile, dating from around 1470. Traditionally associated with John Knox, the fiery reformer who led the Scottish Reformation, the house stands as a physical link to the man whose preaching and writings transformed Scotland's religious landscape. Knox lived here in the final years of his life until his death in 1572.
c.1560
Historical Significance
John Knox is the towering figure of the Scottish Reformation. His fearless preaching against Catholic practice and royal authority laid the foundations for the Presbyterian Kirk that the Covenanters would later fight to defend. Without Knox's reformation, there would have been no National Covenant. His house on the Royal Mile is a tangible connection to the man who set Scotland on its path towards religious self-determination.