The cathedral was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott. The foundation stone was laid on 21st May 1874 by the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry. A bottle containing a copy of the Trust Deed, the Edinburgh Post Office Directory, Oliver and Boyd’s Almanac, newspapers and coins were placed inside the foundation stone. Services were held in a temporary iron building erected on the site until the 26th May 1876. The nave of the cathedral opened for worship on 25th January 1879.