When the church was first planted, and for many years afterwards, it was watched over by the Presbytery of Edinburgh with zealous care, and they appointed it to be visited from time to time by some of their members.  Reports of these visitations are entered in the presbytery registers, and they seem to have been uniformly attended with good effects. We have already shown that it was by this means that the union of the parishes of Corstorphine and Gogar was accomplished, and that the stipend of Corstorphine was made adequate and respectable. Many other subjects, however, engrossed the attention of the visitors. In August 1598, for instance, after enquiring into the life and doctrine of the minister and his wife and family, and sharplie rebuking the elders for not resorting to the kirk on the Sabbath afternoon, they examined the session-books, and finding no schoolmaster in the parish, enjoined that one should be immediately appointed; arranged with the provost and laird of Corstorphine to put new glass windows into the kirk, and to rebuild the kirk-yard dykes; and communed with the Abbot of Halierudhouse on the ruinous state of queir of the paroch kirk, and the inadequacy of the clergyman's stipend.   On another visitation on 16th October 1599, which seems to have been appointed because the parishioners had complained that Mr. William Arthur, their minister, was "overleirnit a man for thame."  " The presbytery fand, 1st, That Mr. William Arthur edifiet them, but craved that he suld be mair plain to the people in deliverie.  2nd, He was honest in lyf, and careful in discharging his dewtie.  Item, They fand that the elders wer slack and negligent in discipline, qrof they being admonishet promisit to amend." Item, That deacons were "faithful in their office," &c.

 The next visitation took place in February 1601, and the report shews that the admonitions had been useful for " they fand Mr William Arthur, the minister, eldaris, and deaconis, weel thocht of;" and again in August 1602, "they heard nathing of the minister, elders, and deacons, but a good report, and all uther things wer weill."