death’s orchard

St. Mary’s Chapel  yard in Inverness, an ancient burial ground right in the heart of the Highland’s capital, is but rarely visited, being somehow hidden behind high walls.

Chapel Yard is one of three ancient burial grounds in Inverness and probably dates back as far as 1233.

In the early days two churches with the same name existed in Inverness, no remains are left of the St Mary’s that stood on the burial ground.

The ground once belonged to a monastery that was either Franciscan or Dominican. The people of the burgh would hold their assemblies here.

Some of the graves date back as far as the early 17^th century, decipherable are a few 18^th century headstones, elaborate and plain side by side, both commemorating lost loved ones, in grandeur as well as in sobriety.

And in the middle of death, there are blossoms, signs of live everywhere on cold wet stone.

death’s orchard, Inverness

Today it feels weirdly enough more like an orchard than a cemetery, a number of cherry trees flourish among the quiet graves, the red berries like droplets of blood amongst the dark stones of the dead; echoes and smells of the city waft through the lush foliage above the graves.

As if death had planted an orchard.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.