The Gaelic otherworld is populated by many strange and fascinating creatures: fairies, banshees, witches and animals that are not, what they seem to be. Peculiar to the Isle of Skye is the crodh sith, the fairy cattle, allegedly speckled and red (crodh breac ruadh), and able to cross the sea. These "magic cows" could only... Continue Reading →
I, Jocky Bell o' Brachenbrow, lyes under this stane, Five of my awn sons laid it on my wame (stomach); I liv'd aw my days, but sturt (trouble) or strife Was man o' my meat, and maister o' my wife; If you've done better in your time than I did in mine Take the stane... Continue Reading →
Here lye I, Elspeth Pye four and twenty bairns, gudeman and I. Raymond Lamont-Brown: Scottish Epitaphs. Chambers, Edinburgh, 1990
The Lord saw good, I was looping off wood And down fell from the tree. I met with check and broke my neck, And so death lopped off me. Raymond Lamont-Brown: Scottish Epitaphs. Chambers, Edinburgh, 1990
Templewood, also known as Half Moon Wood, is an extraordinary graveyard. An ancient burial site, different graves all around, a truly stunning place in Kilmartin in Argyll, a valley full of history, traces of wich still clearly recognizable. People have lived here for 5000 years and you have to think back around 170 generations to... Continue Reading →
Farewell, thou little blooming bud Just bursting into flower. Raymond Lamont-Brown: Scottish Epitaphs. Chambers, Edinburgh, 1990
This stone marks a burial place of importance. Who the deceased was will remain unknown forever. He or she was buried about 1.500 years ago in rural Aberdeenshire. There is nothing spectacular to his place but it is remarkable in many ways. Standing stones rarely mark burial spots. Most of them have been moved to... Continue Reading →
Tho' hot my name, yet mild my nature, I bore goodwill to every creature, I brewed good ale, and sold it too, And unto each I gave his due. Raymond Lamont-Brown: Scottish Epitaphs. Chambers, Edinburgh, 1990
A place as breathtaking as Bosta Beach on the island of Great Bernera, looking towards the small islands and Little Bernera. The sun, the sea, and the cry of seagulls in the wind. Whites, greens and pinks in warm summer sands, the waves peaceful tidings of an unknown future. To bury the dead in a... Continue Reading →
In hope to sing without a sob the anthem ever new, I gladly bid the dusty glob and vain delights adieu. From Strichen, Aberdeenshire Raymond Lamont-Brown: Scottish Epitaphs. Chambers, Edinburgh, 1990
Lindisfarne graveyard on Holy Island, Northumberland, symbolizes centuries of faith and history, overlooking Lindisfarne Priory’s ruins. A significant site since the 7th century, it holds the remains of islanders and clergy. The graveyard fosters reflection and connection to St Cuthbert, attracting visitors seeking inspiration and tranquility amid a sacred legacy.
Bamburgh, with its dramatic coastal setting and rich history, has revealed yet another fascinating chapter of its past. Decades of dedicated research by the Bamburgh Research Project and Durham University, in collaboration with the Bamburgh Castle Estate, have shed light on the lives of Anglo-Saxons who inhabited this area over a thousand years ago. The […]
Grace Darling, born in 1815, became famous for her courageous sea rescue of Forfarshire survivors in 1838. She passed away in 1842 and is buried in Bamburgh, where a monument marks her legacy. Celebrated in literature and art, her story inspires future generations, symbolizing bravery and compassion.
Graveyards of Scotland 
Recent Comments