There is something special and sad about the first body interred in a graveyard. Local legend has it, that the first body in the graveyard of Quarff on Shetland Mainland was a stranger. Nobody knew who he was. A dead body the sea had brought in. The local fishermen buried him more or less where... Continue Reading →
Red is a rare colour in graveyards. The shade of life, blood, pain and hate. Graveyards have none of that. They are grey or black, they are death and decay. Grave. And still, there are spots of red if one cares to look closely. Light feathery red, deep heavy red, alarmingly radiant red. Red is... Continue Reading →
Cold, red sandstone against the pale blue water of the Moray Firth: Fort George. Mighty resting place, where the walls tower massively over a vast star-shaped ground. At the back of the promontory, close to the sea, is the garrison’s chapel. It commemorates the dead of the past as well as the present. Fort... Continue Reading →
The story of Rob Roy MacGregor is well known in Scotland, it is part of the old lore, history and childhood. A man who had joined the Jacobite Rising at the age of 18 and was badly wounded in the battle of Glen Shiel 1719. He was a fighter and a cattleman, selling rich Lowlanders... Continue Reading →
Entering Inverness from the South, the traveller passes a small, wooded hill with a peculiar shape that rises steep behind the Caledonian Canal: Tomnahurich. A large burial ground with old graves on the hill and newer ones circling it. Nothing spectacular seems to hide behind the high gates of Tomnahurich. For those who do not... Continue Reading →
The words moss and lichen made it very early into my vocabulary, I am not a native English speaker and moss and lichen seem rather unusual words for a foreigner to know. But then again, for a foreigner who delights in Scottish cemeteries, it is not such an unusual vocabulary after all, because moss and... Continue Reading →
There is no trace of Kildonan on Google Maps to be found. If you know where to look (57.865564,-5.235921), you can see the outlines of what used to be houses and barns. Kildonan is gone because the people of Kildonan had to go. How hard and frugal their lives must have been. Cold and desolate... Continue Reading →
But when the melancholy fit shall fall Sudden from heaven like a weeping cloud, That fosters the droop-headed flowers all, And hides the green hill in an April shroud; Ode on Melancholy, John Keats (1795 - 1821), The Oxford Book of English Verse If you love Keats, Shelley and Byron you surely must love graveyards.... Continue Reading →
Near the shores of Loch Leven, close to the road up towards Glencoe rises a small island out of the cold tidal waters. On a sunny day in summer the lush grass smells of herbs, the rough song of the crickets creates a somehow Italian atmosphere. No bridge or ferry connects the island full of... Continue Reading →
John Knox monument, Glasgow Necropolis Set in stern stone against a bleak winter sky seems a most appropriate form of existence for a man like John Knox. If one is willing to attribute an existence to a monument. His monumental influence on religion is Scotland is widely known. As well as his fear and abhorence... Continue Reading →
An elegant spa town, a fake beard, a murdered mother-in-law and a family tragedy. Sometimes, the darkest stories leave no graves to visit. Baden-Baden, Germany. Baden-Baden is famous for its thermal baths, grand hotels, casino and beautiful parks. But behind the elegant façades of this small German spa town lies a surprisingly dark criminal history. […]
In the heart of Rastatt lies a quiet green space beside the modern clinic. At first glance, the Alter Friedhof Rastatt – the Old Cemetery of Rastatt – appears to be little more than a peaceful park. Yet beneath its trees rests one of the most politically charged memorial sites in Baden. Here, the stories […]
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.
Recent Comments